About Mary Help of Christians Parish · Tampa, Florida
Mary Help of Christians Parish is a Catholic parish in Tampa, Florida, entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and part of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. The parish serves the East Lake / Chelsea neighborhood on a sprawling 140-acre Salesian campus that has welcomed young people, families, and the poor since 1928. Daily Mass, weekend liturgies, a vibrant Korean Catholic Mission, youth ministry, RCIA, Confirmation preparation, adoration, and Salesian retreats shape parish life, all rooted in the family spirit of St. John Bosco.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- Mary Help of Christians (Our Lady, Help of Christians)
- Rector
- Rev. Steven (Steve) Dumais, S.D.B.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
Mary Help of Christians offers a tangible Salesian family spirit on a peaceful 140-acre campus a short drive off I-4 at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., with daily Mass, perpetual adoration, and a strong bilingual (English and Korean) Catholic life. Parishioners of all ages are drawn into the formation and accompaniment of the young through RCIA, Confirmation, youth ministry, retreats at Camp Mary Help, and outreach, while the broader campus — Cristo Rey Tampa, the Korean Catholic Mission, Mary Has a Little Farm, and the retired Salesians at St. Philip Residence — gives the parish a rare depth of community and mission.
Mass times at Mary Help of Christians Parish
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 4:45 PM
- Sunday 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (during Silent Adoration)
- Wednesday 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (during Praise, Song and Worship Adoration)
- By appointment — contact the parish office at 813-626-7588 or [email protected]
Adoration times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (Parish)
- Sunday 10:30 AM (Parish)
- Wednesday 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Silent Adoration, Parish)
- Wednesday 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Praise, Song and Worship Adoration, Parish)
- 1st Wednesday of each month 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM 'Pack the Chapel' (MHC Church)
- By appointment — email the parish office or call 813-626-7588
History & Heritage
Mary Help of Christians traces its origin to 1928, when Mrs. Alicia Gonzalez Neve donated her land, home, and savings to the Salesians of Don Bosco to open an orphanage for boys on East Lake in Tampa. Modeled on the Oratory of Valdocco in Turin, Italy — founded by St. John Bosco — the orphanage grew into an academically distinguished K-12 school that became one of the finest in central Florida. As state and federal regulations changed, the boarding school became a day school (1998), then a Catholic middle school, which closed in 2006. After a year of pastoral planning, the campus was renamed Mary Help of Christians Center and refocused on accompanying the young and the poor of Tampa Bay. The parish itself was formally founded in 1966 within the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.
- 1928: Alicia Gonzalez Neve donates 100+ acres on East Lake to the Salesians
- Orphanage becomes Mary Help of Christians School (K-12)
- 1998: Transitions to a day school as regulations change
- 2006: Middle school closes; campus renamed Mary Help of Christians Center
- 1966: Mary Help of Christians Parish founded (Diocese of Saint Petersburg)
- 2016: Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School opens on the campus
The Salesian Mission
Mary Help of Christians is the only parish in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), the religious order founded by St. John Bosco in 1859. The Salesian 'Preventive System' — reason, religion, and loving-kindness (the Preventive System) — shapes everything from the parish's youth ministry to its schools and camps. Today the on-campus Salesian community of about 18 includes ten retired priests and brothers who continue to minister actively, supported by lay collaborators.
- St. John Bosco's Preventive System
- Director of the Salesian community: Fr. Franco Pinto, SDB
- Approximately 18 Salesians on campus, including ten retired
- Lay collaborators run five of seven campus ministries
- Salesian Cooperators meet the 1st Saturday of every month
Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Salesian priests with the support of a permanent deacon and lay staff. Fr. Steve Dumais, SDB, who was born in Lawrence, MA in 1948 and ordained in 1978 in Columbus, OH, brings decades of ministry in parish, school, formation, and Province administration settings. Fr. Jaejun J. Chong, SDB, serves as parochial vicar and coordinator of the Korean Catholic Mission. Deacon Ed Anctil — a retired Hillsborough County deputy sheriff — supports parish and diaconal liturgy.
- Pastor: Rev. Steven (Steve) Dumais, SDB
- Parochial Vicar / Korean Ministry: Rev. Jaejun J. Chong, SDB
- Deacon: Edmond (Ed) Anctil
- Office Manager: Rosa Terpstra
- Bookkeeper: Clara McCarthy
- Music Director: Pamela Brewer
Sacraments
Parish sacramental preparation follows the customary diocesan timelines. Baptism requests should be made at least one month in advance and weddings at least eight months in advance; Anointing of the Sick and additional Reconciliation times are available by appointment. Sacramental records and pastoral letters are handled by the parish office with a two-week and one-month advance notice respectively.
- Baptism — at least 1 month advance notice
- Confirmation — child & adult preparation, classes begin in September
- Holy Matrimony — at least 8 months advance notice
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
- Sacramental Records — 2 weeks advance email request
- Pastoral Letters — 1 month advance email request
Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish prepares adults and children for the Sacraments of Initiation. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) welcomes those exploring the Catholic faith and prepares them to receive Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation, with adult Confirmation celebrated during the Easter season. Children's Confirmation classes begin each September, with the sacrament typically celebrated the following year.
- RCIA Coordinator: Tony Marincovich ([email protected], 863-660-0020)
- Adult Confirmation during Easter season
- Children's Confirmation classes begin each September
Youth, Outreach & Korean Catholic Mission
Pastoral care for the young and for newcomers shapes much of parish life. A regular Youth Ministry gathers teens, an Outreach ministry organizes service projects (such as Mama Margaret's visits to local summer camps), and the Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa offers Korean-language Masses, faith formation, and Bible-based Korean language classes for second- and third-generation Korean Catholics after Sunday Mass.
- Youth Ministry — regular gatherings
- Outreach — service projects including visits to summer camps
- Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa — bilingual Masses, faith formation, Korean language classes
- Korean Community Secretary: Agnes Okkyung Kim
Mary Help of Christians Center & Wider Campus
The parish sits within the larger 140-acre Mary Help of Christians Center, a Salesian apostolate that combines the parish, schools, retreat facilities, and residences into one mission. Beyond the parish itself, the campus is home to Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School, the St. Philip the Apostle Residence for retired Salesians, Camp Mary Help, Mary Has a Little Farm, and the MHC Foundation.
- Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School (opened August 2016) — Catholic, college-prep, corporate work-study
- St. Philip the Apostle Residence — retirement community for Salesian priests and brothers
- Camp Mary Help — retreats for confirmation and high-school groups
- Mary Has a Little Farm — Director: Kay Conroy (813-626-6191 ext. 1027)
- Mary Help of Christians Center Foundation — Executive Director: Bill Palmisano
- Facilities include lakefront area, gymnasium, pool, and barn on 140 acres
Music & Liturgy
The parish's Music Director leads liturgical music for parish Masses. Sunday 11:00 AM Mass is livestreamed from MHC Church for those unable to attend in person, with archived livestreams and resources for Mass (Mass responses, Act of Spiritual Communion) available on the parish website.
- Music Director: Pamela Brewer
- Sunday 11:00 AM Mass livestreamed
- Wednesday evening Adoration livestreamed
- Daily Mass celebrated in Good Shepherd Chapel
Visiting Mary Help of Christians
The 140-acre campus sits in Hillsborough County, Tampa, off I-4 at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., surrounded by nature and including a lakefront area, gymnasium, pool, and barn. The parish office is open during business hours; visitors are encouraged to email [email protected] for faster service or to call 813-626-7588. Daily Mass is in the Good Shepherd Chapel; weekend and major liturgies are in MHC Church.
- Address: 6400 E Chelsea Street, Tampa, FL 33610
- Phone: (813) 626-7588; Fax: (813) 626-5882
- Email: [email protected]
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg — Tampa Deanery
- Located off I-4 at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Steven (Steve) Dumais, S.D.B.
Current pastor. Born in Lawrence, MA in 1948; professed vows as a Salesian in 1967; ordained May 19, 1978 in Columbus, OH. Served in parishes, schools, a formation residence, a shrine, retreat center, and Province administration (Vice Provincial, Province Delegate for Social Communications) before being assigned to Mary Help of Christians. Transferred in when the Salesians agreed to lead the parish and the Good Shepherd property was sold.