About Nativity · Hollywood, Florida
Nativity Catholic Parish (formally the Church of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord) is a vibrant Roman Catholic parish in Hollywood, Florida, belonging to the Archdiocese of Miami. Founded on August 23, 1960 by Bishop Coleman F. Carroll, it is one of the largest parishes in southeast Broward County, serving more than 3,500 registered families at its peak with an active Catholic elementary school. The parish is bilingual (English and Spanish), runs well-known annual traditions such as the Nativity Jamboree (carnival) and the Hoedown Under the Hay Barn, and is the home of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile and a memorial statue of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- The Nativity of Our Blessed Lord (the Birth of Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert Ayala
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami
Why belong here
Nativity is a large, welcoming bilingual (English and Spanish) parish with more than 3,500 registered families, an active Catholic elementary school (Pre-K 3 through 8th grade), and a CCD program that has historically enrolled hundreds of public-school children in both languages. Parishioners describe a strong 'ministry, not organization' culture — from the long-running Men's Club that cooks almost weekly for the needy and the St. Vincent de Paul Society (chartered December 1960) to charismatic prayer groups, Respect Life Jericho Walks, retreats, and Adopt-a-Family drives. With weekday and Sunday Masses, Saturday confessions, a live-streamed liturgy, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile, a memorial to Blessed Mother Teresa, and signature events like the Nativity Jamboree, Hoedown Under the Hay Barn and Bocce Tournaments, it offers something for every age and stage of Catholic life.
Mass times at Nativity
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM (Church)
Parish Identity and Mission
Nativity Catholic Parish (Church of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord) is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Miami, located at 5220 Johnson Street in Hollywood, Florida. Founded on August 23, 1960 and now led by Pastor Rev. Robert Ayala, the parish is bilingual (English and Spanish) with an active Catholic elementary school, a robust CCD/Religious Education program, and a long list of lay ministries. Its current mission statement — 'Worship God, serve others, make disciples' — was articulated under former pastor Father David Zirilli and continues to guide parish programming.
- Formal name: Church of the Nativity of Our Blessed Lord
- Diocese: Archdiocese of Miami (Southeast Broward Deanery)
- Founded: August 23, 1960
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
- Mission: Worship God, serve others, make disciples
History
Established by Bishop Coleman F. Carroll in 1960 with Father Hugh J. Flynn as its founding pastor, Nativity grew from a tent-Mass congregation into one of southeast Broward's largest parishes within just six years. The school opened in 1961, the first permanent school/church building came in 1962, the current church was dedicated in 1968, and the Fr. Hugh J. Flynn Parish Center followed in 1981. Signature events such as Mother Teresa's 1974 visit, the 1985 Silver Jubilee, the 1996 Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile, and the 2010 Golden Anniversary (when 75 priests and five pastors had served) mark the parish's major milestones. A major Rectory-Office-Chapel Project broke ground in 2018 and was dedicated in May 2020, just in time for Archbishop Thomas Wenski's 60th anniversary Mass on November 22, 2020.
- 1960 — Parish founded; first Mass in a tent for 1,200
- 1961 — Elementary school opens; Sisters Servants of the IHM staff it
- 1962 — First school/church building completed
- 1967–68 — Current church built and dedicated October 26, 1968
- 1974 — Mother Teresa of Calcutta visits
- 1981 — Fr. Hugh J. Flynn Parish Center dedicated
- 1985 — Silver Jubilee; Bianchi Pavilion added
- 1986 — Fr. Patrick Murnane assigned as pastor
- 1996 — Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile dedicated
- 2010 — Golden Anniversary
- 2015 — Fr. David Zirilli installed as pastor
- 2018 — New Rectory-Office-Chapel groundbreaking
- 2020 — Chapel complex dedicated; 60th anniversary Mass celebrated
Clergy and Staff
The parish is currently led by Pastor Rev. Robert Ayala, with two Parochial Vicars, Rev. Paul Attah-Nsiah and Rev. Franklin I. Ekezie, and a Deacon Jonathan and Deacon Mr. Timothy Smith supporting liturgical life. Lay staff include a Business Manager, Finance Department personnel, Administrative Assistant, Director of Religious Education (Annette Larsson), Director of Stewardship and Development (Nanci Mink), Pastoral Assistant (Martha Caveda), and School Principal Heidi Suero.
- Pastor: Rev. Robert Ayala
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Paul Attah-Nsiah
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Franklin I. Ekezie
- Deacon Jonathan; Deacon Mr. Timothy Smith
- Director of Religious Education: Annette Larsson
- Director of Stewardship and Development: Nanci Mink
- Pastoral Assistant: Martha Caveda
- Business Manager: Dianne Otero
- Finance: Connie Cefalu; Kristeen Butterworth
- Administrative Assistant: Vanessa Reinoso
- School Principal: Heidi Suero
Nativity Catholic School
Nativity Catholic School has been part of the parish since 1961, when it opened with 200 students in grades one through four staffed by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Michigan. Today it serves approximately 760 students from Pre-K 3 through 8th grade. The school's mission emphasizes developing each student's God-given talents in a safe, respectful, Christ-centered environment rooted in Catholic tradition. The school partners with parish life through programs like the Adopt-a-Family initiative (which raised $9,000 for grocery gift cards) and Christmas toy drives.
- Founded 1961
- Grades: Pre-K 3 through 8
- Originally staffed by IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan
- Mission: God-given talents, Christ-centered environment
- Adopt-a-Family and Christmas toy drives
- Website: nativityknights.com
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Beyond the parish school, Nativity runs a robust Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program for public-school children in both English and Spanish — historically enrolling about 450 and 150 students respectively. The parish also hosts youth retreats, charismatic meetings, Life in the Spirit seminars, and the Emmaus retreat community, giving parishioners multiple on-ramps into spiritual formation.
- CCD Religious Education (English track ~450 students, Spanish track ~150 historically)
- Youth retreats
- Charismatic prayer meetings
- Life in the Spirit seminars
- Emmaus retreat community
- RCIA / sacramental preparation via parish office
Ministries and Outreach
Nativity's ministries emphasize service over organization: the parish operates more than 20 lay groups, including a long-running Men's Club that cooks almost weekly for the needy. The St. Vincent de Paul Society — the parish's oldest outreach, chartered in December 1960 — continues direct service to the poor, supplemented by Nativity Guild, Holy Name Society, parish council, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and annulment advocates. During the COVID-19 pandemic the parish filled truckloads of canned goods for the Broward Outreach Center in Hollywood, and after Hurricane Irma (2017) 80–100 parishioners cleared the 7.5-acre campus in a single afternoon.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society (since Dec 1960)
- Nativity Guild and Holy Name Society
- Men's Club (weekly cooking for the needy)
- Outreach to shut-ins and the handicapped (since 1983)
- Thanksgiving dinner for retirees (since 1973)
- Singles group (since c. 1962)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Parish Council and annulment advocates
- Respect Life / Jericho Walks
- Canned-good drives for Broward Outreach Center
- Hurricane Irma campus cleanup (2017)
Annual Events and Parish Life
Parish life at Nativity is anchored by a calendar of beloved annual traditions that bring the community together. These include the Nativity Jamboree (carnival) in March, the Alumni Mass and Bean Bag Toss Tournament in February, Bocce Tournaments in spring, the Hoedown Under the Hay Barn in October, and Christmas Tree sales in December. Cultural observances such as St. Patrick's Day dinners and Polish, German, Latino and Korean processions have also been hosted over the years.
- Nativity Jamboree / Carnival (March)
- Alumni Mass and Bean Bag Toss Tournament (February)
- Bocce Tournaments (spring)
- Hoedown Under the Hay Barn (October)
- Christmas Tree sales (December)
- St. Patrick's Day dinners; Polish, German, Latino, Korean processions
Shrines, Statues and Campus
The 7.5-acre Nativity campus combines worship, formation, fellowship and memorial space. The outdoor Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile (broken ground September 1994, completed 1996, dedicated on Mother's Day by Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy) anchors Marian devotion. A life-size statue of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was placed at the Marian shrine in 1997 by the parish's Indian community after her death. Two gazebos added during the pastorate of Fr. Patrick Murnane serve as fellowship gathering spots after Mass, and the Blue Lantern Café and Gift Shop (opened late 1997) provide informal meeting space.
- Shrine of Our Lady of the Smile (1996)
- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta statue (post-1997)
- Two gazebos (post-1986)
- Blue Lantern Café and Gift Shop (opened late 1997)
- Parish Hall (1968)
- Fr. Hugh J. Flynn Parish Center (1981)
- Bianchi Pavilion (after 1985)
- Rectory-Office-Chapel complex (dedicated May 2020)
Getting Involved
Parishioners consistently describe Nativity as a place where 'ministries, not organizations' define community life. Volunteer opportunities span liturgical service (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, altar servers), faith formation (CCD catechists, school volunteers), outreach (St. Vincent de Paul, Men's Club, Adopt-a-Family), and parish-life events (carnival, hoedown, bocce, Christmas trees). Visitors and new parishioners are typically welcomed with a direct invitation to plug into a ministry, reflecting the parish's long-standing culture of 'make them feel needed, then make them feel at home.'
- Liturgical ministries: Extraordinary Ministers, lectors, altar servers
- Formation: CCD catechists, school volunteers
- Outreach: St. Vincent de Paul, Men's Club, Adopt-a-Family
- Events: Carnival, Hoedown, Bocce, Christmas Tree sales
- Welcome culture: 'make them feel needed, then make them feel at home'
Contact and Visiting
The parish office is located at 5220 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL 33021, and can be reached at (954) 987-3300 (phone) or (954) 987-3044 (fax). The parish email is [email protected] and the live website is nativityhollywood.org. The parish is centrally located in Hollywood with easy access to Florida's Turnpike, and the 11:00 AM English and the Sunday Spanish Masses are live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.
- Address: 5220 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL 33021
- Phone: (954) 987-3300
- Fax: (954) 987-3044
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: nativityhollywood.org
- Live-streamed Sunday Masses (English 11:00 AM and Spanish)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Hugh J. Flynn1960–
Founding pastor; celebrated the first Mass in a large tent seating 1,200 parishioners on August 23, 1960. Led the parish through its first school, the construction of the first permanent church, and is memorialized by the Fr. Hugh J. Flynn Parish Center dedicated in 1981.
- Rev. Patrick Murnane1986–
Assigned as pastor in 1986. During his tenure, gazebos were added to the outside of the church, the chapel walls were removed to open the worship space, the altar was replaced with Italian marble, and stained glass windows were installed.
- Rev. David Zirilli2015–c.2023
Became pastor on February 1, 2015. Led the blessing/groundbreaking (March 28, 2018) and 2020 dedication of the new Rectory-Office-Chapel complex, and drove facility improvements and new technology across the parish.
- Rev. Robert Ayalacurrent
Current pastor, listed as Pastor on the parish website and as President/Director of Nativity Catholic Parish in Hollywood, Inc. on its Florida corporate filing.