About Notre Dame Church · Fort Pierce, Florida
Notre Dame Catholic Mission is a Roman Catholic mission church in Fort Pierce, Florida, part of the Diocese of Palm Beach. Founded on August 15, 1995, it primarily serves the Haitian community of the Treasure Coast, with liturgy celebrated in both Haitian Creole and English. The mission describes itself as a 'family congregation rooted in faith, hope and love' that follows 'the Lord's example of true Christian stewardship.' Led by mission administrator Father Yves Geffrard, it runs a well-known soup kitchen, a summer youth camp, Knights of Columbus council, and Haiti relief efforts channeled through the Diocese of Les Cayes.
- Established
- 1995
- Patron
- Our Lady of the Assumption (Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Rector
- Father Yves Geffrard (Mission Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
Notre Dame Catholic Mission is a welcoming, bilingual (Creole/English) Haitian Catholic community at the heart of Fort Pierce. Parishioners come for vibrant liturgy with liturgical dance and rousing music, a daily soup kitchen that feeds hundreds, a St. Vincent de Paul outreach, a Knights of Columbus council, and a long-running summer youth camp that has kept local children safe and growing in faith since 2010. It is also a place where members actively live their faith beyond the parish — supporting Haiti relief through Caritas Diocesaine Sud in Les Cayes — making it a true family congregation rooted in faith, hope, and love.
Mass times at Notre Dame Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM (or by appointment)
About Notre Dame Catholic Mission
Notre Dame Catholic Mission is a bilingual Catholic mission church at 217 N. US Highway 1 in Fort Pierce, Florida, founded August 15, 1995, to serve the Haitian community of St. Lucie County. It is part of the Diocese of Palm Beach and is led by Father Yves Geffrard as mission administrator. The mission's self-description, quoted by the Florida Catholic and diocesan communications, reads: 'Notre Dame is a family congregation rooted in faith, hope and love. We follow the Lord's example of true Christian stewardship.' It strives to 'provide religious and humane services to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender or religion.'
- Type: Catholic Mission (Diocese of Palm Beach)
- Founded: August 15, 1995
- Administrator: Father Yves Geffrard
- Primary community: Haitian Catholics of Fort Pierce and the Treasure Coast
- Liturgical languages: English and Haitian Creole
History and Identity
Established in 1995 on the Solemnity of the Assumption — which remains the parish's patronal feast — Notre Dame has grown into the spiritual home for a mostly Haitian-origin congregation on Florida's Treasure Coast. The mission has twice been destroyed by hurricanes and rebuilt by the faithful. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of the Diocese of Palm Beach has presided over the 25th (2020), 28th (2023) and 30th (2025) anniversary Masses, which feature Creole and English liturgy, children's processions, liturgical dance, and rousing music.
- Patron: Our Lady of the Assumption
- Annual feast day: August 15
- Hurricane damage and rebuilding: at least two major rebuilds
- Anniversary milestones celebrated: 25th (2020), 28th (2023), 30th (2025)
- Concordat with neighboring St. Anastasia Parish (Father Rick George)
Parish Ministries and Outreach
Beyond the liturgy, Notre Dame is well known for its outreach to the wider community and its homeland. The mission runs a substantial soup kitchen — a recent Friday's bulletin credited 275 hot meals served — as well as a St. Vincent de Paul outreach and an active Knights of Columbus council. Father Geffrard has led ongoing Haiti disaster relief and advocacy work, partnering with Caritas Diocesaine Sud in Les Cayes after the 2010 and 2021 earthquakes and writing publicly through the Haitian Times and Faith in Action.
- Soup kitchen
- St. Vincent de Paul outreach
- Knights of Columbus council (Grand Knight Camy Benois)
- Haiti relief — partnership with Caritas Diocesaine Sud, Diocese of Les Cayes
- Faith in Action advocacy for Haiti
- Liturgical dance ministry
- Youth ministry (Myrline Alcidor, Coordinator; Tamara Alcidor, Assistant Coordinator)
Summer Youth Camp
Since 2010 Notre Dame has hosted an annual summer youth camp for the children of working parishioners, ages 4 to 18. It provides Bible and catechism classes, dance and cooking lessons, sports, field trips, and visits from a police K-9 unit, a local doctor, and a sheriff's deputy on substance abuse prevention and healthy living. The 2023 camp's theme was drawn from Matthew 25:35-36 — 'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…' — and the camp typically closes on August 15, the mission's patronal feast.
- Operating since 2010
- Ages 4–18
- Bible, catechism, dance, cooking, basketball, field trips
- Safety and health guests (K-9 unit, doctor, sheriff's deputy)
- Annual closing on August 15, the Assumption
Haiti Outreach and Advocacy
Notre Dame maintains a strong link with Haiti through its largely Haitian congregation and Father Geffrard's role as Coordinator of Haitian Ministry for the Diocese of Palm Beach. After the 2010 earthquake and again after the August 2021 earthquake in Les Cayes, the mission collected water, food, mattresses, tents, and hygiene items, and channeled monetary donations through Caritas Diocesaine Sud. Father Geffrard has worked with Archbishop Launay Saturné, president of the Haitian Conference of Bishops, and the lay-led Association of Haitians Living in the U.S. for the Development of Haiti to press for international action.
- Earthquake relief: 2010 and 2021
- Partner: Caritas Diocesaine Sud, Diocese of Les Cayes
- Bishop partner: Cardinal Chibly Langlois (Les Cayes)
- Advocacy: Faith in Action, Haitian Times op-eds
- Annual day of prayer, fasting and adoration on the Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (June 27), patron of Haiti
Staff and Clergy
The mission is administered by Father Yves Geffrard, who also serves as the Diocese of Palm Beach's Coordinator of Haitian Ministry. Lay staff include youth coordinator Myrline Alcidor and assistant youth coordinator Tamara Alcidor. Parishioner leaders named in diocesan coverage include Jean Dossous, a retired local physician and Knights of Columbus leader, and Pauline Jean Simon, who has been active with the Association of Haitians Living in the U.S. for the Development of Haiti.
- Father Yves Geffrard — Mission Administrator
- Myrline Alcidor — Youth Coordinator
- Tamara Alcidor — Assistant Youth Coordinator
- Jean Dossous — Knights of Columbus leader and parishioner
- Pauline Jean Simon — Haiti advocacy parishioner
- Camy Benois — Knights of Columbus Grand Knight (2021)
Visit, Contact, and Connect
Notre Dame Catholic Mission is located at 217 North US Highway 1, Fort Pierce, FL 34950, and can be reached by phone at (772) 466-9617 or by email at [email protected] (also [email protected]). Sunday Masses have been livestreamed on the parish's Facebook page.
- Address: 217 N US Hwy 1, Fort Pierce, FL 34950
- Phone: 772-466-9617
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: notredamecc.com
- Facebook livestreams of Sunday liturgy