About San Francisco y Santa Clara · Miami, Florida
Mission San Francisco y Santa Clara is a Catholic mission church located in the Edgewater neighborhood of Miami, Florida, at 402 NE 29th St. Founded on September 2, 1990, it is the third of five missions belonging to Corpus Christi Catholic Parish in the Archdiocese of Miami. The mission serves a predominantly Central American community and offers Mass in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and is dedicated to St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi — the two saints whose charisms rebuilt the Church.
- Established
- 1990
- Patron
- St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi
- Rector
- Rev. José Luis Menéndez (Pastor of Corpus Christi, the mother parish)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami
Why belong here
San Francisco y Santa Clara is a trilingual Catholic mission (Portuguese, English, and Spanish) rooted in Edgewater's Central American community but now welcoming South American newcomers and visitors drawn to the new Brickell district. It offers the traditional devotions of its patron saints, a Thursday-evening choir, ongoing catechesis, prayer and Bible groups, and the warmth of a small community founded by lay missionaries who went door to door to share the Gospel. For anyone looking for a parish in central Miami that is multicultural, mission-minded, and deeply devoted to St. Francis and St. Clare, this is a fitting home.
Mass times at San Francisco y Santa Clara
Weekly Mass schedule
About the Mission
Mission San Francisco y Santa Clara is one of five mission churches of Corpus Christi Catholic Parish, located in Edgewater near the center of Miami. The mission is dedicated to the two saints who rebuilt the Church of Christ with their own charisms — St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi — and devotion to them has spread throughout the Central American countries from which the majority of the mission's members come. The church's white Spanish colonial façade remains a landmark in a neighborhood that has been transformed into what locals now call the 'new Brickell.'
- Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi
- Edgewater neighborhood, central Miami
- Third mission of Corpus Christi Parish
- Predominantly Central American community, with growing South American membership
History
The mission traces its origin to September 1990, when six lay missionaries — César and Fidelina Mendia, Vicky Salas, Eloisa Hernández, María Sánchez, and Alicia Castillo — began a door-to-door evangelization effort in Edgewater. The first Mass was celebrated on September 2, 1990, with twelve people, in a rented room under a park ramp. The community grew to about 80 within its first years and to more than 150 by 1997, adding catechesis for children, prayer groups, Bible classes, Taizé-style Masses, and an Easter crossroads procession.
- September 1990 — first evangelization visits to Edgewater
- September 2, 1990 — first Mass with 12 people
- April 14, 1996 — foundation stones laid by Msgr. Agustín Román
- November 1, 1997 — church and altar consecrated by Archbishop John Clement Favalora
The Building of the Church
Construction was driven chiefly by Pepe Álvarez, a parishioner who told Father José Luis that he wanted to build the church in honor of his late grandmother, Clara. Inspired by a Franciscan church in Costa Rica, the Spanish colonial-style building represented an investment of about $700,000. The foundation stones were brought from Egypt and the Holy Land; each was inscribed with a name and several are still embedded in the mission's parking lot today.
- Benefactor: Pepe Álvarez, in honor of his grandmother Clara
- Approximate investment: $700,000
- Foundation stones from Egypt and the Holy Land, April 14, 1996
- Spanish colonial style inspired by a Franciscan church in Costa Rica
The Neighborhood: Edgewater
When the mission began, Edgewater was known as a point of drugs and prostitution; Father Pedro Corces later recalled that 'the sector was the point of heroin and crack,' and many feared to enter. Today the area is being redeveloped as the 'new Brickell,' bringing executives, young professionals, and tourists — alongside a growing number of South American residents who now worship at the mission.
- Once known for heroin, crack, and prostitution
- Now called the 'new Brickell' due to rapid development
- Community now includes Central and South American immigrants, young professionals, and tourists
Staff & Mission Coordinators
The mission is coordinated by Fr. Adelson Silvestre Moreira together with Julia Rosa Mariona. Pastoral oversight rests with Fr. José Luis Menéndez, pastor of the mother parish Corpus Christi. The wider parish team — including Deacon Antonio Pérez (English Mass), Fr. Federico Capdepón, Fr. John O'Leary, and Sr. Carmen Álvarez (Religious Education) — supports the five Corpus Christi missions.
- Fr. Adelson Silvestre Moreira — Parochial Vicar & Mission Coordinator
- Julia Rosa Mariona — Mission Coordinator
- Fr. José Luis Menéndez — Pastor, Corpus Christi
- Deacon Antonio Pérez — English Mass
- Sr. Carmen Álvarez — Religious Education Director
Music Ministry & Choir
The Music Ministry invites all who love to sing to join the mission's choir. Rehearsals are held every Thursday at 8:00 PM at the mission itself — a fitting tribute to St. Francis, who was renowned for his love of God's creation and for composing the first canticles of praise.
- Choir rehearsals every Thursday at 8:00 PM at the mission
- Open invitation: 'Come and let us sing to the Lord for all his blessings!'
Devotions & Parish Life
The community gathers regularly for prayer, Bible study, and devotions centered on the two patron saints. Taizé-style Masses, an annual Easter crossroads procession, and feast-day celebrations of St. Francis (October 4) and St. Clare (August 11) anchor the liturgical year. Catechesis for children remains central to the mission's evangelizing identity.
- Taizé-style Masses
- Easter crossroads procession
- Annual feasts of St. Francis and St. Clare
- Children's catechesis program
- Bible classes and prayer group
Visiting & Contact
The mission is located at 402 NE 29th St., Miami, FL 33137, in the Edgewater neighborhood. Inquiries can be directed to the Corpus Christi Parish office, which administers all five missions. Office staff includes receptionists, a parish secretary, and a communications team that publishes the parish bulletin.
- Address: 402 NE 29th St., Miami, FL 33137
- Phone: (305) 635-1331
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: corpuschristimiami.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. José Luis MenéndezLate 1980s–present (as Pastor of Corpus Christi and its missions)
Named pastor of Corpus Christi at the end of the 1980s; oversaw the creation of the mission system including San Francisco y Santa Clara; still leads the parish community.