About Santiago · Lake Placid, Florida
Misión Santiago Apóstol (Santiago Mission) is a Spanish-language Catholic mission located at 685 CR 621 East in Lake Placid, Florida, serving the Hispanic faithful of Highlands County within the Diocese of Venice. Established in 1991, the mission sits on the same east-side property on Highway 621 where Catholic worship in the Lake Placid area first began in 1961 — it was the original mission chapel from which the present-day St. James Catholic Church parish grew. Today Santiago Mission is a dependent mission of St. James Catholic Church (3380 Placid View Drive) and is served by St. James's pastor, Fr. Vincent L. Clemente, and parochial vicar Fr. Felix González, who is named as the mission's day-to-day minister.
- Established
- 1991
- Patron
- Santiago Apóstol (St. James the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Vincent L. Clemente
- Diocese
- Diocese of Venice in Florida (Eastern Deanery)
Why belong here
Santiago Mission gives Lake Placid's Spanish-speaking Catholics a parish home of their own, with all weekend and weekday Masses celebrated in Spanish, Sunday confessions before Mass, monthly baptisms for children, and a lively bilingual youth group that meets every Friday evening. Because it is a mission of St. James Catholic Church, parishioners of Santiago also belong to a wider St. James community with multiple ministries, faith-formation programs, and the spiritual support of a stable, long-tenured pastoral team. It is a welcoming place where families can find the sacraments, devotions such as First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and fellowship with other Hispanic Catholics in Highlands County.
Mass times at Santiago
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30 am (Spanish), and by appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday of the month — Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (followed by 7:00 pm Spanish Mass)
About Santiago Mission
Misión Santiago Apóstol is a Spanish-language Catholic mission of St. James Catholic Church in Lake Placid, Florida, in the Diocese of Venice. It operates from the original 1961 mission site on County Road 621 East and is the principal place of worship for the area's Spanish-speaking Catholics. The mission is pastored by Fr. Vincent L. Clemente, pastor of St. James, together with parochial vicar Fr. Felix González, who serves as the mission's designated minister ('Servidor de la Misión').
- Address: 685 CR 621 East, Lake Placid, FL 33852
- Mailing address (c/o St. James): 3380 Placid View Drive, Lake Placid, FL 33852
- Phone: (863) 465-2470
- Email: [email protected]
- Year founded: 1991
- Deanery: Eastern, Diocese of Venice
History
Catholic worship on the Highway 621 site dates to August 26, 1961, when Archbishop Cole Carroll of Miami dedicated a small mission chapel east of Lake Placid and the first Sunday Mass was celebrated for about 50 families. That mission eventually became St. James parish (1973). When the growing parish outgrew the 621 site, Bishop John Nevins dedicated the new St. James church on Placid View Drive on May 26, 1991, and the original site was repurposed as the Spanish-language Misión Santiago Apóstol in the same year. The mission has continued to serve Lake Placid's Hispanic Catholic faithful ever since, supported by the clergy of St. James.
- 1961 — Mission chapel dedicated on Highway 621 by Archbishop Cole Carroll (Archdiocese of Miami)
- 1973 — Becomes the parish of St. James Catholic Church
- 1983 — Joins the new Diocese of Venice
- May 26, 1991 — Bishop John Nevins dedicates present-day St. James church; original 621 East site becomes Misión Santiago Apóstol
Clergy & Staff
Santiago Mission is served through the clergy of St. James Catholic Church, listed on the Diocese of Venice parish directory as the mission's pastor and parochial vicar.
- Rev. Vincent L. Clemente — Pastor
- Rev. Felix González — Parochial Vicar (designated Servidor de la Misión)
- Youth leader (St. James / Santiago Youth Group): Jesenia Cortes — 863-243-0729, [email protected]
Sacramental Life
The mission celebrates the sacraments almost exclusively in Spanish to serve its primarily Hispanic congregation. Reconciliation is heard before Sunday Mass, and baptisms follow a regular monthly rhythm of classes and celebrations. First Friday is set aside for Eucharistic Adoration followed by the Spanish Mass.
- Reconciliation (Confesiones) — Sunday 9:30 am (Spanish), and by appointment
- Baptism class (Pláticas del Bautismo) — 3rd Saturday of the month, 3:00 pm
- Baptism (Bautismos) — 4th Saturday of the month, 12:00 noon
- First Friday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (followed by 7:00 pm Spanish Mass)
Ministries & Faith Formation
Although a mission rather than a full parish, Santiago Mission maintains its own ministries focused on Spanish-language liturgy, sacraments, and youth faith life, and shares in the wider ministries of St. James Catholic Church.
- Spanish-language liturgy (Misa en Español)
- Baptismal preparation (Pláticas del Bautismo)
- St. James / Mission Santiago Youth Group — Fridays at 6:00 pm, St. James Parish Hall; led by Jesenia Cortes (863-243-0729, [email protected])
- First Friday Adoration and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament
- Wider ministries of St. James Catholic Church, Lake Placid
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the mission directly through the St. James Catholic Church office. Because the mission is administered by St. James, all calls go through the parish main line and any office visits are handled at the 3380 Placid View Drive mailing address.
- Phone: (863) 465-2470 (also answered as the St. James parish office)
- Fax: (863) 465-0649
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: https://www.stjameschurchlp.com/Mision-Santiago-Apostol
- Diocese of Venice parish listing: https://dioceseofvenice.org/find-a-parish/santiago-mission-lake-placid/