St. Anastasia

Parish History

St. Anastasia is the mother Catholic parish of the Treasure Coast, with its roots in a 1903 Mass celebrated in the O'Brien home and its formal founding tied to the 1908 construction of a wood-frame church and the December 4, 1910 arrival of its first resident pastor, Benedictine Father Gabriel Ruppert. Senator James P. McNichol of Philadelphia, a winter visitor, donated the land in honor of his deceased first wife Anastasia; the parish took her name.

• 1903 — First Catholic Mass in Fort Pierce at the O'Brien home
• 1905–1906 — Rev. Patrick J. Bresnahan conducts two missions; first baptism (Sam Wilbur Head, Jan. 7, 1906)
• 1908 — Wood-framed church completed, seating 125
• December 4, 1910 — Fr. Rupert Gabriel becomes first pastor
• 1914 — Two-story school and Dominican convent built on Orange Avenue
• 1923–1924 — Termite-damaged church replaced; first Mass in new church on Christmas 1924
• 1926 — Three Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan arrive to open the school
• 1932 — First year of high school added
• 1960 — Elementary school relocates to 33rd Street campus
• 1975 — Present-day church dedicated
• 1989–2006 — Computer lab, music room, sports pavilion, Bergalis & Wolf buildings, Beerhalter Band Room, Media Center
• 2018 — Phase I capital campaign (foyer, restrooms, parking lot, gazebo)
• January 16, 2024 — Bishop Barbarito consecrates the renovated sanctuary

About Our Patron Saint — St. Anastasia

St. Anastasia of Sirmium (c. 280 – 304 AD) was the daughter of Praetextatus, a noble Roman of Sirmium in Pannonia (modern Serbia). After the death of her pagan husband Publius, she traveled to Aquileia to minister to Christians persecuted under Diocletian. She was martyred on December 25 by beheading (some traditions say burning) on the island of Palmaria. Her body was later translated to Constantinople to a church previously called 'Anastasis' (Greek for 'Resurrection'). She has the unique distinction in the Roman liturgy of having a special commemoration in the second Mass of Christmas Day, and her name was inserted into the Roman Canon of the Mass by the late 5th century. She is the patroness of martyrs, weavers, and widows.

Mass and Liturgical Schedule

St. Anastasia offers four Sunday Masses in English (7:45, 9:30, 11:30 AM, and 5:00 PM), a Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM, and a daily Mass Monday through Saturday at 8:15 AM. A 7:00 PM Sunday Mass in Spanish is celebrated in the church, with additional Spanish Masses at the on-campus San Juan Diego Hispanic Pastoral Center. Daily Eucharistic Adoration runs 7:30–8:00 AM in the church, and a 24-hour Perpetual Adoration Chapel is open around the clock (call the office for the chapel code).

Parish Staff

The parish is led by Fr. Richard E. George II (Pastor) and Fr. Josh Martin (Parochial Vicar), supported by a full lay staff.

• Fr. Richard E. George II — Pastor
• Father Josh Martin — Parochial Vicar
• Melanie Wiles — Director of Parish Development
• Beth Petermeier — Business Administrator
• Elba Magana — Front Desk Receptionist
• Robert Delfin — Director of Evangelization and Discipleship
• Mitzi Macias — Sacramental Coordinator
• Alfredo Irigoyen — Maintenance Coordinator
• Kristin Jones — Music Director
• Brie Kozloski — Communications Coordinator

St. Anastasia Catholic School

St. Anastasia Catholic School, located at 401 South 33rd Street directly adjacent to the church, has served the parish and the wider Fort Pierce community continuously since 1914, originally staffed by Dominican Sisters from Adrian, Michigan. The school offers a Catholic, Gospel-rooted curriculum integrating Catholic doctrine with a challenging academic program in art, music, band, religion, reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, with enrichment in chorus, drama, computer, television production, and physical education, plus sports including volleyball, soccer, basketball, football, softball, and cheerleading. The principal is Dr. Kevin Hoeffner.

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Faith Formation at St. Anastasia aims to 'give every parishioner the conviction and confidence to become saints.' Programs are coordinated through the parish office with Robert (Evangelization & Discipleship) and Mitzi (Sacramental Coordinator), and begin mid-September each year.

• Family Faith Formation — to form and grow strong Catholic families
• First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion preparation
• Confirmation preparation (with Sponsor Form, Medication Form, and Lake Aurora retreat)
• Becoming Catholic or completing sacraments for children and teens
• Becoming Catholic or completing sacraments for adults (RCIA)
• Inquiry deadline each year: Monday before mid-September at 11:59 PM

Parish Ministries and Groups

St. Anastasia welcomes parishioners to share their time and unique talents across a wide range of ministries; ministry involvement may also qualify a family for the Catholic Subsidy Rate at the parish school.

• Altar Servers and Altar Server Trainers
• Bereavement Ministry
• Catholic Young Adults
• Children's Liturgy (Teacher/Leader)
• Eucharistic Ministers
• Friends and Family Ministry
• Lectors
• Media Ministry
• Music Ministry
• Office Volunteers
• Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
• Prison Ministry
• Respect Life Ministry
• Rosary Making Ministry
• Sacramental Outreach
• Theatre / Passion of Christ
• Ushers and Usher Apprentices
• Welcome Greeters

Respect Life Ministry

Modeled on the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, the Respect Life Ministry 'proclaims the Truth of the dignity and value of each human life from conception through natural death,' invoking the guidance of St. Joseph and St. Anastasia. The ministry supports expectant mothers, offers post-abortion healing for men and women, and works with St. Anastasia Catholic School students on service-learning activities such as the Middle School Entrepreneurship Fair and the Pre-School baby collection drive. Outreach partners include the Birth-line/Lifeline facility in Fort Pierce (Catholic Charities) and the Women's Care Center of Fort Pierce.

• Twice-yearly participation in the national 40 Days for Life campaign
• Annual October Respect Life Month prayer service with adoration
• Friday evening Rosary for Life at 5:00 PM, corner of 12th and Delaware, Fort Pierce
• Lunches4Life speaker series
• Coordinators: Carole Johnstone (772-370-4695) and Debbie Guettler (772-370-5223)

Hispanic Ministry — San Juan Diego Pastoral Center

Affiliated with St. Anastasia Parish, the San Juan Diego Hispanic Pastoral Center at 401 S 30th Street in Fort Pierce was founded by Father Jaime Dorado, who was appointed 16+ years ago to serve Hispanic young adults from approximately 15 parishes across the region. The center offers Spanish-language Masses throughout the week, sacramental preparation (including Confirmation classes for the Spanish-speaking community), and pastoral outreach.

Capital Campaign and 2024 Renovation

Titled 'A Place of Encounter,' Phase II of the parish's capital campaign funded a complete interior renovation of the church. Construction ran from spring 2024 to December 2024 and was celebrated with a consecration Mass on January 16, 2024, by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito. Fr. Rick George called the project 'a bridge for the lost, the brokenhearted and the hungry — a place of encounter, where any person can find hope, peace and healing, forgiveness, spiritual nourishment and opportunity to begin again.'

• General contractor: Jacquin Construction
• Architect: Joe Colome
• Murals and sanctuary art: Conrad Schmitt Studios (hand-painted Transfiguration, Trinity/Ascension, and Pentecost)
• Marian foyer art: local artist Georgeta Fondos
• Pews, altar, altar railing, baptismal font: New Holland Church Furniture
• New statues of St. Anastasia, St. John Vianney, and St. Michael the Archangel: Fiat Imports (with Darlene Francis)
• Diocesan oversight: Michael Lockwood, Director of Building and Construction
• New audio/visual system, tile and carpeting, St. Joseph stained-glass window, ceiling medallions, refurbished Stations of the Cross

Becoming a Registered Parishioner

New parishioners are warmly welcomed by Fr. George. Registration helps the parish keep accurate sacramental records, support weddings, completion of sacraments, annulments, funeral arrangements, sick calls, and homebound or hospital outreach. Parents seeking school tuition subsidy support must be registered at St. Anastasia and have at least one full year of ministry involvement and uninterrupted tithing for 12 consecutive months; OSV Online Giving is required for subsidy-eligible families.