About St. Ann · Naranja, Florida
St. Ann Catholic Mission (Misión Santa Ana) is a Spanish-language Catholic mission in Naranja, Florida, founded in 1961 by the Archdiocese of Miami to serve the migrant and seasonal farmworker community of southern Miami-Dade County. Pastored by Father Rafael Cos and a small staff of religious sisters from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Mary and Jesus, it reaches an estimated 25,000 to 40,000 laborers who work the fields and nurseries from September through April. In addition to weekend and daily Mass, the mission provides religious education, youth ministry, prayer groups, marriage and recovery ministries, baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, weddings, funerals, and an array of social services including emergency food, clothing, medical consultations, psychological counseling, and crisis financial aid. It operates from a main chapel in Naranja and three satellite chapels in surrounding migrant labor camps.
- Established
- 1961
- Patron
- St. Ann (Saint Anne), mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Rafael Cos (Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami (South Dade Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Ann Mission is the spiritual home of South Dade's farmworker community — a place where Spanish-speaking families from across Homestead, Florida City, Leisure City, and the surrounding labor camps find not only the Mass and sacraments but also food, clothing, counseling, and a family of faith. With three Sunday Masses, daily Mass in Spanish, vibrant ministries for couples (Matrimonios en Acción), men and women (Emaús), youth, and those affected by addiction (Movimiento Nueva Vida), plus active baptisms, First Communion, Confirmation, marriage, and funeral ministries, it is a mission that lives its faith in concrete service to the workers who feed South Florida. The new 600-seat church, consecrated in March 2024, was built precisely because the old building could no longer hold the community — a sign of how deeply this mission is loved and needed.
Mass times at St. Ann
Weekly Mass schedule
History & Mission
St. Ann Catholic Mission was founded in 1961 by the Archdiocese of Miami as a mission without geographical boundaries, dedicated to the migrant farmworker families of southern Miami-Dade County. For more than six decades it has accompanied laborers — most of Mexican and Central American origin — who work the fields and nurseries from roughly September through April, providing pastoral care alongside practical social services. The mission was originally led by an administrator, a part-time deacon, three missionaries, and a part-time secretary, a pattern that continues today.
- Founded in 1961 by the Archdiocese of Miami
- No parish boundaries — the mission follows the migrant community
- Estimated 25,000–40,000 laborers served in the area each season
- About 400 farmworker families actively connected to the mission
New Church Consecration (March 19, 2024)
After years of the old worship space overflowing — officially seating 250 but regularly drawing 450 to Sunday Mass — the mission consecrated a brand-new church on the feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 2024. Archbishop Thomas Wenski presided at the Mass of consecration, joined by several archdiocesan priests and Father Rafael Cos, the mission administrator. The new church seats 600 and was accompanied by a new building housing offices, four classrooms, and expanded space for the food and clothing bank.
- New 600-seat church (up from 250)
- Consecration March 19, 2024 by Archbishop Thomas Wenski
- Funded primarily by a $6 million bequest from the late Patricia Van Busch
- Archdiocese of Miami contributed nearly $2 million in additional support
- Major donations from contractors, subcontractors, and parishes across the archdiocese
The Four Chapels of Misión Santa Ana
St. Ann Mission is not a single building but a network of four chapels spread across the migrant camps and neighborhoods of southern Miami-Dade. This mobile footprint lets the mission reach farmworkers where they live and work.
- St. Ann Mission (Mother Church) — 13875 SW 264th Street, Naranja
- San Juan Diego — Redland Camp, Leisure City
- Cristo Rey — South Dade Camp, Homestead (31248 SW 134 Ave)
- San Juan de los Lagos — Everglades Camp, Florida City (38000 SW 193 Ave)
Parish Life & Ministries
Beyond the sacraments, the mission runs a robust calendar of parish life ministries rooted in the Charismatic Renewal and geared to strengthening families and individuals.
- Emaús Hombres — Mondays 7:30 PM, Mission Hall
- Emaús Mujeres — Tuesdays 7:30 PM, Mission Hall
- Grupo de Oración — Wednesdays 8:00 PM, Mission
- Matrimonios en Acción — Fridays 8:00 PM, Parish Hall
- Movimiento Nueva Vida — addiction and co-dependency recovery ministry
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education classes are a core part of the mission's outreach, traditionally housed in a single trailer on the parish grounds and now moving into the four new classrooms in the 2024 building. A youth ministry (Pastoral Juvenil) accompanies the mission's young people, and First Communion and Confirmation are celebrated as central milestones.
- Religious Education (Educación Religiosa)
- Pastoral Juvenil / Youth Group
- First Communion preparation
- Confirmation preparation
- Weekend retreats and evangelization events
Sacraments
St. Ann Mission celebrates the full sacramental life of a Catholic community, with Baptism, Marriage, First Communion, Confirmation, and Funerals all administered by the pastoral team. Baptism preparation includes a mandatory monthly Pre-Baptismal Class for parents and godparents.
- Baptism — appointment at 305-258-6998; mandatory Pre-Baptismal Class monthly
- Marriage — coordinated through Matrimonios en Acción, including premarital course
- First Communion and Confirmation
- Funerals
Social Outreach & the Donaciones Ministry
From its founding, the mission has been as much a social-service center as a worship space. The Donaciones (Donations) Ministry, run by volunteers, distributes emergency food and clothing and provides financial help in crisis situations such as rent, electricity or water bills, and funeral expenses. Psychological counseling, medical consultations, and prescription assistance have long been part of the mission's offering, with a double trailer that served as a health clinic and a single trailer that housed the food and clothing bank — both now moving into the new building completed in 2024.
- Emergency food and clothing bank
- Crisis financial assistance: rent, utilities, funeral bills, prescriptions
- Psychological counseling
- Medical consultations
- Donations accepted 24/7 in the blue steel container on the property
- Volunteers on site Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30 AM–2:00 PM
Staff & Leadership
The mission is led by a small, committed team: Father Rafael Cos as Administrator, three religious sisters from the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Mary and Jesus, three missionaries, a part-time deacon, and a full-time office secretary. The Archdiocese of Miami lists the mission within the South Dade Deanery.
- Father Rafael Cos — Administrator
- Three Nuns — Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Mary and Jesus
- Full-time Office Secretary
- Three missionaries and a part-time deacon (per mission's founding description)
- Diocesan support through the South Dade Deanery of the Archdiocese of Miami
Contact, Office Hours & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the mission by phone or email, or stop by the office during posted hours. Sunday features an Information Table after Mass for newcomers.
- Phone: 305-258-6998 (also listed: 305-258-0834)
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 13875 SW 264th Street, Naranja, FL 33032
- Mailing: PO Box 924884, Princeton, FL 33092
- Office Hours: Mon 8:30 AM–12:00 PM; Tue/Thu/Fri 8:30 AM–12:30 PM; Wed 6:00–9:00 PM; Sat 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
- Website: https://misionsantaana.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/mision.santaana
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Rafael Cos
Current administrator of St. Ann Mission; presided over the March 19, 2024 consecration of the new church and has led the mission through the years-long building project.