About St. Bernadette · Port St. Lucie, Florida
St. Bernadette Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the St. Lucie West area of Port St. Lucie, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Palm Beach. Founded in 2001, the parish has grown from its first Mass celebrated in a movie theater to one of the larger faith communities on Florida's Treasure Coast, now serving thousands of registered families on its 18-acre campus along NW California Boulevard. The parish is named for St. Bernadette Soubirous, the French visionary of Lourdes, and is led today by an Administrator with the longtime founding pastor named Pastor Emeritus in recognition of more than two decades of service. Worship is offered seven days a week, with a daily 8:00 AM Mass, three Sunday Masses, multiple choirs, Reconciliation, First Friday devotion, Eucharistic Adoration, and an extensive network of outreach, formation, and pastoral ministries.
- Established
- 2001
- Patron
- St. Bernadette Soubirous
- Rector
- Father Antony Lopez (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. Bernadette is the parish of record for the St. Lucie West area of Port St. Lucie — a young, growing, and welcoming community built on stewardship of time, talent, and treasure. Daily Mass is offered every Monday through Saturday at 8:00 AM, there are three Sunday liturgies with traditional, contemporary, and ensemble music, weekly Reconciliation, First Friday Sacred Heart devotions, Eucharistic Adoration, a robust OCIA (RCIA) process, parish faith formation for children and youth, two parish choirs plus a handbell choir, and an unusually deep roster of lay-driven ministries ranging from a Knights of Columbus Council (#13042), Columbiettes, Council of Catholic Women, Legion of Mary, and St. Vincent de Paul Society to bereavement support, Project Mother Teresa outreach, Project Children's Literacy, a parish nurse program, Rachel's Vineyard post-abortion healing, a Big Apple school-supplies campaign, and homebound Extraordinary Ministry of Holy Communion. For families, snowbirds, and year-round residents who want a large but warm parish on the Treasure Coast, St. Bernadette offers deep liturgical life paired with concrete service to the broader Port St. Lucie community.
Mass times at St. Bernadette
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays — following the 8:00 AM Daily Mass (in the Monsignor Cosmo Saporito Chapel)
- First Fridays — following the 8:00 AM Daily Mass
- First Friday week also: 8:30 AM Confessions prior to the 6:00 PM Mass
- By appointment — call the Parish Office
Adoration times
- First Friday Guided Adoration (monthly) — 7:00 PM following 8:00 AM Mass and 6:00 PM First Friday Mass
History of St. Bernadette Catholic Church
St. Bernadette was born on September 2, 2001, when founding pastor Father Victor Ulto and the first registered families celebrated the inaugural Mass in the Rave Movie Theater in St. Lucie West. The parish moved in January 2004 to its 18-acre site on NW California Boulevard, where Bishop Gerald Barbarito blessed and dedicated the temporary modular building at the 10:45 AM Mass, and the parish registered its 1,000th family. Ground was broken in 2008 for the permanent church and Family Life Center; the building was completed in spring 2010 by Birchmier Construction as a 32,000-square-foot Gothic-style church that triples capacity to about 1,200. The parish was dedicated on March 19, 2010, and Father Ulto served as pastor for more than 23 years before retiring as Pastor Emeritus in June 2025. Today the parish remains the only Catholic church in St. Lucie West and is one of the largest faith communities on the Treasure Coast.
- September 2, 2001 — first Mass at Rave Movie Theater, St. Lucie West
- January 11, 2004 — Bishop Gerald Barbarito blesses and dedicates the modular building; 1,000th family registered
- 2008 — groundbreaking for permanent church and Family Life Center (attended by 1,000+ parishioners)
- Spring 2010 — Birchmier Construction completes 32,000 sq ft Gothic-style sanctuary and Family Life Center
- March 19, 2010 — formal dedication of the new church at 6:30 PM
- June 22, 2025 — 'Farewell' Mass and reception honoring Father Victor Ulto on his retirement
Parish Staff and Clergy
Parish leadership includes the Administrator, Pastor Emeritus, two deacons, and lay directors of Faith Formation and Music, supported by a bookkeeper and maintenance staff. Day-to-day operations are coordinated through the Parish Office on the St. Lucie West campus.
- Father Antony Lopez — Parish Administrator
- Father Victor A. Ulto — Pastor Emeritus (founding pastor, 2001–2025)
- Deacon Mario Lopez
- Deacon Steven Dove
- Kelly Whitten — Director, Parish Faith Formation
- Nathan Shrake — Director of Music
- Dolores Brieske — Bookkeeper
- Lewis Rochester — Maintenance Department
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Bernadette forms children, youth, and adults in the Catholic faith under the direction of Kelly Whitten, working in tandem with the parish's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process for those seeking to become Catholic, and parish youth ministry programs.
- Faith Formation — Kelly Whitten
- Youth Ministry — Kelly Whitten
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — ongoing inquiry
- Bible Study — two parish groups led by Vivian Whorton and Carol Shilakes
- Behold the Man — Men's Bible Roundtable/Study led by Steve Schmoyer
Liturgical Music and Choirs
Music ministry, under Director Nathan Shrake, supports three distinct Sunday ensembles plus a handbell choir, giving the parish a notably rich musical liturgical life for a parish of its age.
- Saturday Vigil — Cantor & Organ
- Sunday 7:30 AM — Cantor & Organ
- Sunday 9:00 AM — Contemporary Ensemble
- Sunday 10:45 AM — Traditional Choir & Organ
- Handbell Choir — Patricia Messina
- Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday — Choir with Orchestra
- Technology Ministry — Nathan Shrake (PowerPoint slides aiding congregational participation)
Devotions and Prayer Life
Beyond Mass, St. Bernadette sustains a robust devotional calendar centered on the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and intercessory prayer.
- First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart — 8:00 AM Mass; 6:00 PM Mass; 7:00 PM Guided Adoration
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament — coordinated by Jill Craven
- Stations of the Cross — First Fridays at 7:00 PM and during Holy Week
- Powerhouse of Prayer — Arlene Parnofiello
- Divine Mercy prayer group — Marie Husain
- Rosary Makers Ministry — Barbara Maglione
- Angelus & Consecration to the Immaculate Mary — 7:50 AM Monday–Saturday
- Holy Week — Morning Prayer services, Tenebrae Prayer Service, Outdoor Stations, Easter Vigil with Choir and Orchestra
Outreach and Helping Others
St. Bernadette runs an unusually deep outreach footprint for a parish of its size, ranging from feeding the hungry and supporting the incarcerated to advocacy for children and post-abortion healing referrals. Many of these ministries are organized by lay coordinators under the Helping Others umbrella on the parish website.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — Parish Conference (assistance line 772-344-1233; store 772-344-1341)
- Food collection for the hungry — last weekend of each month
- Project Mother Teresa — Veronica Lacoparra and Kathy Cole
- Big Apple Ministry — school supplies to an adopted St. Lucie County elementary school each summer (2025 recipient: Savanna Ridge Elementary)
- Project Children's Literacy — Parkway Elementary School literacy tutoring — Cheryl Kokoszka
- Good Shepherd Ministry — Charlie Miller
- Respect Life — Luis Gonzalez
- Rachel's Vineyard Post-Abortion Healing — 561-602-4778
- Voices for God's Children — Florida Guardian ad Litem advocacy — Janet Priore
- Prison ministry (Diocesan) — Deacon Greg Quinn
- Welcome Ministry — Debbie Broems
- Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick and Homebound
Pastoral Care and Health
Pastoral care ministries serve the grieving, the sick, the homebound, and those preparing for end-of-life sacraments and funerals, integrating physical, emotional, and spiritual care in keeping with Catholic tradition.
- St. Bernadette Bereavement Support — Deacon Mario and Olga Lopez; 7-week fall Grief Support sessions in the Family Life Center
- Parish Nurse — Carol Lindner, RN BSN CEN
- Funeral Planning — Lillibeth Dove
- Eucharistic Ministers to the sick and homebound — Kate Spector and Ann Marie Burchell
Parish Organizations and Councils
Lay-led organizations anchor parish life, including the Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes, the Council of Catholic Women, and a Legion of Mary praesidium.
- Knights of Columbus Council #13042 — Jim Naples
- Knights of Columbus 4th Degree #3090 — Tom Ruggirello
- Columbiettes Council #13042 — Marlo Bazerman
- Council of Catholic Women — Jevene Caracello (affiliated with National, Florida, and Palm Beach Diocese CCW)
- Legion of Mary — Mitch Delirod
- Moms Ministry — Laura Dube
- Family Life Ministry — Tim Dube
- Sacristan — Adele Lamour
Parish Stewardship and Fundraising
Stewardship is the explicit organizing principle of parish life at St. Bernadette, framed around the gifts of time, talent, and treasure. A Parish Council and Finance Council advise the pastor and provide accountability for offertory and major fundraising events.
- Parish Council — Presiding Chair Father Antony Lopez; Council Facilitator Ronald Kroll
- Finance Council — advises the pastor on the financial state of the parish; oversees weekly offertory counting controls
- Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser — Bob Russo (Coordinator / Chair) and Jim Burchell (Co-Chair); held each fall
- Birthday Ministry — Tracey Hoffmann
- Cleanliness with Godliness — Carol Lindner (1–2 hours/week, Saturdays 8:30–9:30 AM)
- Online giving — donations are tax deductible via the parish website
Sacraments
The parish prepares the faithful for and administers all seven Catholic sacraments, with formation programs for first sacraments, an OCIA process for adults seeking full initiation, marriage preparation, and ongoing sacramental care for the sick and dying.
- Baptism — preparation through the Parish Office
- First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion — Faith Formation
- Confirmation — Faith Formation
- Marriage — wedding liaison ministry and meetings with priest/deacon
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
- Reconciliation — Saturdays after 8:00 AM Mass; First Fridays; by appointment
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA)
- Funeral planning and Bereavement Support
Visiting St. Bernadette
The 18-acre St. Lucie West campus is open to all who wish to worship, attend a devotion, take a tour of ministries, or register as parishioners. Bulletin PDFs for the current and recent weeks are published on the website.
- Address — 350 NW California Blvd, Port St. Lucie, FL 34986
- Phone — (772) 336-9956; fax 772-336-5266
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — stbernadetteslw.org
- Confessions in the Monsignor Cosmo Saporito Chapel
- Holy Week and Easter schedule published on the site under Home > Mass Times
- Parish registration available on the website under 'REGISTER AT ST. BERNADETTE'S'
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Victor Anthony UltoDecember 2, 2001 – June 30, 2025
Founding pastor. Organized the first Mass on September 2, 2001 at the Rave Movie Theater in St. Lucie West, shepherded the move to the 18-acre NW California Blvd site in 2004, celebrated the parish's 1,000th registered family, broke ground in 2008 for the permanent church, and presided at the March 19, 2010 dedication. Retired as Pastor Emeritus in June 2025.
- Father Antony Lopez2025–present
Succeeded Father Ulto as Parish Administrator following the founding pastor's retirement on June 30, 2025.