About St. Brendan · Clearwater, Florida
St. Brendan's Catholic Church is a parish in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg located on Island Estates in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Founded in 1979 originally as a mission church of nearby St. Cecilia's Parish, it has grown into a full-scale parish serving the barrier-island communities of Clearwater Beach. The parish describes itself as a 'loving, vibrant Catholic Church seeking for each and every member a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church,' with a special ministry to the many visitors who come to Clearwater Beach. The current pastor is Rev. Msgr. Michael G. Muhr, and the parish is supported by Deacon Gregory Poole and a small staff of lay leaders.
- Established
- 1979
- Patron
- St. Brendan
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Michael G. Muhr
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. Brendan's is a barrier-island parish that intentionally welcomes both residents and the many visitors who come to Clearwater Beach, with Mass celebrated on Saturdays, Sundays, and every weekday. The parish offers an active adult faith-formation calendar — including the Brothers of Hope men's prayer group, the Faith and Fellowship group, and the St. Brendan Book Club — along with lay-led ministries in music, respect life, finance, visitation of the sick and elderly, and the parish Women's Guild. The 1997 expansion added a social hall, classrooms, and choir space that now host parish life, fundraisers, and community gatherings.
Mass times at St. Brendan
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
- Monday 9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Parish History
St. Brendan's was built in 1979 as a mission church of St. Cecilia's to bring Mass and the Sacraments closer to the barrier-island communities. As the surrounding population grew it developed into a full parish, and a Parish Council Committee on Expansion launched the 'Building Together in Faith' Memorial Fund Campaign. In November 1997 the new addition was completed: two wings and a courtyard added to the south side of the original church, with a social hall and kitchen, educational classrooms, choir-practice facilities, administrative offices, and a maintenance work area, all integrated into the original building through a Spanish motif of arches, brick, and roof tile.
- Founded 1979 as a mission of St. Cecilia's Parish
- 1997 'Building Together in Faith' expansion completed
- Spanish-motif design unifying old and new buildings
- Located on Island Estates, Clearwater Beach
Mass and Sacraments
St. Brendan's celebrates a Vigil Mass on Saturday evening, two Sunday morning Masses, a daily Mass Monday through Friday, and two Masses on Holy Days of Obligation. The Reconciliation schedule is intentionally brief — once before the Vigil Mass on Saturday and once after Monday's daily Mass — so visitors and residents are encouraged to plan accordingly. Baptism is celebrated throughout the year except during Lent, and couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact a priest six to eight months in advance to begin Pre-Marriage preparation.
- Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday Masses at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
- Weekday Mass Monday–Friday at 8:30 a.m.
- Holy Day Masses at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Confession: Saturday 3:45–4:15 p.m. and Monday 9:00–9:15 a.m.
- Baptism preparation through the Parish Office; not celebrated during Lent
- Marriage: 6–8 months advance notice; Pre-Marital Inventory and Pre-Cana required
Faith Formation and Adult Faith Development
The parish's Faith Development page describes programming for both newcomers to the faith and lifelong Catholics. Adult Faith Development builds the relationship with Jesus Christ and the understanding of Church history. Practical formation meets in the classrooms (A & B) added during the 1997 expansion, which now host weekday small groups, seasonal series, and the parish's book club.
- Adult Faith Development
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Brothers of Hope Prayer Group — Tuesdays after 8:30 a.m. Mass
- Faith and Fellowship Group — Thursdays after 8:30 a.m. Mass (Classrooms A & B)
- St. Brendan Book Club
- Diocesan Faith Formation links
Parish Ministries and Organizations
St. Brendan's runs a wide range of lay-led ministries that together shape parish life. The Music Ministry is directed by Harriet Hall and uses the choir-practice space built in 1997. Pastoral Care reaches the elderly and homebound through a Visitation ministry. The Women's Guild and the parish fundraisers use the new social hall for events, and the Navigators men's fraternal group meets the first Wednesday of every month. Other councils and apostolates include the Finance Council, Pastoral Council, Respect Life, and Vocation committees.
- Music Ministry (Harriet Hall, Music Director)
- Visitation Ministry (elderly and sick)
- Women's Guild
- Navigators (first Wednesday of each month)
- Finance Council
- Pastoral Council
- Respect Life
- Vocation
Parish Staff
The day-to-day running of the parish is shared between clergy and a small lay staff, listed on the parish Staff Directory page.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael G. Muhr — Pastor
- Deacon Gregory Poole
- Liz Santor — Business Manager
- Tom Kellner — Facilities Manager
- Harriet Hall — Music Director
Visit and Contact
The parish welcomes residents, snowbirds, and visitors to Clearwater Beach, noting that 'wherever you attend Mass, you're home.' The parish office is open during the week and can be reached by phone, fax, or email for sacramental scheduling or general information. The official Facebook page (St. Brendan's Clearwater Beach) carries current updates.
- Address: 245 Dory Passage, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
- Phone: (727) 443-5485
- Fax: (727) 442-5896
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.stbrendancatholic.org
- Facebook: @StBrendansClearwaterbeach
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Edward J. Mulligan1979–1999
Founding administrator (arrived September 1979); installed as Pastor in June 1984; Irish-born priest from Arva, County Cavan, trained at All Hallows Seminary; invested as Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre in 1985; concelebrated a private Mass with Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1987; retired November 1999.
- Rev. Msgr. James C. Lara1999–2001
Pastor Pro-Tempore following Msgr. Mulligan's retirement.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael F. Devine2001–
Appointed permanent pastor in 2001.
- Rev. Msgr. Michael G. Muhr
Current pastor, listed on the parish staff directory and on the Diocese of Saint Petersburg parish page.