About St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church · Orlando, Florida
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is a friendly, close-knit Catholic parish in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida, situated on Edgewater Drive near Little Lake Fairview and Dubsdread Golf Course. Established in 1954, the parish shares its campus with three outstanding Catholic schools — St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Bishop Moore Catholic High School, and the historically associated high school — and its mission is to grow in faith and bring God's healing love to each other and the wider community. The parish holds particular historical importance as the first Cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando from 1968 until 1976, when a fire destroyed the cathedral church and the seat was transferred to St. James.
- Established
- 1954
- Patron
- St. Charles Borromeo
- Rector
- Fr. Roberto Marquez (Parochial Administrator)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
St. Charles Borromeo offers a warm, close-knit College Park community centered on the Sunday Mass, with a bilingual schedule (English and Spanish) and a robust devotional life including weekly Tuesday Eucharistic Adoration with the Rosary, First Friday exposition, and Saturday confessions. The parish is unusual in hosting three Catholic schools on one campus — St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Bishop Moore Catholic High School, and the historic high school grounds — giving families a deeply Catholic formation environment, while ministries in liturgical service, hospitality, charity (Council of Catholic Women, Mother's Cupboard, Knights of Columbus, Ministry to the Sick), and faith formation invite every member to find a place to serve.
Mass times at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
- Tuesday 9:30 am – 10:30 am
- Tuesday 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
- First Friday 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Adoration times
- Tuesday 9:30 am – 7:45 pm (Adoration and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
- First Friday 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
About St. Charles Borromeo Parish
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is a friendly, close-knit community in Orlando's College Park neighborhood, located on Edgewater Drive near Little Lake Fairview and Dubsdread Golf Course. The parish's mission is to grow in faith and bring God's healing love to each other and to the wider community, centered on the Sunday Mass and supported by a special dedication to education through the three Catholic schools on campus. Visitors and newcomers are warmly invited to register by seeing an usher at Mass or calling the parish office.
- Mission Statement: 'We, the members of St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, are committed to responding to God's call to become one body in Christ, through the celebration of the sacraments, education, faith formation and community outreach.'
- Founded March 31, 1954
- Located in College Park, Orlando
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Registration available at Mass or via the parish office
Parish History
St. Charles was established in 1954 on land purchased by the Diocese of St. Augustine, with Father (later Msgr.) Charles A. Bartok organizing the new parish alongside Bishop Moore Catholic High School. The parish grew quickly: provisional church in 1957, formal dedication in 1958, and the creation of the Diocese of Orlando in 1968 — when St. Charles became the new diocese's first Cathedral.
- March 31, 1954 — Parish established; first Masses in Edgewater High School Auditorium
- February 13, 1955 — St. Charles School and Bishop Moore Catholic High School dedicated by Archbishop Hurley
- October 6, 1957 — First Mass in provisional church
- January 26, 1958 — Church building dedicated by Archbishop Hurley
- May 1968 — Diocese of Orlando erected; St. Charles designated Cathedral; Msgr. Bartok elevated to Monsignor
- October 25 — Diocesan Eucharistic Congress hosted at St. Charles (Feast of Christ the King)
- May 24, 1969 — First priest ordination of the new diocese; first ordination rite said in English instead of Latin
- December 16 — Bishop Thomas J. Grady installed as second bishop at St. Charles Cathedral
- October 1, 1976 — Cathedral church destroyed by fire (faulty electrical wiring)
- October 2, 1977 — Groundbreaking for new church
- Cathedral designation transferred to St. James Church in Orlando
- September 21, 1979 — First Mass in rebuilt church
- November 4, 1979 — Church dedicated by Bishop Grady on the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo; 25th anniversary (theme: 'Down Memory Lane')
- 1993 — Renovation planning begins
- May 1 — Renovated church rededicated by Bishop Norbert Dorsey; paid-off loan note burned
- 2004 — Hurricane Frances damage to parish and school
- November 7, 2004 — 50th anniversary Mass celebrated on the feast of St. Charles Borromeo
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Parochial Administrator Fr. Roberto Marquez, with Fr. Anthony Anike serving as Parochial Vicar. Two deacons — Paul Volkerson and Jorge William Gomez — assist in ministry. The lay staff handles reception, faith formation, music, and business operations.
- Fr. Roberto Marquez — Parochial Administrator ([email protected])
- Fr. Anthony Anike — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Paul Volkerson ([email protected])
- Deacon Jorge William Gomez ([email protected])
- Lydia Britton — Parish Office Receptionist ([email protected])
- Carolina Babroski — Director of Faith Formation
- Mark Sibons — Director of Music ([email protected])
- Alex Lokhnauth — Business Manager ([email protected])
Worship & Liturgy
St. Charles offers a robust bilingual liturgical schedule, with daily Mass Monday through Friday, a Spanish Mass on Tuesday evenings, Saturday Vigil Masses in English and Spanish, and three Sunday Masses in English. Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a major weekly devotion, paired with the Rosary in both English and Spanish.
- Daily Mass Monday–Friday 9:00 am (Wednesday 12:15 pm)
- Tuesday evening Spanish Mass at 8:00 pm
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 pm (English), 7:00 pm (Spanish)
- Sunday Masses: 8:00 am, 11:00 am, 5:00 pm
Parish Ministries
The parish offers a wide range of ministries for both English- and Spanish-speaking parishioners, organized into Liturgical, Funeral, and Outreach categories. Members are encouraged to explore these ministries to find where they belong and to use their gifts in service.
- Liturgical: Ministry Scheduler, Altar Servers, Art & Environment, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC/MESC), Ministers of Hospitality, Linen Ministry, Ministry of Readers, Monaguillos, Music Ministry, Sacristans
- Outreach: Bereavement Ministry, Council of Catholic Women (CCW), Knights of Columbus, Little Flower Ministry, Ministry to the Sick and Homebound, Mother's Cupboard
Catholic Schools on Campus
St. Charles Borromeo's campus hosts outstanding Catholic schools that have been central to the parish's identity since 1955. Bishop Moore Catholic High School was dedicated alongside St. Charles School on February 13, 1955, and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School — a junior high that opened January 24, 1955 under the Sisters of St. Joseph — has grown to serve over 300 students in PreK-3 through 8th grade.
- St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School — PreK-3 through 8th grade; over 300 students; led by the Sisters of St. Joseph for over 40 years
- Bishop Moore Catholic High School — dedicated February 13, 1955, by Archbishop Hurley
- School website: stcharlesschoolorlando.org
Visit, Register & Contact
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. Registration forms are available from ushers at Mass, or by calling the parish office Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. The parish office can also assist with Mass intentions, which are recorded in the parish book of intentions and noted in the weekly bulletin.
- Address: 4001 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804
- Phone: 407-293-9556
- Fax: 407-293-9213
- Email: [email protected]
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
- Website: stcharlesorlando.org
- Facebook: facebook.com/StCharlesOrlando
Architecture & Building
The present church building was constructed in 1977–1979 to replace the cathedral church destroyed by fire in 1976. A major renovation begun in 1993 expanded the interior space, improved lighting, installed stained glass designed by Sister Diane Couture SSJ, and added a cement courtyard, new baptistry, pews, and flooring; Bishop Norbert Dorsey rededicated the renovated church on May 1.
- Current church built 1977–1979
- Dedicated November 4, 1979 by Bishop Thomas J. Grady
- Renovation rededicated May 1 by Bishop Norbert Dorsey
- Stained glass designed by Sister Diane Couture SSJ
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father (later Msgr.) Charles A. Bartok1954–
Founding pastor who organized the parish and Bishop Moore Catholic High School; elevated to Monsignor by Pope John XXIII upon Archbishop Hurley's recommendation; led the parish when it became the first Cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando in 1968.
- Msgr. Irvine Nugent
Served as a pastor/leader of St. Charles during the cathedral years alongside Msgr. Bartok and Fr. Richard Steinkamp.
- Father Richard Steinkamp
Served during the cathedral years; named by Bishop Grady among those who rendered notable service to the diocese.
- Fr. Roberto Marquezpresent
Current Parochial Administrator.