About St. Gerard · Edgewater, Florida
St. Gerard is a Catholic mission church located at 3171 S. Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, Florida, serving as the Edgewater-area worship site of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Smyrna Beach. Both communities are served by the Redemptorist Fathers (Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, C.Ss.R.) and belong to the Diocese of Orlando. The mission offers weekend Masses, a Wednesday Mass, and the sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick through its connection to Sacred Heart parish.
- Patron
- St. Gerard Majella (Redemptorist lay brother, patron of mothers and expectant mothers)
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. John Tizio, C.Ss.R.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
St. Gerard offers the warmth of a smaller mission community where Edgewater-area Catholics can attend Mass and the sacraments without traveling to New Smyrna Beach, while still benefiting from the full pastoral resources of Sacred Heart parish and its Redemptorist priests. The mission supports outreach like the Knights of Columbus clothing drive (with drop-off bins in the St. Gerard parking lot), Eckerd College Campus Ministry, and the Parish Nurse Health Ministry. It is a good fit for anyone seeking a Redemptorist spirituality of evangelization and 'preaching the Word' in a coastal Florida setting.
Mass times at St. Gerard
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass at St. Gerard
St. Gerard Mission — Edgewater, Florida
St. Gerard Mission Church is the Edgewater worship site of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Smyrna Beach. It is staffed by the Redemptorist Fathers and belongs to the Diocese of Orlando. The mission's address is 3171 S. Ridgewood Avenue, Edgewater, FL 32141, and the parish office phone for the mission is 386-426-0930. Day-to-day administration (sacraments, registrations, donations) is handled through the Sacred Heart parish office at 386-428-6426.
- Address: 3171 S. Ridgewood Ave., Edgewater, FL 32141
- Phone: 386-426-0930 (mission) / 386-428-6426 (parish office)
- Diocese of Orlando
- Roman-Latin Rite
- Mass celebrated in English
Parish History & Redemptorist Heritage
St. Gerard is an extension of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Smyrna Beach, whose Catholic roots in the area go back to 1887 when a priest from St. Peter's in DeLand rode on horseback to celebrate Mass for local Catholic settlers in the Nordman home. The Redemptorists formally established Sacred Heart parish on December 12, 1926, when Father Joseph Downey became its first Superior. The Redemptorists have staffed Sacred Heart and its missions — including St. Gerard in Edgewater — continuously ever since.
- 1887: First Catholic Mass celebrated in New Smyrna area by priest from St. Peter's, DeLand
- December 12, 1926: Sacred Heart parish formally established; Fr. Joseph Downey named first Superior
- Redemptorists serve continuously from 1926 onward
- Mission statement shared by Sacred Heart and St. Gerard emphasizes Redemptorist way of life
- Patron: St. Gerard Majella (Redemptorist lay brother, canonized 1904)
Clergy and Staff
Both St. Gerard Mission and Sacred Heart parish are served by a community of Redemptorist priests (C.Ss.R.). The current About page lists Fr. John Tizio as Pastor, with Fr. Aldrin Nunes and Fr. Charlie Donovan as Parochial Vicars. Earlier bulletins (2015–2016) show Fr. Thomas Burke, C.Ss.R. as Pastor, with Fr. Edward Gray, Fr. Francis Nelson, Fr. George Rosario, Fr. Aldrin Nunes, and Fr. Kevin MacDonald also assigned to the parish; Deacon Darrell Cevasco, C.Ss.R. is also named.
- Rev. Fr. John Tizio, C.Ss.R. — Pastor
- Rev. Fr. Aldrin Nunes, C.Ss.R. — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Fr. Charlie Donovan, C.Ss.R. — Parochial Vicar
- Deacons assigned to the wider parish include Deacon Steve Cooley and Deacon Tom Murray (retired)
- Parish Office Manager: Catherine Krzeminski
- Bulletin Editor: Ella Copeland
- Maintenance Supervisor: Ella Copeland
Sacraments
All sacraments at St. Gerard are coordinated through the Sacred Heart parish office. Parents preparing for Baptism attend a Sacramental Preparation Class; First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through the parish's religious education program; Marriage requires registration as a practicing parishioner, a meeting with a priest at least six months in advance, and the Diocese of Orlando marriage preparation program; Anointing of the Sick and Last Rites are arranged by calling the parish office, with an emergency sick-call line at 386-428-9899.
- Baptism — Sacramental prep class required; call 386-428-6426 to register
- First Communion & Confirmation — parish religious education
- Marriage — 6-month notice, Diocese of Orlando marriage prep required
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites — call parish office; emergency line 386-428-9899
- Communion for Shut-Ins — Friday visits arranged by the parish office
- Reconciliation — 30 minutes before each Mass at St. Gerard
Devotions and Prayer
Alongside Mass and Confession, St. Gerard's bulletin lists a regular pattern of devotions: the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Marian Prayer. Monday priest prayers are scheduled at 9:30 AM, and Holy Days are celebrated at 10:00 AM.
- Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Marian Prayer
- Priest Prayers — Mondays, 9:30 AM
- Holy Day Mass — 10:00 AM
- Divine Mercy Devotions — Friday 4:00 PM at Sacred Heart (parish-wide)
Parish Ministries and Outreach
St. Gerard parishioners participate in the wider ministries of Sacred Heart parish, including the Parish Nurse Health Ministry, the Knights of Columbus (who run a clothing drive with a drop-off bin in the St. Gerard parking lot), the Legion of Mary, the Council of Catholic Women (CCW), Habitat for Humanity, and Eckerd College Campus Ministry. Parish nurses Dianne Barr, RN, and Betty Kaiser, RN, BSN, coordinate health-related outreach.
- Parish Nurse Health Ministry (Dianne Barr, RN; Betty Kaiser, RN, BSN)
- Knights of Columbus Clothing Drive — drop-off bin in St. Gerard parking lot
- Eckerd College Campus Ministry
- Legion of Mary
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW)
- Habitat for Humanity
Sacred Heart Catholic School
Although St. Gerard itself does not operate a school, the parish is part of the Sacred Heart Catholic School community in New Smyrna Beach. Sacred Heart School serves Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade and is led by Principal Mrs. Leigh Svajko. The school is a shared ministry of the Sacred Heart / St. Gerard community.
- Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade
- Principal: Mrs. Leigh Svajko
- Address: 1003 Turnbull Street, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
- Phone: 386-428-4732
- Website: www.shseagles.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Thomas Burke, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed as Pastor in Sacred Heart & St. Gerard bulletins (Aug 2015, Jan 2016).
- Fr. Edward Gray, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed among Redemptorists serving the parish.
- Fr. Francis Nelson, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed among Redemptorists serving the parish.
- Fr. George Rosario, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed among Redemptorists serving the parish.
- Fr. Aldrin Nunes, C.Ss.R.circa 2016 onward
Listed as Redemptorist in 2016 bulletin; currently Parochial Vicar.
- Fr. Kevin MacDonald, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed as Permanent Missionary residing at the Sacred Heart rectory.
- Deacon Darrell Cevasco, C.Ss.R.circa 2015–2016
Listed as a Redemptorist deacon.
- Fr. John Tizio, C.Ss.R.current
Listed as Pastor on the current About page.