About St. Hubert of the Forest · Astor, Florida
St. Hubert of the Forest is a Catholic mission church serving the small community of Astor, Florida, in the forested St. Johns River region of Volusia County. It is administered as a mission of St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand and falls under the Diocese of Orlando. The mission holds Sunday Mass and offers a tight-knit worship experience for Catholic families and retirees living in and around the Astor area, with regular community events such as an annual Fish Fry that bring parishioners together.
- Patron
- St. Hubert of Liège
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
St. Hubert of the Forest offers Catholics in the Astor area a place to worship close to home without traveling to DeLand or another larger parish. As a small mission, it fosters an intimate, family-style community where members know one another and gather around both the Mass and shared traditions like the Annual Fish Fry fundraiser. Visitors and seasonal residents of the Astor / Ocala National Forest region are warmly welcomed at the Sunday liturgy.
Mass times at St. Hubert of the Forest
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday at 10:45 AM
St. Hubert of the Forest Mission
St. Hubert of the Forest is a Catholic mission located at 55600 Veterans Drive in Astor, Florida, in the heart of the Ocala National Forest region. It serves Catholics living in and around the Astor community on the St. Johns River and is administered by St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand as one of that parish's two mission communities.
- Address: 55600 Veterans Drive, Astor, FL 32102
- Phone: (352) 759-3983
- Web page: stpeterdeland.org/st-hubert-of-the-forest
- Diocese: Diocese of Orlando
- Type: Mission (under St. Peter Parish, DeLand)
Patron Saint — St. Hubert of Liège
The mission takes its name from St. Hubert of Liège (c. 656–727), an eighth-century bishop who became the first Bishop of Liège and was known as the 'Apostle of the Ardennes' for his missionary work in the forests of Belgium. He is the traditional patron saint of hunters, foresters, trappers, dogs, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers — making him a particularly fitting patron for a Catholic mission in the wooded Astor area. His feast day is celebrated on November 3.
- Born c. 656 in Toulouse; died 30 May 727
- First Bishop of Liège (from 708)
- Patron of hunters, forest workers, trappers, dogs, archers, opticians, and metalworkers
- Feast day: November 3
- Title: 'Apostle of the Ardennes'
Connection to St. Peter Parish, DeLand
St. Hubert of the Forest is one of two mission communities overseen by St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand (the other being San Jose in Pierson). St. Peter Parish itself traces its roots to 1883, when Father (later Bishop) William Kenny traveled from Palatka to celebrate Mass in DeLand, and the first DeLand church was dedicated in 1884. Today St. Peter is a vibrant parish of more than 125 years that reaches out to Catholics throughout Volusia County, including the small Astor mission.
- Parent parish: St. Peter Catholic Church, DeLand, FL
- Sibling mission: San Jose, Pierson, FL
- St. Peter Parish founded: 1883 (first church dedicated 1884)
Annual Fish Fry — Community Fundraiser
St. Hubert of the Forest's signature community event is its Annual Fish Fry, a fundraiser that draws together the small Astor Catholic community and neighbors from the surrounding area. The event is held at the Astor Community Association and features a full fried-fish dinner along with themed gift baskets, a 'Lottery Ticket Hat,' and other homemade auction items. It is one of the mission's main occasions to gather, raise funds, and welcome visitors from outside the parish.
- Typical date: late February
- Location: Astor Community Association, 24148 Ann St, Astor, FL 32102
- Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Cost: $14 per meal
- Dinner includes: fried fish, cole slaw, baked beans, cheese grits, beverage, and dessert
- Fundraising auction: Lottery Ticket Hat, themed gift baskets, homemade items
Visiting the Astor Community
Astor is a small community on the St. Johns River in the Ocala National Forest, popular with retirees, seasonal residents, fishing enthusiasts, and visitors to nearby Blue Spring and the river's scenic reaches. St. Hubert of the Forest offers those Catholics a convenient Sunday Mass location without the drive into DeLand.
Diocese of Orlando
St. Hubert of the Forest is part of the Diocese of Orlando, the Roman Catholic diocese covering nine counties of central Florida. The Diocese of Orlando was established in 1968 with the Cathedral of St. James in Orlando, and its Volusia County deanery includes St. Peter Parish in DeLand and its missions, including St. Hubert of the Forest in Astor and San Jose in Pierson.
- Diocese: Diocese of Orlando
- Established: 1968
- Cathedral: St. James Cathedral, Orlando
- County: Volusia County deanery