About St. Hugh · Coconut Grove, Florida
St. Hugh Catholic Parish is a multicultural and bilingual Catholic community in the heart of Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, part of the Archdiocese of Miami. Founded on June 30, 1959, the parish worships in English and Spanish and is home to St. Hugh School, the first integrated school in the archdiocese. Under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Luis Largaespada, the parish continues its mission to grow in faith, stand firm in hope, and serve the needy through ministries such as the long-running Grove Outreach food bank.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Hugh of Lincoln (church is named in memory of Hugh Matheson, a Coconut Grove developer whose widow Liguori donated the land)
- Rector
- Fr. Luis Largaespada
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami (East Dade Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Hugh is a bilingual, multicultural Catholic family in the heart of Coconut Grove where parishioners grow in faith, hope, and charity together. The parish offers a full sacramental life in both English and Spanish, with daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration five days a week, a thriving religious education program for children and adults, and a long-running food bank (Grove Outreach) that has served the neighborhood for more than 30 years. The attached St. Hugh School, the first integrated school in the archdiocese, makes this a true parish-and-school community in which families worship, learn, and serve side by side.
Mass times at St. Hugh
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM (Bilingual, in the Church)
- By appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Church)
- Tuesday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Church)
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Church)
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM (Chapel)
- Friday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Church)
About St. Hugh Catholic Parish
St. Hugh Catholic Parish is a multicultural, bilingual Catholic community in the heart of Coconut Grove, Miami, within the Archdiocese of Miami. Founded in 1959, the parish is the spiritual home of both an English- and Spanish-speaking congregation and the families of St. Hugh School, the first integrated school in the archdiocese. The community describes itself as growing in faith, standing firm in hope, and fervent in charity, open to all who wish to be part of the Body of Christ.
- Parish founded June 30, 1959
- Part of the Archdiocese of Miami, East Dade Deanery
- Bilingual worship in English and Spanish
Parish History
St. Hugh Parish was born out of the rapid growth of Catholic life in Coconut Grove after World War II. White Catholics first worshipped at the Coconut Grove Playhouse and then at Coconut Grove Elementary School, while Black Catholics gathered at G.W. Carver High School and at St. Augustine Mission School on Douglas Road. In 1960, Fr. Charles Ward built the present church on land donated by Liguori Matheson, who named the parish in memory of her late husband, developer Hugh Matheson; Bishop Coleman F. Carroll dedicated the new church that same year. The adjoining St. Hugh School — the first integrated school in the archdiocese — grew directly out of St. Augustine Mission School.
- June 30, 1959 — parish officially founded
- 1960 — church built by Fr. Charles Ward, dedicated by Bishop Coleman F. Carroll
- St. Augustine Mission School becomes St. Hugh School (first integrated school in the archdiocese)
- 1981–82 — new school built next to the church for $1.5 million under Msgr. John Glorie
- 2019 — 60th anniversary celebrated
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish runs a robust faith-formation program for both children and adults. Children who do not attend the parish school gather for CCD classes every Wednesday evening. Adults preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, or full communion with the Catholic Church join the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) — also held on Wednesday evenings. Teens in grades 8–12 prepare for Confirmation through a two-year program.
- Children's CCD — Wednesdays 6:30–7:45 PM (Director: Ana Montanari, [email protected])
- Adult OCIA (RCIA) — Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
- Confirmation preparation for teens (grades 8–12), two-year program
St. Hugh Catholic School
St. Hugh School is the parish school and the first integrated school in the Archdiocese of Miami. Originally founded as St. Augustine Mission School by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley of the Diocese of St. Augustine, it served the African-American community of West Grove under the direction of Holy Redeemer Parish and was staffed by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was renamed St. Hugh School at the parish's founding. The school shares the parish campus; the current school building was constructed in 1981–82 at a cost of $1.5 million and also houses the religious education program.
- Founded as St. Augustine Mission School
- Renamed St. Hugh School in 1959 — first integrated school in the archdiocese
- New school building opened next to the church in 1982
- Catholic Identity: weekly Mass, daily prayer, Adoration, 40 Hours devotion, Stations of the Cross
- Service projects: Grove Outreach, Sisters of Charity, Grove for Ghana, Mindo Project
Catholic Identity at St. Hugh School
Faith is woven into every part of school life. Students in grades 5–8 study Sacred Scripture daily, the school highlights a Catholic Virtue of the Month, and special events like the All Saints Day Parade and the Exposition of the Relics of Hundreds of Saints connect students to the wider Communion of Saints. Eighth graders help serve meals at the Sisters of Charity homeless shelter, and the school supports Grove for Ghana by funding freshwater wells in West Africa.
- Sacramental preparation: First Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation
- Daily morning prayer, Angelus, and prayers before class
- 40 Hours of Adoration with neighborhood procession
- Annual All Saints Day Parade
- Service: food drives, Christmas toy collections, Sisters of Charity, Grove for Ghana, Mindo Project
Grove Outreach Food Bank
The Grove Outreach, founded more than 30 years ago by Fr. John Vaughan, is the parish's long-standing food bank for the neighborhood. Volunteers pack food on Wednesday mornings and distribute it on Saturday mornings, and the parish regularly publishes a bilingual list of needed staples. The program seeks to alleviate the needs of the less fortunate in the Coconut Grove community; VIRTUS training is required for volunteers.
- Food packing: Wednesdays 8:00–11:00 AM
- Food distribution: Saturdays 6:15–8:30 AM
- Bilingual list of needed items: rice, beans, canned proteins, pasta, milk, fruit, peanut butter, and more
- Coordinator: parish office, 305-444-8363
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, two permanent deacons, and a dedicated team of lay staff who direct music, religious education, finances, communications, and sacramental scheduling.
- Fr. Luis Largaespada — Pastor ([email protected])
- Fr. Jan Grotkowski, SDS — Parochial Vicar ([email protected])
- Deacon Frank Alvarez-Gil — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Nicolás Díaz — Permanent Deacon
- Leticia Mercado — Secretary, Sacraments & Scheduling
- Ana Montanari — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
- Roberto Berrocal — Music Director
- Swanee Aguila — Finance Administrator (Church & School)
- Silvia Santana — Pastoral Assistant
- Marcela Martínez de Torres — Church/School Receptionist
- Milagros Morales — Bulletin Editor
- Juan Alayo — Social Media Editor / Altar Servers
Sacraments
St. Hugh prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms, weddings, and anointing arrangements are coordinated through the parish office; First Communion and Confirmation are prepared through the school and religious education programs; confessions are heard Saturday afternoons and by appointment.
- Baptism — preparation through the parish office
- Penance and Reconciliation — Saturdays 4:30–5:15 PM, or by appointment
- First Communion — through the school and CCD
- Confirmation — two-year teen program and adult OCIA
- Marriage — couples invited to celebrate in the church
- Anointing of the Sick — by request through the parish
Visit & Contact
Parishioners and visitors are warmly welcomed at the parish office on Royal Road in the heart of Coconut Grove, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The school office can be reached separately during school hours. Masses are live-streamed from the church through the parish website and Facebook Watch.
- Address: 3460 Royal Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
- Phone: (305) 444-8363 • Fax: (305) 444-4312
- Email: [email protected]
- School office: (305) 448-5602
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Live-streamed Masses via the parish website and Facebook Watch
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Charles Ward1960–
Built the church in 1960; dedicated by Bishop Coleman F. Carroll.
- Fr. George Bucko
Early pastor of the parish.
- Fr. Anthony Navarrete
Early pastor of the parish.
- Msgr. John Glorie
Built the new school next to the church in 1981–82; invited the Adrian Dominican Sisters to direct the school.
- Fr. John Vaughan
Renovated the parish hall-cafeteria for the 25th anniversary; founded Grove Outreach.
- Fr. George Garcia
Started the school's Endowment Fund.
- Fr. Federico Capdepón
Retired from St. Hugh before Fr. Luis.
- Fr. Luis Largaespada2016–present
Appointed parochial administrator in 2016 by Archbishop Thomas Wenski; installed as pastor in 2017.