About St. Ignatius of Antioch · Tarpon Springs, Florida
St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church is a multicultural, Eucharist-centered parish located at 715 East Orange Street in Tarpon Springs, Florida, in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1889 as a small mission chapel on Lemon Street, it is the oldest Catholic community in Pinellas County and was canonically established as a parish on December 9, 1954. Today the parish celebrates Mass in English and Spanish, runs a popular Early Childhood Center, and offers faith formation, Life Teen youth ministry, and an active Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Antioch
- Rector
- Rev. Sojan Punakkattu
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. Ignatius of Antioch offers the rare combination of deep historical roots — it is the oldest Catholic community in Pinellas County — with a vibrant, multicultural, Eucharist-centered parish life. Weekday and Sunday Masses in both English and Spanish, a thriving Life Teen and EDGE youth ministry, a long-running Early Childhood Center, a Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference, Perpetual Adoration days, and a Parish Mobile App make it easy to plug into prayer, formation, and service here in Tarpon Springs.
Mass times at St. Ignatius of Antioch
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday–Saturday: after the 9:00 AM Mass
- Saturday: 3:00–3:45 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday: after the 9:00 AM Mass until 10:15 AM
- Friday: Beginning at 9:30 AM with Divine Mercy Prayer at 2:45 PM, Benediction following
- Chapel open for prayer Monday–Friday 7:30 AM–2:30 PM and Saturday 9:00 AM–2:30 PM
Parish History
St. Ignatius of Antioch is the oldest Catholic community in Pinellas County. In 1888 former Arizona Governor Anson P.K. Safford donated land for a Catholic church in Tarpon Springs, and a small 28' x 18' mission chapel was built on Lemon Street the following year. Father Philippe de Carriere, S.J., celebrated the first Mass there on May 20, 1889. The chapel was expanded by 1905, and in 1929 the mission was entrusted to St. Cecilia parish in Clearwater. In the late 1940s Msgr. Colreavy purchased ten lots at the present Orange Street location and an army frame chapel was moved to the site. The parish was canonically established on December 9, 1954 under Father William Dubois, and the present church was dedicated in the early 1980s after additional land was purchased in 1976.
- 1888: Land donated by Anson P.K. Safford
- May 20, 1889: First Mass celebrated by Father Philippe de Carriere, S.J.
- December 9, 1954: Parish canonically established under Father William Dubois
- 2017: Diocese of St. Petersburg historical marker placed
Pastoral & Administrative Staff
St. Ignatius is served by a pastor, a parochial vicar, three deacons, and a substantial lay staff handling faith formation, music, communications, facilities, and the Early Childhood Center. The parish also runs Caritas Outreach for the homebound, hospitalized, and bereaved.
- Fr. Sojan Punakkattu — Pastor
- Fr. Daniel Bot — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Gene Beil
- Deacon Mike Waldron
- Deacon Samuel Moschetto (Retired)
- Deacon Chuck Glass — Facilities Manager
- Kelly Wietholter — Director of Faith Formation
- Jody Carr — Director of Music Ministry
- Vanessa Dockery / Shabelle Valencia — Assistant Music Directors
- Lynn Kilbride — Director of Communications
- Katherine Creamer — Office Manager; Molly Berberich — Office Administrator
- Jim Caesar — Director of Finance & Administration
- Zach Guenther — Assistant Facilities Manager
- Lauranne Schmit — Director of Caritas Outreach
- Angela Butler — Director of Early Childhood Center
- Director of Life Teen; Director of EDGE Middle School Youth Ministry
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith Formation at St. Ignatius is directed by Kelly Wietholter and supported by an Assistant Faith Formation Director, with programs for children and adults. Youth ministry is a major part of parish life, with separate Life Teen (high school) and EDGE (middle school) programs and a dedicated Sunday evening 6:00 PM Life Teen Mass.
- Faith Formation (Kelly Wietholter, Director)
- Life Teen — High School Youth Ministry
- EDGE — Middle School Youth Ministry
- Sunday 6:00 PM Life Teen Mass
St. Ignatius Early Childhood Center
The St. Ignatius Early Childhood Center is a ministry of the parish and part of the Schools and Centers of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, celebrating more than 35 years of Catholic early childhood education. The center serves two-, three-, four-, and five-year-olds with age-appropriate classrooms (Purple, Orange, Red, Blue, Yellow), VPK programs, and credentialed lead teachers, and partners closely with parents in the child's total development — spiritual, social, physical, emotional, and intellectual.
- Located at 725 E Orange Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689
- Phone: (727) 937-5427
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Director: Angela Butler-Rogers
- Classrooms: Purple, Orange, Red, Blue, Yellow rooms including VPK programs
- Accredited through the Diocese of St. Petersburg Schools and Centers
Parish Ministries & Outreach
The parish supports a wide range of ministries and outreach efforts, from Eucharistic devotion and prayer groups to scouting and care for those in need. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Upper Pinellas Pregnancy Center extend the parish's charitable work into the wider community.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Divine Mercy Prayer Group
- Padre Pio Prayer Group
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Upper Pinellas Pregnancy Center
- Cub Scout Pack 9
- Caritas Outreach to the homebound, hospitalized, and bereaved
Parish App & Communications
St. Ignatius has launched a Parish Mobile App available on the App Store and Google Play. The app is designed to support parishioners' liturgy and prayer lives and is continually updated with new features.
- Search "St Ignatius Tarpon Springs" in the App Store or Play Store
- Includes Mass times, prayer resources, and parish news
- Communications directed by Lynn Kilbride
Sacraments & Devotions
In addition to daily and Sunday Masses, St. Ignatius offers the Anointing of the Sick, Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy devotion, and Benediction. Other sacraments such as Baptism and Marriage are coordinated through the parish office.
- Anointing of the Sick — Saturdays after 9:00 AM Mass or by request
- Perpetual/Scheduled Adoration — Thursdays and Fridays
- Divine Mercy Prayer — Friday afternoons
- Benediction — Friday following Divine Mercy Prayer
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Ignatius of Antioch Catholic Church welcomes visitors at 715 East Orange Street in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and can be reached at (727) 937-4050.
- Address: 715 East Orange Street, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689-4208
- Phone: (727) 937-4050
- Fax: (727) 943-0676
- Office hours: Monday–Friday 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Located in the North Pinellas Deanery of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Philippe de Carriere, S.J.1889
Celebrated the first Mass at the original Lemon Street mission chapel
- Father William Dubois1954
First pastor when the parish was canonically established on December 9, 1954