About St. James the Apostle · Port Richey, Florida
St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church is a parish in Port Richey, Florida, in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, founded in 1981. The parish serves the western Pasco County community from its home at 8400 Monarch Drive and offers an unusually diverse weekend liturgy: Saturday Vigil Mass, two Sunday English Masses, a Polish-language Mass celebrated in the side chapel, and an American Sign Language-interpreted Mass for deaf and hard-of-hearing parishioners. The parish is one of the founding feeder parishes of Bishop Larkin Catholic School, the regional Catholic elementary school adjacent to the church property. Under its current pastor, Father Dominic Corona, the parish is active in ministry through groups like the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Legion of Mary, and Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- St. James the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Dominic J. Corona (Father Dominic Corona)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. James the Apostle is a Christ-centered parish where English, Polish, and ASL-signing Catholics all worship side by side — a rare combination that makes it a spiritual home for the area's Polish community and for deaf and hard-of-hearing Catholics. Active apostolates such as the Knights of Columbus, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Legion of Mary, and the Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound give parishioners concrete ways to live out the Gospel in Port Richey and beyond. As one of the founding parishes of Bishop Larkin Catholic School, St. James is also deeply tied to Catholic elementary education in western Pasco County.
Mass times at St. James the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (2nd and 4th Wednesday after daily Mass)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. James the Apostle describes itself as a Roman Catholic parish 'called by God to be a Christ Centered Loving family under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel and serving Christ in our Catholic community.' Founded in 1981, the parish serves western Pasco County from its campus on Monarch Drive in Port Richey, where the main church, a smaller chapel, the parish office, and the adjacent Bishop Larkin Catholic School share property along Little Road.
- Mission: 'Christ Centered Loving family under the guidance of the Holy Spirit'
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
- Deanery: West Pasco–Hernando
- Parish Office: 8400 Monarch Drive, Port Richey, FL 34668
Mass & Worship Schedule
Weekend Masses are celebrated in the main church: a Saturday Vigil at 4:00 PM and Sunday Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The 11:00 AM Sunday Mass includes American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. A Polish-language Mass is offered in the chapel at 10:00 AM on Sundays. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 AM in the chapel, except on Thursdays when a school Mass moves the celebration into the church.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM (Church)
- Sunday: 9:00 AM (Church)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM Polish Mass (Chapel)
- Sunday: 11:00 AM with ASL interpretation (Church)
- Monday–Friday: 8:30 AM (Chapel; Church on Thursdays for school Mass)
Clergy & Parish Staff
The parish is led by its pastor, Father Dominic J. Corona, supported by a lay staff responsible for parish administration, music, communications, facilities, and the sacristy. Contact is routed through the Parish Secretary during office hours (9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Monday through Thursday).
- Pastor: Father Dominic J. Corona
- Parish Secretary: Sheila Miller
- Bookkeeper: Rachel Langdon
- Sacristan: Mrs. Blanca Dockery
- Music Director: Mrs. Pat Brunette
- Bulletin Editor: Anne Koster
- Maintenance: Anthony Monti
Parish History
St. James the Apostle was established in 1981 by the Diocese of Saint Petersburg to serve the Catholic community of the Port Richey / Jasmine Estates area in western Pasco County. The parish has been one of the most stable institutional anchors of the area's Catholic life: it is a founding feeder parish of Bishop Larkin Catholic School, which literally began operations in St. James' parish hall in 1985 before moving in 1998 to a 43,000-square-foot campus built next door on Little Road. The pastoral succession since the early 2000s has included Monsignor Dennis E. Hughes (2000–2006) and Father Michael Cormier (2007–2019), followed by the present pastor, Father Dominic J. Corona.
- 1981 — Parish founded (Diocese of Saint Petersburg).
- 1985 — Bishop Larkin Catholic School begins in St. James' parish hall.
- 1998 — Bishop Larkin moves to a $3.5 million, 43,000 sq ft campus adjacent to St. James.
- 2000–2006 — Msgr. Dennis E. Hughes serves as pastor.
- 2007–2019 — Fr. Michael Cormier serves as pastor.
- Present — Fr. Dominic J. Corona serves as pastor.
Faith Formation & Sacramental Preparation
Faith Formation at St. James prepares children and teens for the sacraments of initiation in cooperation with the parish's Catholic school. Children prepare for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion beginning in second grade after at least two sequential years of faith formation, and teens in 8th grade or older prepare for Confirmation after two consecutive years of formation, including meetings, online work, and a day-long retreat. Families meet with the Director of Faith Formation prior to requesting any sacrament.
- First Reconciliation — $50 sacramental fee; must precede First Communion.
- First Holy Communion — Second grade or older; $50 sacramental fee; celebrated at a scheduled Parish First Communion Celebration Mass.
- Confirmation — 8th grade or older; $50 preparation fee; Sponsor Eligibility Form required; meeting with Director of Faith Formation required.
- DRE / Faith Formation Office: [email protected]
Ministries & Organizations
St. James parishioners serve the parish and broader Port Richey community through a network of lay apostolates and devotional groups. Outreach to the poor is carried out through the parish's St. Vincent de Paul conference, while the Knights of Columbus is the principal fraternal organization for Catholic men. Marian devotion is fostered through the Legion of Mary, and the Divine Mercy devotion is promoted parish-wide. Liturgical service is provided by lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, and Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound, who bring Communion to parishioners who cannot attend Mass.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — (727) 862-8580
- Knights of Columbus — [email protected]
- Legion of Mary — contact Ester Lopez 727-992-6080
- Divine Mercy — contact Parish Office
- Eucharistic Ministers to the Homebound
- Eucharistic Ministers and Readers
Bishop Larkin Catholic School
St. James the Apostle is one of the founding parishes of Bishop Larkin Catholic School, a regional Catholic elementary school located adjacent to the parish at 8408 Monarch Drive. The school traces its roots directly to St. James' parish hall, where it first opened in 1985; by 1998 five feeder parishes — St. James the Apostle, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent de Paul, and Our Lady Queen of Peace — had raised $3.5 million to build a unified 43,000-square-foot campus. The school partners with St. James on regular school Masses (typically celebrated in the church on Thursdays).
- Bishop Larkin Catholic School — (727) 862-6981
- 8408 Monarch Drive, Port Richey, FL 34668
- Elementary school serving multiple West Pasco parishes
- Feeder parishes: St. James the Apostle, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Vincent de Paul, Our Lady Queen of Peace
Catholic High School — Bishop McLaughlin
For Catholic secondary education, the parish directs families to Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill, the diocesan high school for the northern part of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.
- Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School — (727) 857-2600
- 13651 Hays Road, Spring Hill, FL 34610
Visiting & Contact Information
The parish office is open 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, and can be reached by phone, fax, or email. The chapel remains open Monday through Thursday until 2:00 PM for private prayer. Visitors attending the Polish Mass should go to the chapel rather than the main church; the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass includes ASL interpretation in the church itself.
- Address: 8400 Monarch Drive, Port Richey, FL 34668
- Phone: (727) 869-3130
- Fax: (727) 869-8886
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
- Parish Secretary email: [email protected]
- Faith Formation email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Dennis E. Hughes2000–2006
Previously founding pastor of St. Timothy in Northdale/Tampa; later founding pastor of St. Peter the Apostle in Trinity; received the title Chaplain to His Holiness in 2016.
- Rev. Michael Cormier2007–2019
Served twelve years while also providing pastoral care to students at Bishop Larkin Catholic School; previously parochial vicar at St. Paul, Tampa and St. Cecelia, Clearwater; now pastor of Incarnation Parish, Tampa.
- Rev. Dominic J. Corona
Current pastor; first named on the parish website staff list.