About St. John Bosco · Miami, Florida
St. John Bosco Catholic Parish is a Spanish-speaking Catholic community rooted in Miami's East Little Havana neighborhood, founded on October 11, 1962 to minister to Cuban refugees fleeing Castro's revolution. Over the decades it has welcomed successive waves of immigrants from Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and across Central and South America, and today remains a vibrant, mostly Spanish-language parish of the Archdiocese of Miami. Its current church on West Flagler Street — dedicated in 2001 and crowned by the striking "Christ of the Immigrants" mural — stands as a monument to that immigrant identity, while the parish continues its founder Msgr. Emilio Vallina's legacy of welcome through prayer groups, Emmaus retreats, religious education, youth ministry, the Leadership Learning Center and the original St. John Bosco Clinic for the uninsured.
- Established
- 1962
- Patron
- St. John Bosco (Don Bosco)
- Rector
- Fr. Yader F. Centeno Jerez (Parish Administrator)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami (East Dade Deanery)
Why belong here
St. John Bosco is, in the words of its own mission page, called to be 'the home of the homeless' and 'the refuge of those seeking hope' — a community shaped from its 1962 founding by the experience of refugees from Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and beyond. A parishioner today finds a richly Spanish-speaking liturgical life (daily Mass in Spanish, an English Mass on Sundays, a 24/7 Adoration Chapel) and a striking roster of small Christian communities — Emaus men and women, Cursillos de Cristiandad, Legión de María, Movimiento Juan XXIII, Neo-Catechumenal Way, Amigos de Don Bosco, Youth Don Bosco, El Rosario and more — alongside RCIA/OCIA, CCD religious education, and outreach through the St. John Bosco Clinic and the Leadership Learning Center. It's a parish where a new immigrant can walk in and find family, a catechist can serve, and a young person can belong.
Mass times at St. John Bosco
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Bilingual, in the Church) or by appointment
- Sunday 9:30 – 10:00 AM (Bilingual, 30 minutes before the 10:00 AM Mass)
- Sunday 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Bilingual, 30 minutes before the 12:00 PM Mass)
Adoration times
- Perpetual Adoration in the Adoration Chapel
- Extended communal Adoration: Friday 8:00 PM through Sunday 7:00 PM
Parish History
St. John Bosco was founded on October 11, 1962 to serve the flood of Cuban refugees arriving in Miami after Castro's revolution. The first priest, a Spanish priest named Fr. Ibarra, celebrated the first Masses in a garage and then at the Tivoli movie theater on West Flagler Street. At the end of 1963, Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll entrusted a defunct car dealership at Flagler and 13th Avenue to a young Cuban priest, Fr. Emilio Vallina, who had just been expelled from Cuba himself. Vallina, who had been ordained in Havana in 1952 by Cardinal Arteaga, would go on to serve the parish for 43 years and become one of the most beloved immigrant-pastors in the Archdiocese of Miami.
- Founded: October 11, 1962
- First Mass: in a garage, then at the Tivoli movie theater (1963)
- Converted car dealership dedicated as a church: 1965
- Second floor (classrooms, offices, parish hall): 1966
- Current church building dedicated: 2001
- Founder/landmark pastor: Msgr. Emilio Vallina, 1963–2006 (43 years)
Msgr. Emilio Vallina and the Vallina Legacy
Msgr. Emilio Vallina was born April 10, 1926 in Guanajay, Pinar del Río, Cuba, and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Havana in 1952. Expelled from Cuba, he arrived in Miami on July 8, 1961 and eventually became the second pastor of St. John Bosco. He built the parish into a refuge for successive waves of immigrants, opening the St. John Bosco Clinic (now run by the Archdiocese's Catholic Charities) and the after-school program that is today the Leadership Learning Center. He retired in January 2006 and died on October 19, 2013 at age 87; in 2008 the City of Miami renamed the block of West Flagler Street in front of the church in his honor.
- St. John Bosco Clinic — founded 1992 with the Sisters of St. Joseph; now under Catholic Charities; ~1,100 uninsured patients and 4,200+ visits per year
- Leadership Learning Center at St. John Bosco — after-school program serving ~132 K–8 students
- W Flagler Street between 13th and 14th Avenues renamed 'Msgr. Emilio Vallina' in 2008
- Succeeded by Fr. Juan Carlos Paguaga, a Nicaraguan priest, in January 2006
The Church Building and the 'Christ of the Immigrants' Mural
After a 1986 capital campaign launched by Msgr. Vallina, the parish dedicated its present-day church in 2001. Its defining artwork is the 'Christ of the Immigrants' fresco over the chancel: a dark, curly-haired, blue-collar Christ with arms spread in welcome, surrounded by faces of every race and color. It was painted in classic fresco — pigments applied to wet plaster so they bond with the wall — by Venezuelan artist Abdon José Romero and his wife Sonia, a technique chosen so the image would survive for centuries. The clerestory windows carry the seals of the nations from which parishioners have come, plus emblems of Catholic organizations like the Knights of Columbus, visually declaring the parish's identity as a church of immigrants.
- New church dedicated: 2001
- Mural artist: Abdon José Romero (and wife Sonia), Venezuela, classic fresco technique
- Clerestory windows: seals of immigrant nations + Catholic organization emblems
Clergy and Staff
St. John Bosco is currently led by Fr. Yader F. Centeno Jerez as Parish Administrator, with Fr. Fernando Carmona as Parochial Vicar and Deacon Hector Henriquez assisting. The parish staff includes a Director of Religious Education, an Executive Assistant/Accountant, a Receptionist, a Media Coordinator, a Facilities Coordinator and a Maintenance team.
- Fr. Yader F. Centeno Jerez — Parish Administrator (born León, Nicaragua; ordained Dec. 20, 1996; in Miami since 2007; arrived at St. John Bosco after serving St. Timothy, Santa Rosa de Lima, and Corpus Christi)
- Fr. Fernando Carmona — Parochial Vicar (born April 22, 1973, Villa Mercedes, San Luis, Argentina; ordained 1998 for the Diocese of Río Cuarto; arrived in South Florida 2018; appointed to St. John Bosco by Archbishop Wenski effective June 17, 2024)
- Deacon Hector Henriquez — Parish Deacon
- Sr. Maritza Ramos — Director of Religious Education (ext. 111)
- Yenny Serpa — Executive Assistant / Accountant (ext. 113)
- Diana Lopez — Receptionist / Administrative Assistant (ext. 110)
- Regla Torres — Media Coordinator (ext. 116)
- Belkis Valdés — Maintenance
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners serve the parish's worship life through the parish's core liturgical ministries, which assist at the altar, proclaim the Word, distribute Communion, welcome the assembly, and keep the sacred vessels and linens in order.
- Altar Servers — assist the priest with incense, the book, and the preparation of the gifts
- Lectors — proclaim the Scriptures at Mass
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion — distribute Communion during Mass
- Ushers — the first to welcome people as they arrive for the Eucharist
- Sacristans — prepare the sacristy, vessels and liturgical ministers for each Mass
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The parish runs a School of Religious Education (CCD) for children that aims to deepen Christian identity through initiation rites, instruction and formation of conscience, and an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program — the current name for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults — for adults preparing to enter or complete their initiation in the Catholic Church. The Director of Religious Education is Sr. Maritza Ramos.
- Children's Religious Education (CCD) — parish School of Religious Education
- Adult Formation (OCIA) — faith formation and initiation for adults
- Director: Sr. Maritza Ramos (305-649-5464 ext. 111)
Parish Groups and Small Christian Communities
Reflecting its roots among Spanish-speaking immigrants, St. John Bosco has a large, dense network of parish groups — many meeting in the parish's named halls (San José Hall, Don Bosco Hall, María Mazarello Hall, Casita Vallina) — covering prayer, retreat movement, youth, family, rosary and respect-life work. Most meet weekday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 PM.
- Emaus Women — San José Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Cayra Millon 786-333-1778)
- Emaus Men — San José Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Manuel Moreno)
- Cursillos de Cristiandad — Casita Vallina, 7:30–9:30 PM (Verónica Escoto 786-501-6373)
- Legión de María — San José Hall, 2:00–4:00 PM (Blanca Rosa Cantillano 786-523-3998)
- Movimiento Juan XXIII — Don Bosco Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Erick Hurtado 786-328-6189)
- Camino Neo-Catecumenal — María Mazarello Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Waldo Fonseca 786-278-2846)
- Amigos de Don Bosco (Prayer Group) — Parish Hall San José, Mondays 8:00 PM (Henry Pérez)
- Grupo Renacer (Prayer) — María Mazarello Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Jorge López 786-291-5735)
- Grupo Fuego en el Espíritu (Prayer) — San José Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Marco Rivera 305-879-3495)
- Intercesión Parroquial — Casita Vallina, 2:00–4:00 PM (Mariana Flores 786-344-6203)
- Reflexión Cristiana — María Mazarello Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Harim Uziel 305-994-6416)
- Domingo Savio Ministry — María Mazarello Hall, 6:00–7:30 PM (Iris Amador 305-301-6945)
- El Rosario — María Mazarello Hall, 2:00–4:00 PM (Crucilena Mejia)
- Respeto a la Vida — Cielo Karolina García 786-762-8044
- Youth Don Bosco — Don Bosco Hall, 7:30–9:30 PM (Mauricio Dávila 786-362-2977)
Sacraments
The parish celebrates and prepares parishioners for all seven Catholic sacraments, with dedicated pages on its website for Baptism, Confirmation, First Holy Eucharist, Matrimony, Anointing of the Sick, and Penance and Reconciliation.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy Eucharist (First Communion)
- Penance and Reconciliation
- Anointing of the Sick
- Matrimony
Outreach: The St. John Bosco Clinic and Leadership Learning Center
Two of the parish's most enduring ministries extend its mission into the wider Little Havana community. The St. John Bosco Clinic, founded in 1992 with the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, provides free medical care to uninsured adults and children and is now under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Miami's Catholic Charities. The Leadership Learning Center at St. John Bosco, the after-school program Msgr. Vallina started for the children of working parents, continues to serve about 132 low-income K–8 students with homework help, tutoring and enrichment classes.
- St. John Bosco Clinic — founded 1992; Sisters of St. Joseph; now under Catholic Charities
- Free healthcare for uninsured adults and children — over 1,100 patients and 4,200+ visits per year
- Leadership Learning Center at St. John Bosco — after-school program (K–8) for ~132 students
Visit, Contact and Mission
The parish's stated mission — to be 'the home of the homeless' and 'the refuge of those seeking hope' — has shaped it since 1962, when it was first established to receive Cuban exiles far from home. Today it continues that welcome for new immigrants, with a Spanish-first liturgical life, perpetual adoration, a large network of prayer and small-group communities, religious education, youth ministry, and outreach through the St. John Bosco Clinic and the Leadership Learning Center.
- Address: 1349 W Flagler St, Miami, FL 33135
- Secondary address: 1358 NW 1st St, Miami, FL 33125
- Phone: (305) 649-5464 / (305) 541-0988
- Website: sjboscomiami.org (also es.sjboscomiami.org for Spanish)
- Deanery: East Dade Deanery, Archdiocese of Miami
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ibarra1962–1963
Spanish priest who served the newly founded parish; first Mass was celebrated in a garage, then the Tivoli movie house.
- Msgr. Emilio Vallina1963–2006 (43 years)
Cuban exile expelled by Castro, arrived Miami July 8, 1961; received the keys to a defunct car dealership from Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll at the end of 1963. Built the parish into a refuge for successive waves of immigrants, founded the St. John Bosco Clinic and the after-school program (now Leadership Learning Center), and launched the 1986 fund drive for the new church dedicated in 2001. Retired January 2006; West Flagler Street between 13th and 14th Avenues was renamed in his honor in 2008. Died October 19, 2013 at age 87.
- Fr. Juan Carlos Paguaga2006–
Native of Nicaragua; succeeded Msgr. Vallina upon his retirement in January 2006 and was leading a parish pilgrimage in Italy when Msgr. Vallina died in 2013.