About St. John of the Cross · Vero Beach, Florida
St. John of the Cross is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Palm Beach serving the western Vero Beach community in Indian River County, Florida. The parish offers daily Mass, a Saturday Vigil Mass, four Sunday Masses (including a 1:00pm Latin Mass and a livestreamed 11:00am Mass), Friday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, and a wide range of lay ministries. It was established as a sister parish of St. Helen in Vero Beach, the mother church of Indian River County, and worships in a 25,000-square-foot Celtic-cross-plan church designed by Burke Architects in a Spanish colonial style with seating for about 1,200 in the main sanctuary and 250 in a daily chapel.
- Patron
- St. John of the Cross (Spanish Carmelite mystic, Doctor of the Church)
- Rector
- Rev. Brian T. Campbell
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. John of the Cross is a growing, multi-Mass parish that welcomes Catholic families, newcomers, and those returning to the faith with a real breadth of devotion. Daily Mass is available Monday through Saturday at 8:30am, there is all-day Friday Eucharistic Adoration ending in Benediction at 6:00pm, Saturday confessions from 2:30–3:30pm, and a 1:00pm Latin Mass every Sunday in addition to a livestreamed 11:00am Mass. The parish supports deep lay involvement through ministries such as the Legion of Mary, Seven Sisters apostolate, Men's and Women's groups, food pantry outreach, a parish library, music ministry, sacramental preparation, weekly Studies in Scripture, and a vibrant Religious Education program for children through high school.
Mass times at St. John of the Cross
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
- Sunday: 8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (1/2 hour before the 9:00 AM Mass)
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM (1/2 hour before the 11:00 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Fridays: immediately following the 8:30 AM Daily Mass, continuing until 6:00 PM Benediction
About St. John of the Cross Parish
St. John of the Cross Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Palm Beach serving western Vero Beach, Florida. The parish was founded as a daughter parish of St. Helen Catholic Church as the western Indian River County community grew. It is currently led by Fr. Brian T. Campbell and assisted by a team of deacons and lay ministers. The parish offers daily Mass, multiple Sunday Masses (including a Latin Mass and a livestreamed Mass), Friday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, and an extensive Sacramental and formation program.
- Parish of the Diocese of Palm Beach
- Western Vero Beach, Indian River County, FL
- Pastor: Fr. Brian T. Campbell
- Deacons Rob and Bill
History of St. John of the Cross
St. John of the Cross is one of several sister parishes founded by families moving west from St. Helen, the first Catholic church of Indian River County (established 1919). As the western part of Vero Beach grew, parishioners left St. Helen to begin St. John of the Cross alongside St. William, Holy Cross, and St. Sebastian. With rapid growth in the early 2000s, a new worship complex was planned on a 33-acre site and designed by Burke Architects in the form of a Celtic cross with a Spanish Colonial exterior. The completed church seats about 1,200 in the main sanctuary and 250 in a daily chapel.
- Sister parish of St. Helen Catholic Church, Vero Beach
- Founded to serve growing western Vero Beach
- Designed in a Celtic-cross plan by Burke Architects
- Spanish Colonial exterior with arched openings, stucco, clay tile roof
- ~25,000 sq. ft. building on a 33-acre campus
Clergy and Staff
The parish is led by Fr. Brian T. Campbell, who was first assigned as Administrator on January 1, 2020 and installed as Pastor on April 1, 2021. He is assisted by a permanent deacon team (Deacon Rob and Deacon Bill) and a broad group of lay ministers and coordinators. Fr. Campbell is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville and Notre Dame Seminary, and writes Scripture reflections for The Florida Catholic.
- Fr. Brian T. Campbell — Pastor (ordained May 2, 2009)
- Deacon Rob
- Deacon Bill
- B.A. Philosophy & Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville
- M.Div., Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans
Sacramental Preparation and Pastoral Care
The parish prepares Catholics of all ages for the Sacraments of Initiation and the lifelong call to discipleship. Newcomers and inquirers are encouraged to meet the pastor, register their family, and learn about RCIA-style inquiry into the Catholic faith. Beyond the Sunday and weekday Mass schedule, Reconciliation is offered weekly, and Anointing of the Sick is available on request.
- Registration for new parishioners
- Inquiry into the Catholic Faith (meet with the pastor)
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion & Confirmation (through Religious Education)
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick (on request)
- Vocations discernment (priesthood and Permanent Diaconate)
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Religious Education classes for school-aged children and high-school youth are held on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM during the public-school year. Adult formation includes 'Studies in Scripture,' a weekly Bible study led by Fr. Brian Campbell on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Parish Hall, as well as a parish Library for ongoing study.
- Religious Education: Wednesdays 6:00–7:00 PM during school year
- Studies in Scripture: Thursdays 6:00–7:00 PM (Parish Hall)
- Children's Choir rehearsal (Wed 5:00 PM)
- Adult Choir rehearsal (Thu 6:00 PM)
- Divine Will Cenacle after Wednesday morning Mass
- Parish Library (in the Parish Hall)
Liturgical Ministries
The parish draws on a broad corps of lay liturgical ministers: Extraordinaries of Holy Communion, lectors, sacristans, altar servers (boys 4th grade and older), ushers, and the Music Ministry under Organist/Choirmaster Ryan Kasten. The Adult Choir typically sings the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass, with a separate Children's Choir rehearsing on Wednesdays.
- Eucharistic Ministers (Coordinator: Gerri Koziel)
- Lectors (Contact: Linda Clerch)
- Sacristans (Contact: Ann McCabe)
- Altar Servers (boys 4th grade+)
- Ushers
- Adult Choir — Choirmaster: Ryan Kasten
- Children's Choir
Marian Devotions and Prayer Groups
St. John of the Cross has a strong Marian and devotional culture, including a curia of the Legion of Mary, the Seven Sisters Apostolate (a prayer hour for a specific priest or bishop), a Divine Will Cenacle, a Women's Guild and Altar Society, and a Men's Group. The parish publicly prays the Rosary before every daily Mass and at most weekend Masses.
- Legion of Mary — Contact: Charlotte Ethier
- Seven Sisters Apostolate
- Divine Will Cenacle (Luisa Mariani)
- Altar Society — Contact: Janice Paroulo
- Women's Guild
- Men's Group
- Daily Rosary leaders — Contact: Janice Turkasz
Parish Outreach and Charity
The Food Pantry is a parish outreach ministry that collects donated food in the front lobby, organizes it in a back pantry, and distributes grocery bags every other Friday morning to neighbors in need. The Women's Guild and Men's Group both run service and fund-raising projects for the parish and community throughout the year, and parishioners regularly bring Communion to the homebound and to local care facilities through the Eucharistic Minister to the Sick program.
- Food Pantry — alternate Friday mornings
- Communion visits to homebound and care facilities
- Women's Guild service projects
- Men's Group service projects
- Legion of Mary works of charity
Contact, Visiting, and Pastoral Reach
The parish is located at 7550 26th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32966 (mailing address 7590 26th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32966), at the corner of 74th Avenue and 26th Street. Visitors can register as parishioners via the website, and the 11:00 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Palm Beach and participates in the diocesan young-adult ministry network.
- Address: 7550 26th St., Vero Beach, FL 32966
- Phone: (772) 563-0057
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.stjohnsvero.org
- Diocese: Diocese of Palm Beach (diocesepb.org)
- Mailing: 7590 26th St., Vero Beach, FL 32966
- Young Adult Ministry contact: Ryan Fink
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Brian Campbell2020–present (Administrator from Jan. 1, 2020; Pastor from April 1, 2021)
Originally from Illinois; raised in Naples, FL. B.A. in Philosophy & Theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville (2002); M.Div., Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans (2009). Ordained by Bishop Barbarito May 2, 2009. Previously served St. Patrick (Palm Beach Gardens), St. Vincent Ferrer (Delray Beach), Pope John Paul II High School (chaplain), Our Lady Queen of Apostles (Royal Palm Beach), and the Holy Spirit Latin Mass Community (Lantana). Writes Sunday Word reflections for The Florida Catholic.