About St. John the Evangelist · Boca Raton, Florida
St. John the Evangelist is a Catholic parish in western Boca Raton, Florida, located at 10300 Yamato Road in the Diocese of Palm Beach. Founded on July 1, 1992, the parish grew from 350 registered families in 1997 to about 1,600 families today. The current church, dedicated by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito on September 18, 2010, features a separate chapel for daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration and stained-glass windows donated by parishioners. The parish is led by Fr. Dominic Toan Tran and lives by its simple motto, "Be Kind."
- Established
- 1992
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist
- Rector
- Rev. Dominic Toan Tran
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. John the Evangelist offers daily and Sunday Masses, Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, a vibrant Religious Education program for adults and children, and active fellowship groups including a Knights of Columbus council, Ladies of St. John, Women of Grace, a Youth Group, and a Young Adult Group. The parish's simple motto, "Be Kind," shapes a community of roughly 1,600 families that worships in a 2010-dedicated church with stained-glass windows and a Prayer Garden for quiet reflection — a welcoming home for anyone seeking to grow in faith and union with Jesus Christ.
Mass times at St. John the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:50 PM
Adoration times
- Adoration hours are offered in the separate daily Mass / Eucharistic Adoration chapel (see parish website for current weekly schedule)
History of St. John the Evangelist
St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church was founded on July 1, 1992, with Fr. Ronald Schulz as the founding Administrator. The first Mass was celebrated at Olympic Heights High School on November 1, 1992, and the parish later operated out of rented space at Hampton Square Plaza. Under Fr. Michael O'Flaherty (1997–2020), the parish grew from 350 to nearly 1,500 families, paid off its $7 million mortgage, and saw the current church dedicated by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito in 2010. Fr. Dominic Toan Tran was installed as the third pastor on October 3, 2021, and led the parish through its 30th anniversary and Prayer Garden expansion in 2022.
- Founded July 1, 1992
- First Mass at Olympic Heights High School, November 1, 1992
- Capital campaigns 'Our Faith…Our Future' (1999) and 'Our Faith…Our Future II' (2004)
- Multi-purpose building groundbreaking January 15, 2000; first Mass under tents March 3, 2001
- $3.4 million mortgage burned June 29, 2003
- New church groundbreaking March 8, 2009; dedicated by Bishop Barbarito September 18, 2010
- Fr. O'Flaherty retired June 30, 2020, after 23 years
- Fr. Dominic Toan Tran installed as third pastor October 3, 2021
- 30th Anniversary & Prayer Garden expansion, May 1, 2022
Who We Are
St. John the Evangelist is a Catholic parish of about 1,600 families in the Diocese of Palm Beach, dedicated to being a place of welcome and reconciliation. Its mission is to grow in faith and union with Jesus Christ and one another, responding to the challenges of the Gospel through worship, prayer, learning, and action, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- Parish mission: 'Desire to grow in faith and union with Jesus Christ and one another…'
- Parish motto: 'Be Kind'
- Diocese of Palm Beach
- Bishop: Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
Clergy
St. John the Evangelist is served by Pastor Fr. Dominic Toan Tran, two assisting priests, the founding pastor emeritus, three deacons, and a seminarian assigned for his pastoral year.
- Rev. Dominic Toan Tran — Pastor (3rd pastor)
- Msgr. John McMahon — Assisting
- Rev. Martin Devereaux — Assisting
- Rev. Michael O'Flaherty — Pastor Emeritus
- Deacon William Ferguson
- Deacon Juno Lee (transitional deacon, Archdiocese of Atlanta)
- Deacon Gregory Sherman
- Seminarian Joseph Tuan Vuong (Diocese of Palm Beach)
Our Pastor — Fr. Dominic Toan Tran
Father Dominic Toan Tran was born on October 1, 1976, in Ho Nai, Bien Hoa, Vietnam. He entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami in 2002 (B.A. in Philosophy, 2006) and earned a Master of Divinity from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach in 2011. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 7, 2011, by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens. His first assignment was St. Juliana Catholic Church and School in West Palm Beach (2011–2016), followed by service as Parochial Vicar at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and School in Boca Raton (2016–2020). He was appointed Administrator of St. John the Evangelist in July 2020 and installed as its third pastor on October 3, 2021. He also earned an M.S. in Ecclesial Administration and Management from The Catholic University of America (2020) and a Certificate in Canon Law from Domuni Universitas (2024). He is a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus, serves on the Priestly Life Committee of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and is an adjunct Spiritual Director at both St. John Vianney College Seminary and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. He is the custodian of over 20 relics of the saints.
Parish Staff
Lay staff support the parish's liturgical, formation, and administrative life.
- Ms. Annalisa Genovese — Director of Music & Youth Ministry
- Ms. Maryann Graffeo — Administrative Assistant
- Ms. Sol Ochoa — Music Ministry
- Ms. Meghan Hanley — Music Ministry
- Mrs. Lisa Russell — Bookkeeper
- Mrs. Linda Mader — Director of Faith Formation & Religious Education
- Ms. Patricia Raymond — Head Sacristan
- Mr. Tom Sova — Maintenance
- Mrs. Regina Silva — Custodian
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Religious Education is offered for both adults and children, directed by Mrs. Linda Mader, Director of Faith Formation & Religious Education. Families register through the parish office to enroll their children in the program.
- Religious Education for Adults & Children
- Faith Formation programs
- Director: Mrs. Linda Mader
Parish Groups & Fellowship
St. John's offers a range of parish organizations and fellowship groups for every stage of life — from youth to young adults, women's fellowship, and a council of the Knights of Columbus.
- Youth Group
- Young Adult Group
- Ladies of St. John
- Women of Grace
- Knights of Columbus (Fr. Dominic is a member of the Patriotic Degree)
- Choir (Adults & Children)
Music Ministry & Choir
The parish Music Ministry, led by Ms. Annalisa Genovese (Director of Music & Youth Ministry), includes choirs for adults and children as well as additional music staff. The parish also livestreams and shares content on its YouTube channel.
- Director of Music & Youth Ministry: Ms. Annalisa Genovese
- Music staff: Ms. Sol Ochoa, Ms. Meghan Hanley
- Adult & Children's Choirs
Devotions: Eucharistic Miracles and Marian Apparitions
A unique devotional ministry at St. John the Evangelist is the parish's display on the Eucharistic Miracles of the world and the apparitions of Mary, available for parishioners and visitors to learn from and pray with.
- Eucharistic Miracles of the world exhibition
- Apparitions of Mary display
Becoming a Parishioner
New families and individuals are invited to register with the parish by downloading the registration form from the parish website and returning it to the Parish Office, emailing it to the parish office, or dropping it in the collection basket at Mass.
- Download registration form at saintjohn-bocaraton.com/registration
- Email completed form to [email protected]
- Drop in collection basket at Mass
- Approximately 1,600 parish families registered
Visit, Contact, and Connect
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, and daily Mass is offered Monday–Friday at 8:30 AM. Visitors and parishioners are encouraged to stay connected through the bulletin, the Pastor's Corner, parish events, and the parish's social media.
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
- Phone: (561) 488-1373
- Address: 10300 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL 33498
- Bulletin and Pastor's Corner published online
- Facebook: Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church Boca Raton
- YouTube: @st.johntheevangelistcathol25
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Ronald Schulz1992–1997
Founding Administrator; celebrated first Mass at Olympic Heights High School in November 1992; rented space at Hampton Square Plaza as parish office/worship space in October 1995.
- Rev. Michael O'FlahertySeptember 22, 1997 – June 30, 2020
Second pastor for 23 years; led both capital campaigns, groundbreaking and dedication of the current church in 2010, and paid off the $7 million mortgage. Now Pastor Emeritus.
- Rev. Dominic Toan TranJuly 1, 2020 – present
Appointed Administrator during COVID-19 in July 2020; installed as third pastor by Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito on October 3, 2021.