About St. John Vianney · Saint Pete Beach, Florida
St. John Vianney Catholic Church is a Catholic parish in Saint Pete Beach, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. It began in 1937 as a mission church of St. Joseph's in St. Petersburg serving 50 Catholic families on the barrier islands, and was officially established as a parish in 1948, taking the name of the patron saint of parish priests. After Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton devastated the parish grounds in the fall of 2024 — flooding the church and the 73-year-old Catholic school beyond repair — the community continues to worship on its St. Pete Beach campus under the leadership of Fr. Victor Amorose. The parish offers weekend and weekday Mass, Saturday confessions, faith formation, youth ministry, a school (closed after 2025), and outreach through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Legion of Mary.
- Established
- 1948
- Patron
- St. John Vianney (Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, the Curé d'Ars)
- Rector
- Fr. Victor Amorose
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. John Vianney is a barrier-island parish where everyone tends to know each other by name — visitors are warmly welcomed and registration is easy through the parish office. Faith formation for every age runs side by side: OCIA for adults entering the Church, Confirmation preparation for teens (often through the Edge Youth Ministry), and a Catholic school that has shaped the community for 73 years. The parish also lives its faith through active outreach — the local St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Legion of Mary serve the homeless at Pinellas Hope and visit the homebound — and through beautiful liturgical traditions like Rosary at the Fatima Shrine, Eucharistic Exposition with praise and worship, and Stations of the Cross on the beach.
Mass times at St. John Vianney
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 10:00 AM (until everyone is served)
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM
Adoration times
- Wednesday: 6:30 PM — Eucharistic Exposition with praise and worship in the church
About St. John Vianney Catholic Church
St. John Vianney Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg serving the barrier-island communities of St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, and the surrounding Gulf beaches in Pinellas County. Worship is offered at 445 82nd Avenue, with weekend Mass on Saturday evening and twice on Sunday, plus a Friday morning daily Mass and a robust schedule of Confession and devotions.
- Parish family of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg
- Member of the Saint Petersburg Deanery
- Pinellas County, Florida
- Welcomes year-round residents and seasonal visitors
Parish History
The parish traces its roots to 1937, when it opened as a mission of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in St. Petersburg to serve the 50 Catholic families then living on the barrier islands. That original 150-seat building at 87th Avenue and Blind Pass Road was known as the 'Little Church.' In 1948 the mission was elevated to a full parish and named for St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. A larger church was dedicated at the present 82nd Avenue campus on Easter Sunday 1950, with a Ringling Brothers circus tent rented for overflow worshippers that same year. In 1951 St. John Vianney Catholic School opened on site. The current sanctuary, seating 1,550, was completed in 1963; the 1950 building became the parish hall and school auditorium. In the fall of 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused catastrophic storm-surge and roof damage, leading to the demolition of the 1950 building and the closure of the school. The 2025 eighth-grade graduation was the parish school's final commencement.
- 1937 — Opened as a mission of St. Joseph's, St. Petersburg; the 'Little Church'
- 1948 — Elevated to parish status; named St. John Vianney
- 1950 — New church at 82nd Avenue; circus tent rented for Easter overflow
- 1951 — Catholic School opens on parish grounds
- 1963 — Current sanctuary (1,550 seats) dedicated on Easter
- Sept 2024 — Hurricane Helene storm surge causes catastrophic damage
- Oct 2024 — Hurricane Milton compounds damage; school building demolished
- 2025 — Final eighth-grade graduation celebrated
Clergy & Parish Staff
Fr. Victor Amorose has served as Pastor of St. John Vianney since July 1, 2020. A Clearwater native, he was ordained for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg in 2012, earned an S.T.L. in Sacramental Theology in Rome, and previously served at St. John Vianney as parochial vicar, then at Nativity in Brandon and Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin. The Diocese of Saint Petersburg directory also lists Rev. Joseph T. Eddy, O. de M., as Parochial Vicar.
- Fr. Victor Amorose — Pastor
- Rev. Joseph T. Eddy, O. de M. — Parochial Vicar (per diocese directory)
- Janet Czyszczon — Director of Stewardship
- Alan Martinez — Parish Operations Manager
- Matthew Kuizon — Director of Music
- Kathryn Verslype — Communication Coordinator
- Rosemary Mendiola — Initiate Coordinator (OCIA)
- Oscar Mouton — Liturgy Coordinator
- Amy Kirkwood — Youth Minister
- Kerry Viola — Faith Formation Coordinator
- Doug Ruckdeschel — Maintenance
- Karen Jackson — Front Office
- Rosann Romano — Accounts Manager
- Jack Radosevich — Bookkeeper
Devotions & Prayer Life
St. John Vianney's devotional life centers on the parish's Fatima Shrine, where the Rosary is prayed publicly each Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 PM. The parish also offers a weekly Eucharistic Exposition with praise and worship on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in the church, and hosts annual traditions including Stations of the Cross on the beach on Palm Sunday, an Advent Rosary Walk from the Fatima Shrine to Horan Park, and a Sacred Music Concert and Tree Lighting in December.
- Rosary at the Fatima Shrine — Tuesday & Wednesday 6:30 PM
- Eucharistic Exposition & praise/worship — Wednesday 6:30 PM
- Stations of the Cross on the Beach — Palm Sunday 7:00 PM at Dolphin Village
- Advent Rosary Walk
- Sacred Music Concert & Tree Lighting
- Discovering Christ small-group fellowship
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at St. John Vianney spans cradle to adulthood. Children preparing for sacraments and continuing religious education are served by the parish Faith Formation program, with Confirmation typically celebrated in 8th grade after two years of preparation (either through Catholic school or the Edge Youth Ministry). Teenagers have their own dedicated Youth Ministry gatherings and large events such as XLT nights, while adults journey toward full initiation through OCIA (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA), running from late summer through the Easter Vigil. 'Discovering Christ' small groups meet weekly for fellowship and formation.
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Coordinator: Rosemary Mendiola)
- Faith Formation for children (Coordinator: Kerry Viola)
- Edge Youth Ministry & Youth Ministry (Coordinator: Amy Kirkwood)
- Confirmation preparation (8th grade)
- First Holy Communion preparation
- Discovering Christ — adult small groups
- XLT youth events
St. John Vianney Catholic School
St. John Vianney Catholic School opened on the parish campus in 1951 and served Gulf Beaches families for 73 years. The school provided a faith-centered elementary education, and graduates went on to local Catholic high schools such as St. Petersburg Catholic. The school community gathered one final time in 2025 to honor decades of alumni and to celebrate its last graduating eighth-grade class after Hurricanes Helene and Milton rendered the school building irreparable.
- Founded 1951 on the parish campus
- Operated for 73 years
- Served elementary-age students from St. Pete Beach and surrounding barrier islands
- Final graduating class — 2025 (8th grade)
- Building irreparably damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton (2024) and demolished
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical life is supported by a parish Liturgy Coordinator and a Director of Music who plan the music and worship environment for weekend and holy-day Masses, including an annual Advent Sacred Music Concert with Tree Lighting. Eucharistic Exposition with contemporary praise and worship is held on Wednesday evenings, and the music ministry regularly prepares seasonal choral and instrumental pieces.
- Director of Music: Matthew Kuizon
- Liturgy Coordinator: Oscar Mouton
- Weekly Eucharistic Exposition with praise and worship
- Annual Sacred Music Concert & Tree Lighting
- Seasonal choral and instrumental ministry
Parish Outreach & Community Life
Outreach is a defining feature of parish life. The local St. Vincent de Paul Society provides food, financial assistance, and material aid to neighbors struggling with poverty and homelessness. The Legion of Mary visits nursing-home residents for fellowship and prayer and organizes the monthly meal served at Pinellas Hope. Parishioners also turn out for blood drives, landscaping workdays, an annual Mardi Gras fundraiser, and beachside prayer gatherings — all of which knit the parish tightly to the wider St. Pete Beach community.
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — assistance for homeless and financially struggling neighbors
- Legion of Mary — nursing-home visits and monthly meal at Pinellas Hope
- Annual Mardi Gras Party fundraiser
- Parish blood drives
- Landscaping and volunteer workdays
- Beachside Stations of the Cross on Palm Sunday
Sacraments
The parish prepares parishioners for all the sacraments of initiation and beyond. Adults preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist do so through OCIA from late summer through the Easter Vigil. Children typically celebrate First Communion and Confirmation in their parish-school or Faith Formation years, with Confirmation in 8th grade after two years of formation. Couples preparing for marriage and families arranging Baptism or Anointing of the Sick are asked to contact the parish office; an after-hours line is available for priest emergencies.
- Baptism — arranged through the parish office
- First Holy Communion — through Faith Formation
- Confirmation — 8th grade (Faith Formation or Edge), or adult (OCIA)
- Marriage — contact the parish office to begin preparation
- Anointing of the Sick — through the parish office; emergency line 727.360.1147
- Reconciliation — Saturday 10:00 AM, Wednesday 6:00 PM, Friday 9:00 AM
Visiting & Joining the Parish
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed at all liturgies — no registration is required to attend Mass, and there is no expectation to give if you are visiting. Those who make St. John Vianney their parish home are invited to register through the parish office, an information table after Sunday Masses, or by leaving a message at the office. Summer attire including sandals and shorts is perfectly common. After-hours pastoral emergencies (a priest needed urgently) are handled by calling the parish number 727.360.1147.
- No registration required to attend Mass
- Visitors welcome as they are — come as you are comfortable
- Parish registration available in person, at the information table, or by phone
- After-hours priest emergency line: 727.360.1147
- Flocknote email/text updates available via stjohnvianneyspb.flocknote.com
Location, Contact & Hours
The parish office is at 445 82nd Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706, at the intersection of 82nd Avenue and Blind Pass Road. Office hours are published on the parish website and via Flocknote; messages may be left at (727) 360.1147. The parish follows Pinellas County's barrier-island setting — within easy reach of Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, South Pasadena, and the greater St. Petersburg area.
- Address: 445 82nd Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
- Phone: (727) 360-1147
- Fax: (727) 367-4418
- Website: sjvcc.org
- Instagram: @sjv.spb
- Diocese: Diocese of Saint Petersburg
- Deanery: Saint Petersburg