About St. Joseph Catholic Church · Palm Bay, Florida
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Palm Bay, Florida, on Florida's Space Coast in Brevard County. It belongs to the Diocese of Orlando and is served by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (C.Pp.S.). The parish offers daily and Sunday Masses, weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration, Saturday confessions, a parish school (founded 1963, U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence 1994), a cemetery, RCIA, PREP religious education, and a full range of liturgical and outreach ministries. Its original 1914 wood-frame church on Miller Street is the oldest Catholic church in continuous use in Brevard County and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
- Established
- 1914
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Frankline Rayappa
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a long-established Brevard County parish with deep roots — its 1914 Miller Street church is the oldest Catholic church in continuous use in the county and a National Register landmark — yet it remains a thriving, contemporary community anchored by daily Mass, weekly Thursday Eucharistic Adoration, a Blue Ribbon parish school, RCIA and PREP faith formation, and a wide range of liturgical and outreach ministries. Whether you are a lifelong Catholic, returning to the faith, new to the Space Coast, or simply exploring, the parish offers a welcoming home with active altar servers, lectors, EMHCs, sacristans, ushers, stewardship, and a parish cemetery that serves generations of local Catholic families.
Mass times at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: After 8:30 AM Mass until 10:00 AM
- By appointment — call the Parish Office at (321) 727-1565
Adoration times
- Thursday: After 8:30 AM Mass until 4:45 PM, concluding with Benediction at 5:00 PM
Parish History
St. Joseph Catholic Church grew out of the pioneering families who came to the area in 1912 through the Florida Indian River Catholic Colony Corporation. The first Mass in Tillman (later Palm Bay) was celebrated in 1913 in Joseph Slama's General Store by Father Gabriel Ruppert of Fort Pierce. The settlers built their own church, which was completed and dedicated in October 1914 by Bishop Michael J. Curley of the Diocese of St. Augustine. Father Patrick Bresnahan became the parish's first resident priest in 1924. The parish has endured through the Great Depression, two world wars, and the post-1960s boom of Florida's Space Coast, building a new Babcock Street church in 1981 and expanding it in 1992.
- 1912 — Midwestern Catholic families begin arriving in Tillman
- 1913 — First Mass celebrated in Slama's General Store by Father Gabriel Ruppert
- October 1914 — Church dedicated by Bishop Michael J. Curley; 78 children confirmed
- 1923 — Rectory built at Miller Street and Hickory Avenue
- 1924 — Father Patrick Bresnahan becomes first resident priest
- 1924–1925 — Town of Tillman incorporated as the Town of Palm Bay
- 1963 — St. Joseph Catholic School established with 40 students
- 1967 — New school building constructed on Babcock Street
- 1981 — New larger church built on Babcock Street property
- 1986/1987 — Original Miller Street church added to the National Register of Historic Places
- 1992 — Babcock Street church renovated and expanded
- 1994 — St. Joseph Catholic School recognized as U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
- 2018 — Florida historical marker 'First Roman Catholic Church in Brevard County' (F-1037) erected
The Historic Miller Street Church
The 1914 wooden church at 1422 NE Miller Street is a one-story, wood-frame, rectangular building in the Stick-Eastlake style — an unusually secular-influenced choice for a house of worship. Built by parishioners with lumber from the Union Sawmill and designed by Frank Minehardt, it is the oldest Catholic church in continuous use in Brevard County and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1987. A Florida historical marker (F-1037) was placed in front of it in 2018.
- Architectural style: Stick-Eastlake
- Architect: Frank Minehardt
- Construction: wood frame, board-and-batten siding, wood-shingle gable, low concrete foundation
- Notable features: carved eave brackets, small bell tower with stickwork, central interior truss
- NRHP reference No. 87000816; listed December 3, 1987
- Florida Historical Marker F-1037 (2018): 'First Roman Catholic Church in Brevard County'
Mass & Worship Schedule
The parish celebrates Mass in English every day of the week. Weekday Masses are preceded by a Rosary at 8:00 AM, with Mass at 8:30 AM Monday through Saturday. The Saturday Vigil Mass is at 4:00 PM, and three Sunday Masses are offered at 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM, and 11:30 AM.
- Monday–Saturday: 8:00 AM Rosary, 8:30 AM Mass
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM, 9:45 AM, 11:30 AM
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is led by its pastor and supported by parochial clergy, deacons, and a full lay staff handling faith formation, music, stewardship, administration, bookkeeping, cemetery, and facilities.
- Pastor — Fr. Frankline Rayappa
- Fr. Tim Knepper
- Deacon Gary Hessen
- Deacon Joe Moran
- Deacon Larry Condon (RCIA contact, 772-285-3417)
- Music Director — Thomas Greer
- Coordinator of Religious Education — Bradley Hood ([email protected])
- Coordinator of Stewardship & Development — Krystal Franciosi
- Cemetery Coordinator — Debi Johnson
- Bookkeeper & Human Resources — Ron Hoenig
- Administrative Assistant — Paige Freedman
- Maintenance, Grounds & Custodial — Marina Barber
Parish School
St. Joseph Catholic School was founded in 1963 with 40 students, first housed in the old parish hall on Miller Street. A new school building was erected on church property on Babcock Street in 1967. The school grew steadily and was recognized in 1994 as a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. The school operates under the Diocese of Orlando.
- Founded 1963 with 40 students
- New Babcock Street building, 1967
- U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, 1994
- School website: st-joe-school.org
Faith Formation & RCIA
The parish's PREP (Preparation in Religious Education Program) serves children ages four through seventeen. K–8 classes meet Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM, September through April; PRE-K meets Sundays 10:00–10:45 AM. Second-grade students prepare for First Reconciliation and First Communion, and eighth-grade students prepare for Confirmation. RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Parish Life Center, Room 5, running from mid-September through the Easter Vigil.
- PREP K–8: Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM
- PREP PRE-K: Sundays 10:00–10:45 AM
- First Communion preparation in 2nd grade; Communion Mass April 25, 2026 at 10:30 AM
- Confirmation preparation in 8th grade (open through senior year); Confirmation Mass March 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM
- RCIA: Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 PM, Parish Life Center Room 5
- RCIA contact: Deacon Larry Condon, 772-285-3417
Liturgical Ministries
St. Joseph is blessed with a wide range of volunteer liturgical ministries. Training, diocesan mandates, fingerprinting, and background checks are provided as needed in accord with the Diocese of Orlando.
- Adoration (Thursdays)
- Altar Servers (3rd grade and older)
- Lectors
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Sacristans
- Ushers
- Flowers & Decor
- Welcoming
- Music Ministry (Music Director: Thomas Greer)
- Ministers to the Sick
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments with structured preparation. Baptisms are scheduled after class on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM in the parish school library, with baptisms celebrated after the 4:00 PM Saturday Mass and after the 11:30 AM Sunday Mass. First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared for in second grade PREP, and Confirmation in eighth grade (open through senior year). Weddings and Anointing of the Sick are arranged by appointment through the Parish Office.
- Baptism class: first Thursday of each month, 7:00 PM, parish school library
- Baptism: Saturdays after 4:00 PM Mass; Sundays after 11:30 AM Mass
- First Communion: April 25, 2026 at 10:30 AM
- Confirmation: March 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM
- Reconciliation: Saturdays 8:30–10:00 AM or by appointment
- Matrimony: by appointment with a priest via the Parish Office
- Anointing of the Sick: by appointment via the Parish Office
Parish Cemetery
St. Joseph maintains a parish cemetery serving Catholic families in the Palm Bay area. The Cemetery Coordinator is Debi Johnson, reachable at [email protected].
- Cemetery Coordinator: Debi Johnson ([email protected])
Visiting & Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and on Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, closed for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Visitors are warmly welcomed at any Mass; the historic 1914 Miller Street church remains an active place of worship and a National Register landmark.
- Parish Office: (321) 727-1565
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 5330 Babcock St NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905
- Historic church: 1422 NE Miller Street, Palm Bay, FL 32905
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Gabriel Ruppert (Fort Pierce)1913
Celebrated the first Mass in Tillman at Joseph Slama's General Store; led the settlers' effort to build the church.
- Bishop Michael J. Curley (Diocese of St. Augustine)October 1914
Dedicated the completed church and confirmed 78 local children.
- Father Patrick Bresnahan1924
First resident priest of St. Joseph's, appointed a year after the rectory was built in 1923.
- Fr. Frankline Rayappacurrent
Listed as Pastor on the parish's official staff page.