St. Leo the Great

History of St. Leo the Great Parish

St. Leo the Great was established on September 2, 1962 as a new parish of the Diocese of Venice in Florida, with Rev. Father Joseph E. Beaumont named as its first administrator in the official diocesan announcement. The church was formally dedicated in August 1964. As Bonita Springs grew from a small farming and fishing community into a major residential and retirement destination, the parish outgrew its original sanctuary and was rebuilt in 1986 on its present site at 28290 Beaumont Road. The rebuilt church seated about 950 worshipers and served as the heart of the parish for two decades. From the mid-2000s onward, explosive population growth in Bonita Springs — driven by retirees ('snow angels') and a rapidly expanding Hispanic community — pushed attendance beyond the building's capacity, with more than 34,000 people attending Sunday Masses in a single month and overflow services held in the Parish Activity Building. In 2005, Rev. Dr. Stan Strycharz was assigned as pastor and launched the 'Making Room for More' capital campaign, which raised roughly $11 million across three phases: a sanctuary expansion (adding a wall of Jerusalem stone and cedar beams, plus 472 new seats and ~300 new parking spaces), the LEED Silver-certified Parish Life & Education Center, and supporting facilities. Father Strycharz departed the parish in 2010–2012 amid a diocesan investigation; an independent forensic accounting later found no evidence of fraud, attributing any irregularities to inadequate record-keeping. The parish has continued to grow under subsequent pastoral leadership, including the present pastor, Rev. Jarek (Jaroslaw) Sniosek, who has emphasized outreach programs such as the 'St. Leo Shares' drive-thru fundraiser that supports the on-site Catholic Charities food pantry.

Parish Staff and Clergy

St. Leo is pastored by Rev. Jarek (Jaroslaw) Sniosek and is assisted by parochial vicars and deacons listed on the parish website's Staff page and in the parish bulletin. Liturgical and administrative staff support the work of the sacristans, lectors, music ministry, religious education, business operations, communications, and maintenance.

• Rev. Jarek (Jaroslaw) Sniosek — Pastor
• Rev. Gustavo Correa — Parochial Vicar (parish website staff page)
• Rev. David Portorreal — Parochial Vicar (May 2025 bulletin)
• Rev. Raul Zamora — Parochial Vicar (May 2025 bulletin; celebrates Sunday Spanish Mass)
• Deacon Charles Ferraro
• Deacon Joel Livingston
• Dan Bardauskis — Liturgy Assistant / Lector & EM Coordinator
• Anne Bellows — Communications Coordinator / Bulletin
• Hermilo Calderon — Lead Maintenance
• Griselda Cisneros — Receptionist / OCIA contact
• Patricia Espinoza — Religious Education Assistant
• Daniel Gonzalez — Maintenance
• Elsy Hernandez — Operations Supervisor
• Marcin Malewski — Director of Music
• Martha Mercado — Maintenance
• Gisela Saldana — Religious Education Coordinator / Youth Ministry
• Henry Soto — Business Manager / Finance Council / Money Counters
• Milana Strezeva — Musician

Parish Ministries and Lay Apostolates

The heart of parish life at St. Leo is the Eucharist, but the lay faithful sustain an unusually wide range of liturgical and pastoral ministries. These range from in-sanctuary service (Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, lectors, sacristans, adult and youth altar servers, and ushers) to outreach to the sick and bereaved (Extraordinary Ministers to the homebound, hospice, hospitals and nursing homes; the Arimatheans bereavement ministry).

• Eucharistic Ministry — at Mass and to the homebound, hospice, hospitals, and nursing homes
• Eucharistic Adoration — chapel adoration seven days a week
• Sacristans — coordinator Annette Smith (239-948-1640)
• Senior Altar Servers — coordinator Joe Stegle (551-427-9045)
• Youth Altar Servers — coordinator Joe Stegle (551-427-9045)
• Ushers — Parish Office (239-992-0901)
• Lectors (weekend) — coordinator David Froelke (646-831-9733)
• Lectors (daily) — coordinator Dan Bardauskis
• Arimatheans (bereavement ministry)
• Bible Study — Wednesday mornings, 8:45 am in the Nest Cafe

Faith Formation, Sacraments, and Family Life

The Religious Education program, coordinated by Gisela Saldana with assistant Patricia Espinoza, prepares children for First Communion and Confirmation and supports parish families throughout the year. The Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA) walks adults into full communion with the Catholic Church, and baptism and marriage preparation are coordinated through the parish office.

• Baptism — second Saturday (Spanish) and second Sunday (English) of each month; parent preparation required
• Marriage — contact the parish office at least six months before the tentative wedding date
• OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — contact Griselda Cisneros at the Parish Office
• Religious Education (children) — Gisela Saldana, Coordinator
• Youth Ministry — Gisela Saldana
• Landings — ministry welcoming returning Catholics
• Retrouvaille — support for marriages in difficulty (Doug & Jeanne Lindberg, 800-470-2230)

Outreach, Charity, and Social Justice

St. Leo operates an active Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice food pantry on the parish property and supports it through 'St. Leo Shares,' a Thursday-afternoon drive-thru dinner fundraiser launched in August 2020 whose proceeds purchase the take-out meals and stock the pantry. Additional outreach ministries reach out to the incarcerated, those suffering from crisis pregnancies, those wounded by abortion, victims of human trafficking, and the pro-life cause generally.

• Catholic Charities Food Pantry — on parish property
• St. Leo Shares — weekly drive-thru dinner fundraiser (Thursdays at the Parish Life Center)
• St. Vincent de Paul Society
• Prison Ministry — coordinator Robert Hiniker (863-558-0407)
• Project Gabriel — crisis-pregnancy support, Carol Dangler (793-0826)
• Project Rachel — post-abortion healing, Sylvia Jimenez (941-412-5860)
• Respect Life Ministry — Loretta Ede (917-886-7273)
• Perpetual Baby Shower — Mary Ellen French (405-0215)
• Human Trafficking Hotline — 888-373-7888
• Sewing–Knitting–Crocheting — Bernice Romano (601-5877)

Music and Liturgy

Music at St. Leo is directed by Marcin Malewski, Director of Music, with Milana Strezeva serving as musician and a dedicated choir supporting the parish's English, Spanish, and Polish liturgies. The parish bulletin frequently lists cantors and accompanists for upcoming Masses, and the Sing-a-Long ministry (Penny Kelly, 314-412-4022) offers additional musical fellowship.

• Director of Music — Marcin Malewski
• Musician — Milana Strezeva
• Choir and cantors for English, Spanish, and Polish Masses
• Sing-a-Long ministry — Penny Kelly (314-412-4022)

Buildings, Campus, and Expansion

The St. Leo campus occupies a generous site at 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs. The rebuilt 1986 sanctuary was significantly expanded in 2008–2010 under the 'Making Room for More' campaign: a wall of Jerusalem stone and cedar beams were added to the sanctuary, seating for an additional 472 worshipers, and nearly 300 new parking spaces. A later phase added the Parish Life & Education Center, a combined 32,500-square-foot complex that became the first church facility in Florida to be LEED Silver certified (NC v2.2) and the first LEED-certified project in the city of Bonita Springs.

• Parish Life Center — 14,500 sq. ft. with a 6,500 sq. ft. Assembly Room (capacity 500 dining / 1,000 presentations), commercial kitchen, stage, meeting rooms with fireplace, and patio overlooking a lake
• Education Center — 18,000 sq. ft. with 14 classrooms, library, and large children's playroom
• Distinctive structural feature: steel compression ring on eight steel I-beams supporting the Life Center roof
• On-site Catholic Charities food pantry
• Sustainability features consistent with LEED Silver NC v2.2 certification

Getting Involved and Parish Life

Beyond its liturgical and sacramental life, St. Leo offers numerous ways for parishioners to participate in the parish family. The Ladies Guild (Beth Daniels, 248-376-2997) hosts fellowship and fundraisers; the Finance Council (Henry Soto) oversees stewardship of parish resources; and the parish regularly invites new ideas for ministries. Newcomers are welcomed through the parish's online registration process and the parish bulletin.

• St. Leo the Great Ladies Guild — Beth Daniels (248-376-2997)
• Finance Council — Henry Soto
• Money Counters — Henry Soto
• Bulletin and Communications — Anne Bellows
• Newcomers — register through the parish website at stleocatholicchurch.org/welcome

Contact, Visiting, and Online Resources

Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Leo the Great Catholic Church by phone at (239) 992-0901, by fax at (239) 992-5282, or by email at [email protected]. The mailing address is 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. The parish maintains an active Facebook page and Instagram presence, publishes a weekly bulletin (also available online), and offers a dedicated mobile app ('St. Leo the Great – Bonita Springs') for iOS and Android with daily readings, prayers, Mass times, and a digital Rosary.

• Phone: (239) 992-0901
• Fax: (239) 992-5282
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
• Website: https://www.stleocatholicchurch.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=121882684488590
• Mobile app: 'St. Leo the Great – Bonita Springs' on Google Play (com.app_leobonita.layout)