About St. Mary Magdalen · Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Parish is a trilingual (English, Spanish, and French) Roman Catholic parish in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, belonging to the Archdiocese of Miami. Founded in 1952 as a mission of Holy Family Church in North Miami and elevated to parish status in 1955, it is the only Christian church physically located in Sunny Isles Beach. The parish is distinguished by its 1970s construction of Marian Towers, the Archdiocese of Miami's first residence for the elderly—an affordable, 220-unit housing complex built on parish grounds—and by its rich outreach to Hispanic families, French-Canadian winter visitors, and senior residents.
- Established
- 1955 (parish); 1952 (mission)
- Patron
- St. Mary Magdalen
- Rector
- Rev. Manuel Galván Vargas (Parochial Administrator, since Feb. 1, 2024)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami (Northeast Dade Deanery)
Why belong here
St. Mary Magdalen is the only Christian church physically located in Sunny Isles Beach, serving not only its own parishioners but also visitors from Aventura, Golden Beach, and Eastern Shores. It offers a rare trilingual Catholic life—English, Spanish, and French—with a Sunday Spanish Mass and a devotional life long tailored to the winter Canadian population. Beyond Mass and confession, the parish sustains a daily 8:00 AM Mass Monday through Saturday, Eucharistic Adoration on Mondays, a reactivated Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, Religious Education for children, and a depth of Spanish prayer and recovery groups that make it a true community anchor—further enriched by its unique partnership with Marian Towers, the Archdiocese of Miami's first senior residence built on parish grounds.
Mass times at St. Mary Magdalen
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM (English & Spanish, in the church; not on Holy Saturday)
- First Friday of the month 7:30 AM (English)
- Weekdays by appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Church)
Parish History
St. Mary Magdalen was established in 1952 as a mission of Holy Family Church in North Miami, originally serving motel vacationers and a small number of permanent residents at the Golden Gate Hotel. Bishop Joseph P. Hurley elevated it to parish status on November 16, 1955. The present church was dedicated on Palm Sunday in 1957, a parish hall was added in 1973, and the parish observed its 50th anniversary in 2005. Today it remains the only Christian church physically located in Sunny Isles Beach.
- 1952 — Founded as a mission of Holy Family Church, North Miami
- 1955 — Elevated to parish status (Nov. 16)
- 1957 — Present church dedicated on Palm Sunday
- 1973 — Parish hall completed
- 2005 — 50th anniversary celebrated
- 2015 — 60th anniversary; new patron statue blessed
Marian Towers — Senior Housing on Parish Grounds
In the 1970s, instead of building the Catholic school that early parishioners had envisioned, the parish led the Archdiocese of Miami's first residence for the elderly. Marian Towers, located at 17505 North Bay Road, remains part of the parish's campus and provides affordable, low-income, and government-subsidized apartments to people aged 62 and older. Operated today by Catholic Housing Management, the community has 220 studio and one-bedroom units and is within walking distance of the parish church.
- 220 studio & one-bedroom apartments
- Eligibility: age 62+ (mobility/hearing/vision impaired accepted with availability)
- Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance
- Phone: (305) 932-1300; TTY: (800) 955-8771
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Children's faith formation is coordinated through the parish Religious Education program, directed by Deacon Ismar Martinez. The parish also prepares children and youth for the sacraments of Baptism (age 7+), First Communion, and Confirmation, with contact numbers published in the parish bulletin.
- Deacon Ismar Martinez — Religious Education (786-358-0454 / [email protected])
- Programs for First Communion and Confirmation
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic inquiries via the parish office
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is central to St. Mary Magdalen's identity, anchored by the reactivated Society of St. Vincent de Paul (food donations are accepted Wednesdays). The parish also opens its grounds to several recovery ministries serving the local Spanish- and English-speaking communities.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul — Wednesdays 9:00 – 10:00 AM (bilingual)
- AL Anon (Spanish) — Wednesdays 7:30 – 9:00 PM
- Gamblers Anonymous (English) — Sundays 7:30 – 9:00 PM
- Sobriedad 2000 AA (Spanish) — Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:00 – 10:00 PM
Ministry to the Sick
The Ministry to the Sick brings Holy Communion and pastoral visits to parishioners who are homebound, hospitalized, or in nursing homes. It is coordinated by Mrs. Consuelo Campos in cooperation with the parish office.
- Contact: Mrs. Consuelo Campos via the rectory
- Anointing of the Sick arranged through the parish office
Parish Staff & Clergy
Father Manuel Galván Vargas has served as Parochial Administrator since February 1, 2024, when Archbishop Thomas Wenski appointed him from Sacred Heart Church in Homestead. A native of Mexico incardinated into the Archdiocese in 2022, he is fluent in English and Spanish. He is assisted by Deacon Ismar Martinez (Religious Education), Administrative Assistant Claudia Pajon, and Consuelo Campos (Ministry to the Sick). The parish is canonically governed under the Archdiocese of Miami's Chancellor for Canonical Affairs, Msgr. Dariusz J. Zielonka, J.C.D.
- Rev. Manuel Galván Vargas — Parochial Administrator
- Deacon Ismar Martinez — Religious Education
- Ms. Claudia Pajon — Administrative Assistant to the Pastor
- Mrs. Consuelo Campos — Ministry to the Sick
60th Anniversary & the Patron-Statue of St. Mary Magdalen
During the 60th anniversary celebration in 2015, then-pastor Father Bernard Kirlin commissioned and blessed a new statue of the parish's patron, created by the internationally renowned sculptor Paolo Schiraldi. The statue, uniquely depicting St. Mary Magdalen holding a skull (symbolizing Christ's victory over death) and a book of Scripture, was the centerpiece of a trilingual anniversary Mass in English, Spanish, and French—reflecting the parish's multicultural identity.
- 2015 — 60th anniversary Mass with Bishop Peter Baldacchino
- Statue by sculptor Paolo Schiraldi
- Trilingual liturgy: English, Spanish, French
Facilities & Community Use of the Parish Hall
The parish hall, added in 1973, is a shared community asset. It is leased by members of the Sunny Isles Jewish community, used on Sunday afternoons by a Christian group that studies the Bible in Russian, and rented by the City of Sunny Isles Beach as a summer camp for children. The church itself is the only Christian church physically located in Sunny Isles Beach.
- Parish hall built 1973
- Leased to the local Jewish community
- Russian-language Bible study on Sundays
- City of Sunny Isles Beach summer children's camp
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Manuel Galván VargasFeb. 2024 – present
Parochial administrator appointed by Archbishop Thomas Wenski effective February 1, 2024, from Sacred Heart Church in Homestead.
- Rev. Damian Flanaganuntil Feb. 2024
Prior administrator; stepped down for health reasons in early 2024 with the goal of returning to priestly ministry.
- Rev. Bernard Kirlinat least through 2015
Pastor at the time of the 60th anniversary Mass in 2015; commissioned the patron-saint statue by Paolo Schiraldi.
- Rev. Thomas Honoldretired by 2015
Retired former pastor; parishioner Renee Lussier reportedly tutored him in French for the trilingual liturgy.