About St. Mary Mother of Mercy · Macclenny, Florida
St. Mary, Mother of Mercy Catholic Church is the first Catholic parish in Baker County, Florida, founded in 1960 in Macclenny and now serving the Catholic faithful of the surrounding rural area as part of the Diocese of St. Augustine. The parish is notable for its longstanding chaplaincy work to inmates at Florida State Prison in Starke, Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, and patients at Northeast Florida State Hospital. Led by pastor Rev. Martin A. Raj, the community gathers for daily and weekend Mass, daily Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, First Saturday Devotions, and a wide array of lay ministries rooted in the parish's Marian identity.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Mary, Mother of Mercy (Blessed Virgin Mary under the title 'Mother of Mercy')
- Rector
- Rev. Martin A. Raj, S.L.L.
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Augustine
Why belong here
St. Mary, Mother of Mercy is a small but vibrant Roman Catholic family 'called by the Spirit of Holiness, strengthened by Word and Sacrament, and guided by His Holy Mother in solidarity with the poor.' Daily Mass, near-daily Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, and First Saturday Devotions give parishioners ample opportunity for Eucharistic worship, while ministries such as the Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, Catholic Youth Organization, Women of Faith, Food Pantry, Evangelization Committee, Altar Servers, Lectors, Ushers, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion invite members to put faith into action. The parish also extends its care beyond its walls through chaplaincy to inmates at Florida State Prison and Union Correctional Institution and to patients at Northeast Florida State Hospital.
Mass times at St. Mary Mother of Mercy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before every Holy Mass
- Saturday 4:30–5:00 p.m. (per Discover Mass listing)
- First Saturday 8:30 a.m.
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Monday 4:30–5:25 p.m.
- Tuesday 8:00–8:55 a.m.
- Wednesday 4:30–5:25 p.m.
- Thursday 8:00–8:55 a.m.
- Friday 9:00 a.m.–5:25 p.m.
Our Parish & Mission
St. Mary, Mother of Mercy is a Roman Catholic family 'called by the Spirit of Holiness, strengthened by Word and Sacrament, and guided by His Holy Mother in solidarity with the poor.' The community welcomes all of God's children and seeks to participate in the mission of Jesus by praying, serving others, and empowering all to be witnesses and sharers in His Good News. In accordance with the Code of Canon Law, the parish maintains both a Parish Pastoral Council (advisory) and a Parish Finance Council (assisting the pastor on budget, reporting, long-term planning, debt, fund raising, and personnel).
- Parish Pastoral Council — meets the fourth Tuesday of the month; contact Pete Margretta at 904-237-2530
- Parish Finance Council — contact Maria Allen at 904-259-4693
- Parish App available for iOS and Android — daily Mass readings, Confession helps, prayer time reminders, prayer requests
History of St. Mary, Mother of Mercy
Founded in 1960 as the first Catholic church in Baker County, the parish grew from 15 families meeting in one another's homes into the spiritual home of Macclenny-area Catholics. Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley commissioned Fr. Cornelius Dougherty to draw the original plans; the chapel was blessed on October 23, 1960. In 1994 Bishop John Snyder broke ground for the present larger church, which was dedicated on October 13, 1996 — the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Successive pastors — Fr. Joseph Maniyangat, Fr. Jose Maniyangat, Fr. Slawomir Bielasiewicz, Fr. Richard Rasch (OdeM), and now Rev. Martin A. Raj — have each shaped the parish's spiritual, physical, and ministerial growth.
- December 8, 1959: Groundbreaking on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- October 2, 1960: First Mass celebrated by Fr. Dougherty at 8:15 a.m.
- October 23, 1960: Solemn blessing by Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley
- 1985: 25th Anniversary of the parish
- 1994: Ground broken for larger church under Bishop John Snyder
- 1996: New church dedicated on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
- 2015: Designated a Jubilee Church for the Year of Mercy
- 2017: Hosted the St. John's Illuminated Bible
- 2019: Church bells installed; Spanish, life-size statue of St. Mary, Mother of Mercy acquired
Parish Staff
The parish is served by a small core staff under the leadership of Pastor Father Martin Raj, supported by a Parish Secretary, Director of Religious Education, Sacristan, and Maintenance. The office can be reached at (904) 643-1623.
- Parish Priest — Father Martin Raj
- Parish Secretary — Bonnie Palleschi
- Director of Religious Education — Michelle White (904-504-0459)
- Sacristan — Peg DeCurtins (904-571-7453)
- Maintenance — Jim Palleschi, (904) 643-1623
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the seven sacraments of the Church and encourages parishioners to register so they can be served for sacramental needs. Holy Communion is brought to the homebound, hospitalized, and those in nursing homes by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. Funeral planning (Vigil, Funeral Mass, Committal) is coordinated through the parish office, with the Women of Faith providing a memorial reception.
- Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony
- Holy Communion to the homebound — call Parish Office (904) 643-1623 or Bonnie Palleschi (904) 570-7765
- Funerals — call Parish Office; Women of Faith provide memorial reception
- Parish Registration — required for certain Sacraments; available online via the parish website
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Mary, Mother of Mercy is centered on the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) for children, with adult formation through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and Holy Scripture Study. CCD classes meet on Sundays at 11:15 a.m. and provide a catechetical environment where students grow in faith while preparing for the Sacraments.
- CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) — Sundays 11:15 a.m.; contact Julie Johnson at [email protected] / 904-259-7688
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — for adults seeking initiation into the Catholic Church
- Holy Scripture Study — adult faith formation
- Child Photography Release Form and Adult Photography Release Form available online
Parish Ministries & Organizations
Parishioners are invited to share their time, talent, and treasure as the 'living Eucharist' through liturgical ministries and outreach organizations. From the sanctuary to the community, the parish family is dedicated to outreach, community service, and spiritual growth.
- Liturgical Ministries: Altar Server, Lector, Usher, Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion
- Knights of Columbus (KC)
- Holy Name Society
- Catholic Youth Organization (CYO)
- Women of Faith (WOF) — provides memorial reception after funerals
- Food Pantry — outreach to those in need
- Evangelization Committee
- Bingo — parish fundraiser
Chaplaincy to the Sick & Imprisoned
A defining ministry of St. Mary, Mother of Mercy since its founding is its chaplaincy to Catholic patients and inmates in the surrounding state institutions. The parish continues the work for which it was originally named — a 'Mother of Mercy' to the sick and imprisoned. From 1960 to today, pastors have served as chaplains to these institutions in addition to their parochial duties.
- Florida State Prison (Starke) — Third Saturday 9:00 a.m. Communion Service; ministry to Death Row and maximum-security inmates
- Union Correctional Institution (Raiford) — Sunday 1:30 p.m. Communion Service
- Northeast Florida State Hospital (Macclenny) — Every Friday 10:00 a.m. Mass
Visit & Contact
Newcomers and visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish encourages all who worship regularly to register as parishioners, and offers a weekly bulletin, a parish website, and a mobile app (iOS and Android) as primary channels for news, Mass times, sacraments, ministries, and an event calendar. Bulletin submissions are due by Thursday.
- Address: 1143 W. Macclenny Avenue, Macclenny, FL 32063
- Mailing Address (FedEx/UPS/USPS): 894 Jacqueline Circle, Macclenny, FL 32063
- Phone: (904) 643-1623
- Email: [email protected]
- Bulletin submissions: due Thursdays — email or call parish office
- Online registration available via parish website
- Parish App available for iOS and Android
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Cornelius Dougherty1960–1963
Founded the parish; drew the original chapel plans and celebrated the first Mass on October 2, 1960.
- Fr. Thomas Kelly1963
- Fr. Kirby1964–1967
Elevated the chapel to parish status encompassing all Baker County.
- Fr. Francis Cregan1971–1975
Turned the altar to face the assembly and began offering Mass in English.
- Fr. Richard Bowles1975–1976
Instituted the Parish Council.
- Fr. Patrick Foley1976–1977
- Fr. Anthony Serba1977–1979
First resident priest of the parish.
- Fr. Caesar Russo1979–1981
- Fr. Joseph Rinshaw1981–1983
- Fr. Joseph Maniyangat1983–1999
Celebrated the parish's 25th Anniversary (Oct 27, 1985) and his own Silver Jubilee (Jan 28, 1990); oversaw construction of the larger church dedicated in 1996.
- Fr. Jose Maniyangat1999–2010
Nephew of Fr. Joseph; Catholic Chaplain for Florida State Prison, Union Correctional Institution, and Northeast Florida State Hospital; Diocesan Director of the Legion of Mary; oversaw construction of the multipurpose building.
- Fr. Slawomir Bielasiewicz2011–2018
Served as chaplain to state hospital, local hospital, nursing homes, FSP and UCI; led the parish as one of seven Jubilee churches in 2015 and hosted the St. John's Illuminated Bible in 2017.
- Fr. Richard Rasch, OdeMFeb 2019–Sept 2021
From the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mercedarians); installed church bells and rescued the Spanish, life-size, 100-year-old statue of St. Mary, Mother of Mercy.
- Rev. Martin A. Raj, S.L.L.current
Current pastor.