About St. Mary · Pahokee, Florida
St. Mary Catholic Church sits on East Main Street in Pahokee, Florida, on the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee amid sugarcane fields and wetlands, about an hour and twenty minutes west of Palm Beach. Lovingly nicknamed the 'Bethlehem of the Diocese of Palm Beach,' the parish is home to a 16th-century Russian jeweled icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem that draws pilgrims from across the region. A bilingual (English and Spanish) mission parish of the Diocese of Palm Beach, St. Mary serves a culturally rich community of farmworkers and their families from across the Americas, with Father Juan Raúl Cárdenas as pastor.
- Established
- 1922 (first Mass); parish formally dedicated January 1, 1934
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Father Juan Raúl Cárdenas
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. Mary is a small, warm, bilingual mission parish where farmworker families and longtime Pahokee residents worship side by side in English and Spanish. Visitors are drawn by the rare 16th-century Russian icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem — a true pilgrimage site — and by ministries that feed the hungry and clothe field workers through the parish food pantry and clothing outreach. With Mass every day of the week (except Saturday), a Holy Hour on Thursdays, ongoing religious education, youth ministry, the Council of Catholic Women, Cursillo, Juan XXIII, and Escuela de Evangelización San Andrés, St. Mary offers a place where every culture and generation has a role in building up the Body of Christ.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 11:00 am – 11:10 am (also listed as 10:30 am – 11:10 am on one schedule; please confirm at the parish office)
- Or by appointment — call (561) 924-7305
Adoration times
- Thursday — Hora Santa (Holy Hour) 6:30 pm in the chapel
Welcome to St. Mary Catholic Church, Pahokee
St. Mary Catholic Church is a bilingual mission parish of the Diocese of Palm Beach in Pahokee, Florida, on the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee. Surrounded by sugar cane fields and wetlands — and about an hour and twenty minutes west of Palm Beach — the parish is nicknamed the 'Bethlehem of the Diocese of Palm Beach' and is home to the 16th-century Russian jeweled icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem. The parish website extends a warm welcome to all visitors: 'Our differences make a difference and we could certainly use your help in any way you can to assist us in our God-given vocation of helping others help themselves!'
- Parish motto / nickname: 'Bethlehem of the Diocese of Palm Beach'
- Diocese: Palm Beach
- Status: Mission parish
- Languages: English and Spanish
Our Parish History
Catholic life in the Canal Point–Pahokee area began in the early 1920s with the families of S. J. Thibodeaux, A. A. Thibodeaux, and F. X. Legere, who settled along Lake Okeechobee when there were no roads and supplies came by boat. Father Breslin of St. Ann's in West Palm Beach came by boat or borrowed yacht to celebrate Mass in their homes; the first Mass was in 1922 at the Thibodeaux home, with seven adults and seven children present. As the congregation grew, Thibodeaux built a 12-by-25-foot church on his own property — altar, pews, and all. The 1928 hurricane destroyed the building but spared the altar and a statue of the Sacred Heart. The church was formally dedicated on January 1, 1934, by Bishop Patrick Barry of St. Augustine. In 1960 St. Philip became a parish and St. Mary's became its mission; each summer brought fears of closure, with attendance dropping to as few as ten. The sugar-cane boom brought wave after wave of new families, and two Masses — 9 a.m. in English and 6:30 p.m. in Spanish — became the norm.
- 1922 — First Mass in the home of S. J. Thibodeaux; 7 adults and 7 children present
- 1927 — Father Michael Beerhalter succeeds Father Gabriel of Fort Pierce
- 1928 — Hurricane destroys Thibodeaux's small church; altar and Sacred Heart statue survive
- October 15, 1933 — First baptism: Gail Veronica Gibbens (before the church was complete)
- December 28, 1934 — First marriage: Louis Vertommen and Antoinette Verhulst
- September 27, 1944 — First funeral: Mrs. C. Verhulst
- January 1, 1934 — Church dedicated by Bishop Patrick Barry of St. Augustine, followed by High Mass and Benediction
- 1960 — St. Philip becomes a parish; St. Mary's becomes its mission
- 1961 — Central air conditioning and heating installed; Altar Society contributed $1,345; Osceola Sugar Company made a generous donation
- 1965 — New roof put on; Altar Society paid $1,000 of the cost; funds raised by the annual Cuban Dinner and Dance
The Russian Icon and the New Church
In the fall of 1967, a priest from Miami visited the pastor of Belle Glade with the Cuban painter José Luis Díaz Villegas, who was looking to donate a painting to a Catholic church as a token of the Cuban people's gratitude to American Catholics. Walking into the Pahokee church, he declared 'That is my church.' On St. Patrick's Day, 1968, in his presence, the painting was unveiled — it depicts the miraculous catch of fish on Lake Okeechobee and shows the many ethnic groups of Pahokee: white American, African American, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Cuban. The same day parishioners saw a new tabernacle, candlesticks, and statues of the Sacred Heart and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, donated by the Altar Society. Decades later, a 16th-century Russian jeweled icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem was given to the parish by the House of Khan in Palm Beach. That icon became the heart of a new chapter: pilgrims began to come, devotions deepened, and the parish was able to raise $3.75 million for a brand-new church, blessed and consecrated by Bishop Gerald Barbarito on September 8, 2012, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — with the debt fully paid on the very day of the blessing.
- 1967 — Cuban painter José Luis Díaz Villegas donates the painting of the miraculous catch of fish on Lake Okeechobee
- March 17, 1968 — Painting unveiled on St. Patrick's Day; new tabernacle, candlesticks, and statues also donated by the Altar Society
- Icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem — 16th-century Russian jeweled icon, donated by the House of Khan in Palm Beach
- September 8, 2012 — Bishop Gerald Barbarito blesses and consecrates the new church on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; $3.75 million cost fully paid
Parish Office and Contact
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm and is closed on weekends. Visitors wishing to venerate the 16th-century Russian icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem are asked to call in advance.
- Address: 1200 East Main Street, Pahokee, FL 33476
- Phone: (561) 924-7305
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 am – 4:30 pm; closed Sat & Sun
- Icon viewing: by appointment, call (561) 924-7305
Our Pastor — Father Juan Raúl Cárdenas
Father Juan Raúl Cárdenas is the pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Pahokee. He grew up in Peru, where he first felt a call to the priesthood after witnessing the missionary priests who helped people in his home country. He has now served the poor of Pahokee for many years; in a 2022 diocesan profile he was noted for his 'restoration' of the original 1933 church to its 'ethereal beauty' and for his outreach to farmworkers. In 2026 he was named the recipient of the Caritas Christi Award from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach. Father John Mericantante, who served the parish from 1993 and built the foundation of the present community, is honored as pastor emeritus.
- Father Juan Raúl Cárdenas — Pastor
- Father John Mericantante — Pastor Emeritus (served from 1993; ~20+ years of priestly ministry at the parish)
- Father Cárdenas — 2026 Caritas Christi Award, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach
Parish Ministries
St. Mary's is a small parish with a remarkably full life of ministry — faith formation, women's organizations, youth work, Spanish-language evangelization schools, and outreach to the wider Pahokee community. The Council of Catholic Women supports, empowers, and educates Catholic women in spirituality, leadership, and service; Religious Education is a lifelong learning mission aimed at all generations of faith; Youth Ministry and Juan XXIII reach younger parishioners; Escuela de Evangelización San Andrés and Cursillo de Cristiandad offer Spanish-language formation and small Christian community experiences.
- Council of Catholic Women (affiliated with NCCW)
- Religious Education — lifelong faith formation across all generations
- Youth Ministry
- Juan XXIII
- Escuela de Evangelización San Andrés
- Cursillo de Cristiandad
Outreach to the Community
The parish food pantry provides emergency food assistance to anyone in need — not only Catholics, but to the whole community and surrounding areas. The parish also collects and distributes clothing for farmworkers: long-sleeved shirts, jeans, hats, and sneakers to wear in the fields. A youth hall is available and supports youth activities, though programs are limited by funding — uniforms, supplies, and bus rentals for trips to other parishes all require additional support.
- Parish Food Pantry — emergency food assistance open to all in need
- Farmworker clothing outreach — long-sleeved shirts, jeans, hats, sneakers for work in the fields
- Youth hall and youth programming
Our Lady of Bethlehem — Pilgrimage Icon
The parish's most distinctive treasure is the 16th-century Russian jeweled icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem, donated to St. Mary's by the House of Khan in Palm Beach. Pilgrims travel to Pahokee to venerate the icon — people come and pray for jobs, for healing (spiritual, physical, and emotional), and some return to give thanks for what they describe as miracles: cures from cancer, the gift of a baby, answered prayers. On Sundays, visitors from across the area often stay after the Spanish Mass to pray before the icon with their personal intentions. The icon is also credited by Father Mericantante with helping the parish raise the funds to build its current church, debt-free.
- 16th-century Russian jeweled icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem
- Donated by the House of Khan, Palm Beach
- Pilgrimage visits by appointment — call (561) 924-7305
- Common prayer intentions: jobs, healing, thanksgiving for miracles
Anniversaries and Recent News
St. Mary Parish celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2023. A thanksgiving Mass was held on March 13, 2023, celebrated by Father Cárdenas and Father Mericantante, pastor emeritus; the larger community celebration took place on September 8, 2023, the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with a children's procession, Mass, and veneration of the Russian icon, with the church and altar decorated with flowers honoring Mary on her birthday. In 2026, Father Raúl Cárdenas received the Caritas Christi Award from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach, in recognition of his years of service to the poor of Pahokee.
- 90th anniversary — March 13, 2023 (thanksgiving Mass) and September 8, 2023 (principal celebration on the feast of the Nativity of the BVM)
- 2026 — Father Raúl Cárdenas receives the Caritas Christi Award from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach at the 'Beyond the Palms' gala
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Breslinearly 1920s
Priest from St. Ann's Church, West Palm Beach, who traveled by boat to celebrate Mass for the pioneer Thibodeaux and Legere families in Canal Point.
- Father Gabrielthrough ~1927
Came from Fort Pierce to celebrate Mass; later gave a statue of the Sacred Heart to Mrs. Thibodeaux after the 1928 hurricane destroyed the small church.
- Father Michael Beerhalterfrom 1927
Succeeded Father Gabriel and continued serving the Pahokee mission.
- Father Timothy Geary1942 (recorded)
Administered first communions to Barbara Vertommen and Carney Wilder of Pahokee, Ester Freidheim of Belle Glade, and Debris Yan of South Bay.
- Father John Mericantantefrom 1993; ~20+ years of priesthood at the parish
Pastor Emeritus; arrived in 1993, said the parish reminded him of Bethlehem; played a key role in obtaining the Russian icon of Our Lady of Bethlehem and in raising the $3.75 million to build the new church, blessed debt-free on Sept. 8, 2012.
- Father Juan Raúl Cárdenaspresent (since at least ~2014; recognized in 2022 article after 8.5 years)
Current pastor; grew up in Peru; called to the priesthood after seeing missionary priests serve the poor; oversaw restoration of the original 1933 church; in 2026 received the Caritas Christi Award from Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach.