About St. Matthew · Largo, Florida
St. Matthew Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Largo, Florida, within the Diocese of Saint Petersburg (Central Pinellas Deanery). Founded in 1986 and originally known as the Bardmoor Mission, it grew from a handful of families to nearly 800 registered households. The parish is served today by Fr. Jonathan R. Emery, with two deacons and a small staff leading faith formation, youth ministry, music, and parish operations. All are welcome at St. Matthew, regardless of where they are on their faith journey.
- Established
- 1986
- Patron
- St. Matthew the Apostle (Evangelist)
- Rector
- Rev. Jonathan R. Emery
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. Matthew offers a steady, welcoming rhythm of Catholic life in mid-Pinellas County: multiple weekend and daily English Masses, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, regular Confession (including a Wednesday evening Oasis with Adoration and Reconciliation), and devotions like the Rosary, Miraculous Medal Novena, and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The parish gathers roughly 800 families and invests in formation for every age — children's faith formation, youth ministry for middle and high school teens, and lay spiritual movements such as Christ Renews Us, Cursillo, and GriefShare. With a hands-on staff, active liturgical ministries (music, lectors, altar servers, ushers), and outreach through the parish office, there are many ways for newcomers to plug in and be known.
Mass times at St. Matthew
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (and by appointment)
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Adoration & Confession)
- By appointment — call the parish office at (727) 393-1288
Adoration times
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Wednesday: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Adoration & Confession — "Wednesday Night Oasis")
- First Friday: following the 8:30 AM Mass, with Benediction at 10:00 AM
Parish History
St. Matthew was founded in 1985–1986 as the Bardmoor Mission of mid-Pinellas County, with Bishop W. Thomas Larkin naming Fr. Joseph Pellegrino as the founding pastor. The first parish Mass was celebrated outdoors on January 4, 1986; the current church was dedicated by Bishop Larkin on January 9, 1988.
- Announced in the Florida Catholic on December 13, 1985 as the 'Bardmoor Mission'.
- First parish Mass: January 4, 1986 (on the grounds of the future church).
- Early Masses held at Osceola Middle School multipurpose room and Cross Bayou Little League complex.
- Groundbreaking for the new church: November 30, 1986.
- First Mass inside the new building: Christmas Eve 1987.
- Dedication by Bishop Larkin with 25 concelebrating priests: January 9, 1988.
- First religious education classes held in parishioners' homes (Fall 1986).
Clergy & Staff
St. Matthew is served by a pastor, two deacons (one assigned year-round, one seasonal), and a small lay staff responsible for parish operations, faith formation, youth ministry, and music.
- Rev. Jonathan R. Emery — Pastor
- Deacon Anthony Quattrocki — Assigned
- Deacon Timothy Maloney — Seasonal
- Lisa Limberger — Director of Youth & Family Ministry
- Marissa Miranda — Coordinator of Children's Faith Formation
- Chantal Ward — Music Director
- Mandy Rose — Parish Office Manager
- Joe Lafrazia — Grounds Maintenance
- Ged Roman — Facility Maintenance
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The parish offers faith formation for children and youth, with preparation for First Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist and a coordinated youth ministry program run by the parish's Director of Youth & Family Ministry.
- Children's Faith Formation (Coordinator: Marissa Miranda)
- First Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist preparation
- High School Youth Ministry
- Edge Middle School Youth Ministry
Spiritual Growth & Small Communities
Beyond weekly Mass and devotions, St. Matthew hosts a number of lay-led spiritual movements and support ministries that meet on parish grounds.
- Christ Renews Us
- Cursillo
- Living Your Strengths
- GriefShare — 13-week grief recovery program, Wednesday mornings
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Matthew is one of the parishes of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, sitting within the Central Pinellas Deanery of Pinellas County, Florida. The parish's patron is St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, whose feast day the Latin Church celebrates on September 21.
- Diocese: Saint Petersburg
- Deanery: Central Pinellas
- County: Pinellas
- Year founded: 1986
- Patron: St. Matthew the Apostle
- Feast Day: September 21
Visit, Contact & Location
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Matthew by phone, mail, or in person at the parish campus in central Largo. The sanctuary is generally open for private prayer on weekdays, and the parish publishes updates through Flocknote, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
- Address: 9111 90th Avenue N., Largo, FL 33777
- Phone: (727) 393-1288
- Fax: (727) 398-2683
- Sanctuary hours for private prayer: Mon–Thu until 4:00 PM, Fri until noon
- Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Flocknote
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Joseph Pellegrino1985–
First pastor, named by Bishop W. Thomas Larkin when the Bardmoor Mission was announced in December 1985.