About St. Patrick · Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Palm Beach. The parish was established in 1987 by Bishop Thomas V. Daily, who appointed Father Frank Guinan to found a new Catholic community for the growing northern Palm Beach Gardens area. Today the parish is served by Father Aidan Lacy as pastor, with two permanent deacons and a full lay staff, and offers weekend and daily Mass, a robust Faith Formation program for children and youth, an active music ministry, and outreach through ministries such as Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, Prayer Shawl, and a Homeless & Needy outreach. The parish describes itself as a community of faith 'bound together in our worship, fellowship, and ministry, uplifted by the Holy Spirit, and committed to growing and sharing in Christ's love.'
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Father Aidan Lacy
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. Patrick is a welcoming, mid-sized parish with a clear sense of identity — the parish describes itself as 'committed to the Eucharist and guided by the Holy Spirit' and reaching out to the spiritual, emotional, educational, social, and material needs of God's children. Visitors and members find a complete sacramental life (daily and weekend Mass, Saturday confessions, First Communion, Confirmation, and baptism prep), a graded Faith Formation program running from elementary through 12th grade using the Encounter and St. Mary's Press Discover! curricula, an active music ministry led by a Director of Music and Liturgy, and hands-on outreach through the Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, Prayer Shawl, Homeless & Needy, and Sick & Homebound ministries. The church also maintains a hearing loop in the sanctuary and live-streams Sunday Mass for those at home.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays at 3:00 pm
- Or by appointment
Parish History
St. Patrick was established in September 1987 when Bishop Thomas V. Daily appointed Father Frank Guinan to found a new parish for the Palm Beach Gardens area. The first Masses were celebrated at the Fireside Inn Restaurant in the Bluffs, and the first parish offices operated out of a rectory on Hope Lane. By Christmas 1988 the community was worshipping in three portable buildings donated by Frenchman's Creek, and Bishop Daily formally dedicated the site on December 10, 1989. In the early 1990s, a building committee chaired by Bill Murphy selected architect Richard SanGiovanni; a groundbreaking was held in March 1991 and the parish completed a $3.5 million capital campaign under Vincent and Ann Marotta, raising the funds needed for the permanent church that stands on Prosperity Farms Road today.
- Founded September 1987 by Bishop Thomas V. Daily
- First Mass: Christmas 1988 (in portable buildings)
- Dedication: December 10, 1989 (Bishop Daily)
- Architect: Richard SanGiovanni; groundbreaking March 1991
- $3.5M building fund chaired by Vincent & Ann Marotta (Spring 1994)
- Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament funded by Florence & Larry DeGeorge
- Rose window donated by Gail & Frank Scarpa
Clergy & Parish Staff
St. Patrick is currently led by Father Aidan Lacy as pastor. Father Brian Flanagan is listed as Pastor Emeritus. Two permanent deacons — Deacon Joe Pollock and Deacon Guy Hart — assist with liturgy and sacramental needs. Two religious sisters serve the parish: Sister Vivian Gonzalez (Director of Outreach) and Sister Barbara Hamm. The lay staff includes a Director of Music and Liturgy (Scott Aitken), a Director of Communications & Development (Stephanie Farr), Director of Faith Formation (Hilary Schmitt) with Faith Formation team member Mia Nemic, Sacramental Coordinator (Diane Simowitz), Sacristan (Veronica Pinto), Business Manager (Donna Faber), Operations Manager (William Stafford), and Weekend Receptionist (Barbara Romer).
- Pastor: Fr. Aidan Lacy
- Pastor Emeritus: Fr. Brian Flanagan
- Deacon Joe Pollock
- Deacon Guy Hart
- Sr. Vivian Gonzalez — Director of Outreach
- Sr. Barbara Hamm
- Scott Aitken — Director of Music and Liturgy
- Stephanie Farr — Director of Communications & Development
- Hilary Schmitt — Director of Faith Formation
- Diane Simowitz — Sacramental Coordinator
- Donna Faber — Business Manager
Mass & Sacraments Schedule
The parish offers a full weekly schedule of Masses plus the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Saturday Vigil Masses are at 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm; Sunday Masses are at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 am. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:30 am. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons at 3:00 pm or by appointment. Sunday Mass is also live-streamed online.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:00 pm & 5:30 pm
- Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:15 am
- Daily Mass Mon–Fri: 8:30 am
- Confessions: Saturdays 3:00 pm or by appointment
- Live stream: Sunday Mass online
Faith Formation & Religious Education
The Faith Formation office, led by Director Hilary Schmitt and team member Mia Nemic, serves children and youth from 1st grade through 12th grade. The Elementary program (grades 1–5) follows the 9:30 am Sunday Mass, using St. Mary's Press Discover! Finding Faith in Life with The Catholic Children's Bible for each student. The Middle School program (grades 6–7) runs on Sunday mornings 10:30–11:45 am and uses the Encounter curriculum, blending classroom learning with youth-group relationship building. First Holy Communion preparation begins in 1st grade and concludes with reception in the spring of 2nd grade (with First Reconciliation typically in January). An additional 'Signs of Grace' track is available for 3rd–5th graders. Confirmation is open to students in grades 8–12, with sessions on Monday evenings 6:45–8:15 pm.
- Elementary Faith Formation (St. Mary's Press Discover!)
- Middle School Faith Formation (Encounter curriculum)
- First Holy Communion preparation (2nd grade, Sundays 10:30–11:45 am or Wednesdays 5:30–6:30 pm)
- Signs of Grace track for 3rd–5th graders
- Confirmation preparation for grades 8–12 (Monday evenings 6:45–8:15 pm)
- Baptism preparation (parent session required for first child)
- Contact: [email protected], (561) 626-8626
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Patrick is coordinated by the Director of Music and Liturgy, Scott Aitken, supported by the parish's Music Ministry. The parish's sanctuary is equipped with a Hearing Loop assistive-listening system that transmits sound directly to hearing aids or cochlear implants via the T-coil setting, helping parishioners with hearing loss participate more fully in Mass.
- Director of Music and Liturgy: Scott Aitken
- Music Ministry (parish volunteer group)
- Hearing Loop installed in the sanctuary
- Sunday Mass live-streamed for remote participation
Parish Ministries & Organizations
St. Patrick maintains a broad network of parish ministries serving worship, fellowship, and outreach. Liturgical ministries include the Music Ministry and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion; pastoral-care ministries include the Bereavement Ministry, Ministry for the Sick & Homebound, and Prayer Shawl Ministry; parish organizations include the Council of Catholic Women and the Knights of Columbus; and outreach is led by Sister Vivian Gonzalez through the Homeless & Needy Ministry.
- Music Ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Council of Catholic Women
- Knights of Columbus
- Homeless & Needy Ministry
- Ministry for the Sick & Homebound
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
Outreach & Charity
Outreach is coordinated by Sister Vivian Gonzalez, the parish's Director of Outreach. The Homeless & Needy Ministry responds to material and spiritual needs in the wider Palm Beach Gardens community, while the Sick & Homebound Ministry brings Holy Communion and pastoral care to parishioners who cannot easily attend Mass. The Prayer Shawl Ministry offers hand-crafted shawls as signs of comfort during times of illness or grief, and the Bereavement Ministry walks with families through funeral planning and mourning.
- Director of Outreach: Sr. Vivian Gonzalez
- Homeless & Needy Ministry
- Sick & Homebound Ministry
- Prayer Shawl Ministry
- Bereavement Ministry
All Saints Catholic School
St. Patrick is affiliated with All Saints Catholic School, a parish-linked Catholic school serving families in the Palm Beach Gardens area. The parish website promotes All Saints as the school connected to St. Patrick, with a 'Click Here to Register for our Parish All Saints Catholic School' link featured on the Faith Formation and parish pages.
- Parish-affiliated Catholic school
- Promotion and registration linked from the St. Patrick website
Visiting & Getting Involved
St. Patrick welcomes new parishioners and visitors. The parish office is open Monday–Friday 9:00 am–4:00 pm, Saturday closed, and Sunday 9:00 am–1:00 pm. Newcomers are encouraged to register with the parish through the 'I Am New' page on the website, which also links to Realm Connect for parish communication, Online Membership, Giving, and Volunteer Opportunities. The parish uses the 'Connect – Church Community' app for ongoing engagement and publishes a weekly bulletin (available in print at Mass and online).
- Office: Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm; Sun 9 am–1 pm
- Registration via 'I Am New' page
- Realm Connect / Online Membership / Giving
- Weekly bulletin available online and at Mass
- Volunteer Opportunities listed on the website
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Frank Guinan1987–
Founding pastor, appointed by Bishop Thomas V. Daily in September 1987 to establish the parish. Organized the first Masses at the Fireside Inn Restaurant, the move of the three portable buildings from Frenchman's Creek, and the early parish ministries through the rectory on Hope Lane.
- Father Brian Flanagan
Listed on the parish staff page as Pastor Emeritus.
- Father Aidan Lacy
Current pastor; leads the parish today.