About St. Paul · Arcadia, Florida
St. Paul Catholic Church is a multicultural parish in Arcadia, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Venice and currently served by the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE). The parish traces its roots to 1882 and today serves more than 4,000 individuals and roughly 600 families in DeSoto County, offering Mass in both English and Spanish every day of the week. Bishop Frank J. Dewane dedicated the parish's current worship space — a former supermarket transformed into a 1,100-seat church in Spanish Mission Revival style — on March 21, 2021, and designated St. Paul as one of five Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Sites in the diocese for 2025.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Luis H. Pacheco
- Diocese
- Diocese of Venice in Florida
Why belong here
St. Paul is a growing, multicultural Catholic home in Arcadia where English- and Spanish-speaking families worship side by side — daily Mass is offered in both languages, and ministries are offered in each as well. With daily and Sunday Masses, frequent Confession slots, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, a strong faith-formation program led by three religious sisters, and ministries for youth, young adults, altar servers, Eucharistic ministers, and a prison outreach, there are many ways to belong. As one of only five Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Sites in the Diocese of Venice for 2025, St. Paul is also a destination parish where visitors can encounter the Church of Southwest Florida at its most welcoming.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday: 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Thursday: 5:00 PM – 6:50 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Saturday: 3:15 PM – 3:50 PM and 5:15 PM – 5:50 PM
- Sunday: 8:15 AM – 8:50 AM and 11:15 AM – 11:50 AM
- Or by appointment through the parish office
Adoration times
- Jubilee Year Adoration — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Jubilee Year Adoration — Thursday: 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
History of St. Paul Parish
Catholic life in DeSoto County begins with Father P. J. Lynch's 1882 Baptism at Fort Ogden, two years before Father Charles Peterman performed the first Baptism in Arcadia itself. In 1890, Jesuit priest Father John Quinlan rode 70 miles on horseback to celebrate the first Mass in Arcadia for six Catholic families at the home of James McBride — and the Jesuits established a mission that would rotate priests in to say Mass in parishioners' homes.
First Permanent Mission and 1915 Church
In 1910 Father Alfred Latiolais, S.J., became the first permanent priest of St. Paul Mission. With James McBride, John W. Smith, and a Catholic Extension Society grant, he built the mission church at today's corner of North Monroe Avenue and Whidden Street. The building was completed in late 1915 and dedicated by Bishop Michael Curley of Saint Augustine. The original 1915 church is still standing today, though it was later sold.
Erection as a Parish and Growth
Father William J. Carroll was appointed to the Mission of St. Paul on October 14, 1929, to serve twenty-five families, and he completed the first rectory in 1930. On July 25, 1958, Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley canonically erected St. Paul Mission as a parish of the Archdiocese of Saint Augustine (which then covered all of Florida).
1968 Church, Parish Center, and Catholic Charities Center
With another Catholic Extension Society grant and property donated by the Leonard family, groundbreaking for a new church took place in 1967; Bishop Coleman F. Carroll of Miami dedicated it on February 17, 1968. Bishop Nevins dedicated the new parish center (four classrooms, a large hall, and a kitchen) on October 31, 1982, the same year a second rectory was purchased, and then dedicated the on-site Social Service Center of Catholic Charities — which includes a chapel and the Sacred Heart Grotto — on October 13, 1991.
2021 Church Dedication
On March 21, 2021, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of the Diocese of Venice dedicated the parish's current 1,100-seat worship space at 1330 E. Oak Street — a former supermarket creatively converted into a Spanish Mission Revival-style church with fusion-glass windows, a rose window over a triple-arched entrance, and 11-foot bronze statues of Sts. Peter and Paul on the roofline. Architect/engineer: Prime Design Professional; liturgical contractor: Baker Liturgical Arts, LLC of Plantsville, Connecticut.
Parish Staff and Clergy
St. Paul is led by a pastor, a parochial vicar, and three religious sisters who oversee faith formation, parish ministry, and sacramental preparation. Father Luis H. Pacheco was installed as pastor by Bishop Frank J. Dewane on February 23, 2025. The parish is served by the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE).
- Rev. Luis H. Pacheco — Pastor (installed February 23, 2025)
- Rev. Pawel Kawalec — Parochial Vicar
- Sister Maria Mercedes Rodriguez-Gomez — Parish Ministry
- Sister Martha Flores-Mendez — Director of Religious Education
- Sister Silvia Maria Vivas Rodriguez — Director of Religious Education
- Lucy Ruíz — Office
- Teresa García — Office
- José Mendieta — Maintenance
- Bob Hiniker — Prison Ministry (863-558-0407)
- Fernando Delgado — Young Adults (863-244-3827)
Ministries and Parish Groups
St. Paul's ministries span sacramental preparation, youth work, outreach to the incarcerated, and Spanish-language formation — reflecting the parish's bilingual character and the leadership of the Sisters serving on staff.
- Catechesis (Religious Education) — Sister Silvia
- Pre-Baptismal Class — 3rd Thursdays at 8:30 PM, Sister Mercedes
- Eucharistic Ministers — 2nd Fridays at 7:30 PM, Sister Mercedes
- Altar Servers — 2nd Saturdays at 10:00 AM, Sister Mercedes
- Young Adults — Fridays at 7:00 PM, Fernando Delgado
- Grupo Juvenil (Spanish youth) — Fridays at 7:00 PM
- Emaús Mujeres (Spanish women's group)
- Prison Ministry — Bob Hiniker, 863-558-0407
- Totus Tuus Summer Catechetical Camp (host parish)
Sacraments
The parish prepares the faithful for the sacraments of initiation and offers Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Families expecting a Baptism begin with the Pre-Baptismal Class offered once a month.
- Baptism — Pre-Baptismal Class required (3rd Thursday, 8:30 PM)
- Reconciliation — multiple weekly slots listed above; by appointment
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass schedule above
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment through the parish office
Service to the Wider Community
Beyond parish life, St. Paul hosts the Social Service Center of Catholic Charities on its grounds — a center dedicated in 1991 by Bishop Nevins that includes a chapel and the beloved Sacred Heart Grotto. The parish also reaches out to the incarcerated through its Prison Ministry and hosts the diocesan Totus Tuus summer catechetical camp, welcoming hundreds of young Catholics from across Southwest Florida.
- Catholic Charities Social Service Center (on-site, dedicated 1991)
- Sacred Heart Grotto
- Prison Ministry
- Totus Tuus host parish
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father P. J. Lynch1882
Performed the first recorded Baptism in DeSoto County at Fort Ogden
- Father Charles Peterman1884
Performed the first recorded Baptism in Arcadia at a family home
- Father John Quinlan, S.J.1890
Jesuit who celebrated the first Mass in Arcadia for six Catholic families and established the Jesuit mission
- Father Alfred Latiolais, S.J.from 1910
First permanent priest of St. Paul Mission; oversaw construction of the 1915 church
- Father William J. Carrollfrom October 14, 1929
Appointed to the Mission of St. Paul; oversaw completion of the first rectory in 1930
- Rev. Luis H. Pachecofrom February 23, 2025
Current pastor, installed by Bishop Frank J. Dewane