St. Paul Catholic Church

Parish History & Heritage

From twelve families meeting in a Carrollwood school in 1963 to more than 7,000 registered families in 2023, St. Paul's six-decade story is told through its pastors, buildings, shrines, and schools. The parish was officially erected April 12, 1966, with Father John F. Lima, M.M., as its first pastor; the original church was dedicated in 1970, the Parish Center in 1979, and the larger current church in 1990. The 2011–2012 sanctuary renovation and 2015 capital projects modernized the worship and music spaces, and the 2017–2018 shrine-building campaign filled the grounds with the Santo Niño, Marian, Padre Pio, and Our Lady of Aparecida shrines. The 60th Diamond Anniversary was marked with a special 5:30 PM Mass on April 12, 2026.

Clergy & Staff

The parish is led by Very Rev. Craig R. Morley, V.F., as its sixth pastor, supported by three parochial vicars — Rev. Francisco R. Hernandez, Rev. Evaristus (Eva) Nnamene, and Rev. Raju Chebattina — and four permanent deacons: Carlos Celaya, Francisco Henriquez, Charles Glass, and William Stephen. Lay staff include a Parish Manager, Director of Music & Bereavement Minister, Director of Faith Formation, Coordinator of Ministries, Coordinator of Baptisms, High School Youth Minister, Middle School Youth Minister & Confirmation Coordinator, Coordinator of Adult Confirmation/OCIA/Marriage Preparation, Coordinator of Faith Formation K-5 & First Holy Communion, Faith Formation Assistant, IT Systems Administrator, Front Desk Attendants, and a Maintenance team.

• Pastor: Very Rev. Craig R. Morley, V.F.
• Parochial Vicars: Rev. Francisco R. Hernandez, Rev. Evaristus Nnamene, Rev. Raju Chebattina
• Deacons: Carlos Celaya, Francisco Henriquez, Charles Glass, William Stephen
• Lay staff include Director of Faith Formation, Coordinators of OCIA, Marriage Prep, Baptisms, Music & Bereavement, Youth Ministry, Maintenance, IT, and Parish Manager

Faith Formation & Religious Education

St. Paul's faith-formation program welcomes every age. Children's Faith Formation serves K–5 and prepares them for First Communion. Middle School Youth Ministry (grades 6–8) meets twice a month with retreat opportunities, and High School Youth Ministry (grades 9–12) gathers weekly for LifeTeen — activities usually take place in the Family Center right after the 5:30 PM Sunday LifeTeen Mass, with retreats, mission trips, service projects, and the annual Pumpkin Patch fundraiser. The parish also runs Catechist training, Vacation Bible School, and Children's Liturgy of the Word (English, during the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass). All volunteers 16+ working with children must be fingerprinted and complete Safe Environment Training.

• Children's Faith Formation (K–5)
• Middle School Youth Ministry (6–8)
• High School Youth Ministry (9–12) / LifeTeen
• Vacation Bible School
• Children's Liturgy of the Word
• Catechist, Co-Catechist & Helper formation

Young Adult Ministry: Apostles of the Eucharist

Apostles of the Eucharist is St. Paul's young-adult group for ages 18–28, meeting at 7:30 PM on Friday nights in the St. Michael Building. Each evening begins with Eucharistic Adoration, followed by discussion of St. Peter Julian Eymard's writings (the group's patron) and the upcoming Sunday Gospel, plus speakers and fellowship. Members also gather monthly for service projects and social events and host an annual retreat in July that welcomes young adults from across the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

• Ages 18–28, Friday nights at 7:30 PM
• Begins with Adoration, then Eymard/Gospel discussion
• Monthly service projects & social events; annual retreat in July

Shrines, Devotions & Prayer Groups

St. Paul's 14-acre campus is essentially an outdoor museum of Catholic devotion. The Peace Path links the Santo Niño Shrine (built by the Filipino community in 2010), the Padre Pio Shrine (2017), and the Our Lady of Grace Shrine (2018). The Marian Shrine features a 15-foot crucifix erected in 2017, and the dedicated shrines include Our Lady of Good Health (2017), Our Lady of Aparecida, Our Lady of La Leche, and the Our Lady Queen of the Apostles statue (2018). A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stands at the outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Rosary and Butterfly Gardens round out the campus. Interior prayer groups include the Padre Pio Prayer Group, El Señor de Las Maravillas Prayer Group, the Men's Prayer Group, Partners in Prayer, and the Portuguese-language Rosa Mistica group, plus a Spanish-language Estudio Bíblico.

• Santo Niño Shrine (Filipino community, 2010)
• Padre Pio Shrine, Our Lady of Grace Shrine (Peace Path)
• Our Lady of Good Health, Our Lady of Aparecida, Our Lady of La Leche, Our Lady Queen of the Apostles
• Stations of the Cross and Sacred Heart of Jesus statue
• Padre Pio Prayer Group, El Señor de Las Maravillas, Rosa Mistica, Estudio Bíblico en Español

Outreach & Charity

Outreach is woven into parish life at St. Paul. The St. Vincent de Paul Conference (founded 1986) serves neighbors in financial need; the SOS Ministry (Human Trafficking, founded 2014) raises awareness and supports survivors; the Respect Life Ministry (also 2014) prays and advocates for the unborn; and the Migrant Farm Workers Ministry reaches out to agricultural laborers in the region. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick and Nursing Homes bring the Eucharist to those who cannot attend Mass, and the Music/Bereavement ministry accompanies families through funerals. The parish supports its work through Money Counters, Knights of Columbus fundraisers, and the Pumpkin Patch.

• St. Vincent de Paul Conference (since 1986)
• SOS Human Trafficking Ministry (since 2014)
• Respect Life Ministry (since 2014)
• Migrant Farm Workers Ministry
• Eucharistic Ministers to the Sick/Nursing Homes
• Knights of Columbus

St. Paul Child Enrichment Center (Preschool)

Founded in 1980 and known alternatively as St. Paul Catholic Preschool, St. Paul's Child Enrichment Center carries the mission statement 'To Become a Christ-Centered Family' (adopted 1982). The center is NAEYC-accredited and licensed for 159 children (license C13HI0151), offering VPK, before-school, after-school, and half-day care on the parish campus at 12708 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. It is administered as an acknowledgment by the parish family that young children need learning experiences in a loving Christian atmosphere that encourages spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Phone: (813) 264-3314 / (813) 264-3311.

• Founded 1980; mission adopted 1982
• NAEYC-accredited; licensed for 159 children
• VPK, Before/After School, Half-Day programs
• 12708 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa FL 33618 — (813) 264-3314

Live-Streaming & Social Media

The 9:00 AM Sunday Mass is livestreamed on the parish's public Facebook page, StPaulTampa, and the recording is reposted to the parish website by 10:30 AM the same morning — a ministry that began out of necessity on March 22, 2020, at the start of the pandemic. St. Paul maintains two Facebook pages (a public one at facebook.com/StPaulTampa and a friend-request community page at facebook.com/stpaultpa), an Instagram account at @st.paulcatholicchurch, and a youth-group Instagram at @stpaultampayg with a Remind app (@2526yg to 81010).

• Live 9:00 AM Sunday Mass on Facebook (StPaulTampa)
• Recording on parish website by 10:30 AM
• Instagram: st.paulcatholicchurch
• Youth Group Instagram: @stpaultampayg / Remind @2526yg to 81010