About St. Peter · Jupiter, Florida
St. Peter Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Jupiter, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Palm Beach. Established on September 29, 1987 with Rev. Charles Notabartolo as founding pastor, the parish grew rapidly — about four hundred families joined in its first year — and now offers seventeen weekly Masses in English and Spanish, daily Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, a full slate of faith-formation programs, and outreach through ministries such as St. Vincent de Paul and Food for Families. The current church building was completed in the fall of 2002 and dedicated by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley on January 5, 2003, with Rev. Donald T. Finney appointed as the parish's second pastor in February 2003.
- Established
- 1987
- Patron
- Saint Peter the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Donald T. (Don) Finney
- Diocese
- Diocese of Palm Beach
Why belong here
St. Peter offers one of the most active parish lives in northern Palm Beach County, with seventeen weekly Masses (including a Sunday Spanish Mass and a Sunday evening Life Teen Mass), Friday Eucharistic Adoration, and Saturday Reconciliation. It is home to a deep bench of faith-formation programs — SP Kids (grades 1–5), EDGE middle-school youth, Life Teen high-school youth, Confirmation I & II, RCIA, adult Confirmation, Small Groups, and a vibrant Young at Heart ministry for the 55+ community. Out of the sanctuary, parishioners serve through the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Food for Families, Catholic Charities, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Meditation Garden, the Hispanic Ministry, and the Guadalupan Sisters' work — so newcomers can find a place to pray, serve, and belong quickly.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturdays 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM in the Chapel
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30 AM – 10:00 PM in the Chapel
Parish History
St. Peter Catholic Church was established on September 29, 1987 with the assignment of Rev. Charles Notabartolo as the founding pastor. The first Mass was celebrated November 8, 1987 in the cafeteria of the old Jupiter High School, and roughly four hundred families joined during the first year. Mass was also held in the cafeteria of Jupiter Middle School for the next four years. On September 16, 1991 the first Mass was celebrated in the parish's new multi-purpose building, which today serves as the parish hall. After many years of effort by parishioners, ground was broken for a permanent church. It was completed in the fall of 2002; the first Mass was celebrated December 21, 2002; and Bishop Sean P. O'Malley formally dedicated the church on January 5, 2003. In February 2003, Fr. Notabartolo was named Vicar General of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and Rev. Donald T. Finney was appointed as the second pastor of St. Peter — a role he continues to fill.
- Established September 29, 1987; founding pastor Rev. Charles (Chuck) Notabartolo
- First Mass November 8, 1987 in the cafeteria of the old Jupiter High School
- Multi-purpose hall opened September 16, 1991
- New church completed fall 2002; first Mass December 21, 2002
- Church dedicated by Bishop Sean P. O'Malley on January 5, 2003
Our Patron — Saint Peter the Apostle
Saint Peter was a native of Bethsaida near Lake Tiberias. First named Simon, he worked as a fisherman with his brother Andrew, who introduced him to Jesus. Jesus gave Simon the name 'Cephas,' the Aramaic word rendered 'Peter' (the Rock) in Greek. Peter was the chosen leader of the apostles and is mentioned more frequently in the Gospels than any other apostle. He became the first pope of the Catholic Church and was martyred by crucifixion at the foot of Vatican Hill in Rome. His feast day is celebrated on June 29.
- Patron: Saint Peter the Apostle
- Feast Day: June 29
- Native of Bethsaida near Lake Tiberias
- First Pope of the Catholic Church; crucified at the foot of Vatican Hill
Clergy & Staff
St. Peter is served by its founding-era pastor, Rev. Donald T. (Don) Finney (appointed February 2003), together with parochial vicars and a substantial diaconate and lay staff. Music, faith formation, Hispanic ministry, finance, stewardship, youth, and facilities are each led by dedicated directors.
- Rev. Donald T. Finney — Pastor
- Rev. Pierre-Soul Estefont — Parochial Vicar (official 'Our Team' page)
- Rev. Duvan Bermudez — Parochial Vicar (official 'Our Team' page)
- Rev. Antony Lopez — Priest (per parish bulletins)
- Deacons: Steve McMahon, Stephen Scienzo, John Bartalini, Dave Licata, John Collins, Don Battiston
- Giovanna Christian — Director of Finance
- Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez — Director of Music
- Christine Macdonald — Parish Secretary / Youth Ministry
- Becky Miklos — Director of Religious Education / Children's Ministry / RCIA
- Ediza Vega — Director of Hispanic Ministry
- Mercedes Robles — Office Staff / Reception
- Leonardo Busa — Director of Stewardship / Liturgical Ministries
- Michelle Velasquez, Jo Munoz, Santos Tejada, Etiel Tejada, Yvette Alicea — Office and Hispanic Ministry staff
- Ed & Facility Staff: Steve Knecht and team
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Children, teens, and adults are all served by dedicated formation tracks at St. Peter. SP Kids serves children in grades 1–5; EDGE is the middle-school youth ministry (6th–8th grade) meeting Monday evenings; Life Teen serves 9th–12th graders, who serve as ushers, lectors, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at the 5 PM Sunday Mass. Confirmation is a two-year program (Confirmation I & II). Adults seeking to become Catholic join RCIA, and adult Confirmation and Small Groups round out the formation lineup.
- SP Kids (Grades 1–5) — Becky Miklos
- EDGE Middle School Youth (6th–8th) — Monday evenings 6:30–7:30 PM
- Life Teen High School Youth (9th–12th) — Sunday 5 PM Mass
- Confirmation I & II
- RCIA (Becoming Catholic) — Becky Miklos
- Adult Confirmation
- Small Groups — Becky Miklos
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music at St. Peter is led by Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez, who directs the Adult Choir and the Life Teen Band. A Spanish Choir, led by Moises and Jeronimo, supports the 12:30 PM Spanish Mass. Liturgical Ministries — lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, altar servers, and ushers — are coordinated through Leonardo Busa. Ushers are led by Mike Cesarano; the Greeters Ministry is led by Mark Ehmer; and the Altar Angels program is led by Jim Cambier.
- Adult Choir — Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez
- Life Teen Band — Dr. Gonzalo Gonzalez
- Spanish Choir — Moises & Jeronimo
- Liturgical Ministries (Lectors, EMHCs, Altar Servers) — Leonardo Busa
- Ushers — Mike Cesarano
- Greeters — Mark Ehmer
- Altar Angels — Jim Cambier
Hispanic Ministry
The Hispanic Ministry began in May 2003 and is supported by the Guadalupan Sisters. Ediza Vega directs the ministry, which maintains the parish's Spanish Mass schedule, social outreach, and formation tracks. Santos Tejada and Etiel Tejada, Jo Munoz, and Petra Gonzalez (Damas Católicas) assist with various ministries.
- Director of Hispanic Ministry: Ediza Vega
- Served by the Guadalupan Sisters
- Spanish Mass: Sundays 12:30 PM
- Spanish Choir led by Moises and Jeronimo
- Damas Católicas — Petra Gonzalez
- St. Vincent de Paul Spanish conference — (561) 236-3579
Outreach & Social Justice
St. Peter runs an unusually wide network of charitable works for a single parish — from the parish food pantry Food For Families to the parish's conferences of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (English and Spanish), Knights of Columbus service projects, Catholic Charities collaboration, and the PEACE / Social Justice committee. The Homebound/Hospital Ministry, led by Deacon Stephen Scienzo, brings Communion and the Church's presence to parishioners who cannot attend Mass.
- Food for Families — Laura Boscia
- St. Vincent de Paul (English): (561) 267-9170
- St. Vincent de Paul (Spanish): (561) 236-3579
- Catholic Charities — (561) 844-6124
- Knights of Columbus — Ken Kotansky
- Peace / Social Justice — Jill Hanson
- Homebound / Hospital Ministry — Deacon Stephen Scienzo
All Saints Catholic School
In the fall of 2003, St. Peter helped found All Saints Catholic School, an inter-parochial Catholic school serving the wider northern Palm Beach County area. The school marked a new chapter in the parish's history and remains a shared ministry of the area's Catholic parishes.
- Opened in the fall of 2003
- Inter-parochial school
- Shared ministry serving northern Palm Beach County
Parish Life & Devotions
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, St. Peter sustains a wide variety of devotional and fellowship gatherings: the Prayer Shawl Ministry meets Thursday mornings, the Meditation Garden provides a year-round outdoor prayer space, the Men's Group meets regularly, and the Young at Heart ministry gathers parishioners 55 and older twice a month for potluck fellowship. Cursillo and small faith groups round out parish life.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry — Thursdays 9:30 AM in the Hall (Lana Condon)
- 20th Anniversary Meditation Garden — open year-round
- Men's Group — Mark Ehmer
- Young at Heart (55+) — twice-monthly Wednesdays (Donna Koester)
- Cursillo — Javier Casanova
- Rosary Making — Janice Dennis
Facilities & Campus
The parish campus centers on the church dedicated by Bishop O'Malley in January 2003. The adjacent parish hall is the original 1991 multi-purpose building, renovated in 2007 with eight additional permanent meeting rooms to accommodate the growing number of ministries. The Meditation Garden, dedicated during the parish's 20th anniversary in November 2007, anchors the outdoor prayer spaces. Facilities are managed by Steve Knecht and team.
- Church dedicated January 5, 2003
- Parish Hall originally opened 1991; renovated 2007 with 8 new meeting rooms
- 20th Anniversary Meditation Garden dedicated November 2007
- Facilities Manager: Steve Knecht
Connect With St. Peter
Parishioners and visitors can stay in touch through the parish website, the weekly bulletin (emailable on signup), live-streamed Masses, the parish app for iOS and Android, and an active set of social-media accounts. The bulletin includes a printed ministry directory with names and phone numbers for every group.
- Website: www.stpeterjupiter.com
- Phone: (561) 575-0837
- Parish App: 'St Peter Catholic Jupiter FL' (App Store / Google Play)
- Live Streaming: stpeterjupiter.com/live-streaming
- Weekly bulletin (sign up on parish website)
- Instagram: @stpeterjupiter • @stpeterjupiter1701 • @spcomunidadhispana • @stpeteryouth1701
- Facebook: facebook.com/stpeterjupiter
- YouTube: StPeterJupiter
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Charles (Chuck) Notabartolo1987–February 2003
Founding pastor; first Mass November 8, 1987 at the old Jupiter High School; appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Palm Beach in February 2003.
- Rev. Donald T. (Don) FinneyFebruary 2003–present
Second pastor; appointed April 2003 per his bio; previously served at St. Louis Parish in Webster, MA, the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens, and St. Lucie Parish in Port St. Lucie; holds an M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Gratz College.