About St. Therese of the Child Jesus · Jasper, Florida
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a Catholic mission church located about three miles north of Jasper, Florida, on U.S. Highway 41, serving the rural Hamilton County community as a mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Live Oak. Established in 1895, it is one of the oldest Catholic mission communities in north-central Florida and falls under the Diocese of St. Augustine. Weekly Mass is celebrated on Saturday at 4:00 p.m., with Holy Day Vigils at 7:00 p.m., and the sacrament of Reconciliation is offered one hour before Mass or by appointment. Parishes are encouraged to gather with the wider St. Francis Xavier community that includes the Mayo mission (Our Lady of Guadalupe), and archived Masses from St. Therese are made available online for those unable to attend in person.
- Established
- 1895
- Patron
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux (St. Therese of the Child Jesus)
- Rector
- Rev. Manuel Puga, J.C.L.
- Diocese
- Diocese of St. Augustine
Why belong here
St. Therese offers a long-standing rural Catholic community in Hamilton County where families and individuals can worship together just minutes north of Jasper. As part of the larger St. Francis Xavier Parish family, members also have access to the parish's other mission in Mayo (Our Lady of Guadalupe) and an archive of streamed Masses on YouTube. With weekly Saturday Mass, regular Reconciliation, and attentive pastoral care under Fr. Manuel Puga, J.C.L., it is a welcoming mission church for the Latin-rite faithful of north-central Florida.
Mass times at St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (one hour before Mass)
- By appointment
About St. Therese of the Child Jesus Mission
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a Catholic mission church serving the Jasper area of Hamilton County, Florida. Established in 1895 and administered out of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Live Oak, it offers the faithful of this rural stretch of north-central Florida a regular place for worship, the sacraments, and community. The mission's patron, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, is the beloved French Carmelite known as 'The Little Flower,' whose 'Little Way' of spiritual childhood continues to draw devotion worldwide. Her feast day is October 1.
- Established: 1895
- Parish family: St. Francis Xavier Parish, Live Oak
- Patron saint: St. Thérèse of Lisieux (feast day Oct. 1)
- Diocese: St. Augustine
- Mass schedule: Saturday 4:00 p.m.; Holy Day Vigil 7:00 p.m.
History
The Diocese of St. Augustine's official records, including its 2019 Diocesan Directory, place the founding of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus Mission in 1895, making the mission one of the older Catholic communities in this part of Florida. It was established as a mission outreach to the rural farming and timber communities of Hamilton County, where Catholics were a small minority scattered across a wide geographic area. The mission's pastoral care eventually came to be coordinated through St. Francis Xavier Parish in nearby Live Oak (Suwannee County), and the mission shares administrative offices with that parish to this day.
- Founded: 1895
- Mission Church of St. Francis Xavier Parish
- Sister mission: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mayo, FL
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The mission is currently served by Rev. Manuel Puga, J.C.L., whose name and contact information are listed on the official Diocese of St. Augustine parish page for St. Therese of the Child Jesus Mission. Prior pastor Rev. Anthony Basso appears in the 2019 edition of the diocesan directory. As a mission of St. Francis Xavier Parish, the priests of that parish also assist in the care of St. Therese and the sister Mayo mission.
- Current Pastor: Rev. Manuel Puga, J.C.L.
- Former Pastor (c. 2019 diocesan directory): Rev. Anthony Basso
Wider Parish Family: St. Francis Xavier, Live Oak
St. Therese of the Child Jesus is a mission church of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Live Oak, about 25 miles east of Jasper. The parish community as a whole includes St. Francis Xavier itself and the mission churches in Mayo (Our Lady of Guadalupe, which offers Sunday Mass in Spanish at 3:00 p.m. and a weekly Wednesday evening English Mass) and Jasper. Parishioners are encouraged to occasionally gather at each of the three worship sites, celebrating the unity of the Body of Christ across the rural area.
- Parish: St. Francis Xavier, Live Oak
- Sister mission (Mayo): Our Lady of Guadalupe — Sunday Spanish Mass 3:00 p.m.; Wednesday English Mass 7:00 p.m.
- Parish mailing address: 928 E. Howard Street, Live Oak, FL 32064
Online Masses
The mission publishes a video archive of its Masses on YouTube, linked from the official stfrancisliveoak.org/mayo/ page. This 'St Therese Of Child Jesus Masses Online' archive allows parishioners, occasional visitors, and homebound faithful to participate in worship even when they cannot travel to the Jasper site.
- Archived Masses on YouTube (linked from stfrancisliveoak.org/mayo/)
Visit & Directions
The mission is located at 5430 NW Highway 41, Jasper, FL 32052, about three miles north of the Jasper town center along U.S. 41. Mailing and administrative correspondence should be sent to the parish office at 928 E. Howard Street, Live Oak, FL 32064. Visitors are advised to call (386) 364-1108 before traveling, particularly for Holy Day schedules or any weather-related cancellations.
- Physical address: 5430 NW Highway 41, Jasper, FL 32052
- Mailing address: 928 E. Howard Street, Live Oak, FL 32064
- Phone: (386) 364-1108
- Fax: (386) 364-1836
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anthony Bassothrough c. 2019
Listed as pastor in the 2019 Diocesan Directory for St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus Mission.
- Rev. Manuel Puga, J.C.L.current
Listed as pastor on the Diocese of St. Augustine parish page.