About Visitation · Miami, Florida
The Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Miami located in the Norland/North Miami Beach area of Miami-Dade County, Florida, at 100 NE 191 Street. Founded on May 25, 1956, the parish was established to serve the growing Catholic population of northeast Miami-Dade during the early years of the Diocese of Miami. Today it is a culturally diverse, multilingual community — historically and presently home to a strong Haitian/West Indian Catholic presence alongside English- and Spanish-speaking faithful — offering Masses in English, Spanish, and Haitian Créole, a robust religious education program, and an array of ministries from St. Vincent de Paul food distribution to a Charismatic Prayer Group that prays in Haitian Créole.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of the Visitation)
- Rector
- Rev. Eliseus Ezeuchenne (Administrator, as of 2024–2025)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Miami
Why belong here
Visitation is a small, multicultural Catholic parish in northeast Miami-Dade where English, Spanish, and Haitian Créole all share a place at the altar — a deliberate reflection of the West Indian, Latino, and Anglo faithful who make up its pews. Daily Mass, three weekend Sunday Masses (one in Spanish), a weekly Créole-language Charismatic Prayer Group, perpetual-adoration-style weekly holy hours, and active outreach through St. Vincent de Paul food distribution and a Respect Life Ministry make it a hands-on parish for families looking for genuine community, not a Sunday-only stop.
Mass times at Visitation
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Sunday 11:30 AM – 11:55 AM
- Or anytime by appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- First Friday Exposition & Benediction 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Parish History
Founded May 25, 1956, Visitation predates the Diocese of Miami itself by two years and was one of the parishes already in existence when Pope Pius XII erected the diocese on August 13, 1958 and installed Bishop Coleman F. Carroll. From its earliest days it has served the Catholic families of what is now the Norland / North Miami Beach corridor of northeast Miami-Dade. The parish school (Visitation, North Miami) opened in 1958 and closed in 1989. As the surrounding neighborhoods changed, the parish's demographic center of gravity shifted decisively toward Haitian and other West Indian Catholics, so that by 2007 the parish was 'majority West Indian,' bringing 'a high degree of vibrancy and a strong sense of faithful stewardship.' For its golden jubilee, the interior of the church was renovated on a Marian/apocalyptic design intended to function as a 'shrine of motherhood,' with every color and symbol pointing to Our Lady of the Visitation and to Christ.
- Founded May 25, 1956
- In existence when Diocese of Miami was created August 13, 1958
- Parish school (Visitation, North Miami) opened 1958, closed 1989
- Golden-jubilee interior renovation; Marian / Revelation-inspired design
- Recognized (per the parish's own history page) as aspiring to be a 'shrine of motherhood'
Parish Staff & Clergy
The current parish Administrator is the Reverend Eliseus Ezeuchenne; Father Bernard Kirlin continues to celebrate the Spanish Mass. Yanic Elie serves as sacristan, Cheryl Thornhill as parish secretary, and Marta Vozzi as Director of Religious Education.
- Rev. Eliseus Ezeuchenne — Parochial Administrator
- Rev. Bernard Kirlin — Spanish Mass
- Yanic Elie — Sacristan
- Cheryl Thornhill — Parish Secretary
- Marta Vozzi — Director of Religious Education ([email protected])
Sacraments
Infant Baptism is scheduled through the parish office; Marriages are arranged by contacting the parish priest. Confession is offered at the regular Thursday/Saturday/Sunday times listed above or by appointment. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation is handled through the parish's Religious Education program.
- Baptism — contact the parish office to schedule
- Marriage — contact the parish priest
- Confession — see confession times or by appointment
- First Communion & Confirmation — via Religious Education
Religious Education
The parish's Religious Education program (CCD) is led by Director Marta Vozzi ([email protected]), with sessions on Tuesday 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Wednesday 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Friday 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM, and Saturday 2:30 – 6:30 PM. The program prepares the parish's children for First Communion and Confirmation.
- Director: Marta Vozzi — [email protected]
- Sessions: Tue 9:30 AM–12:30 PM; Wed 4:00–7:00 PM; Fri 9:30 AM–12:30 PM; Sat 2:30–6:30 PM
Ministries & Groups
Visitation runs an unusually broad set of lay ministries for a parish of its size, ranging from evangelization and prayer to direct outreach to the poor and to mothers in need. The St. Vincent de Paul Society runs a twice-monthly food pantry; the Respect Life Ministry supports pregnant women and collects baby items; the Charismatic Prayer Group prays in Haitian Créole; and the Women's Council gathers monthly in the Parish Hall.
- Ministry Leader — Joanne Lambert
- Charismatic Prayer Group (Haitian Créole) — Isabelle Edmond; Thu 8:00–9:30 PM, Parish Hall
- Chosen Youth Ministry — Lester Kelly
- Knights of Columbus — James Whitters, Grand Knight; 2nd Sunday, 1:30 PM, Activities Room
- Legion of Mary — Sylvie Paris; Sat 8:30–10:30 AM, Activities Room
- Respect Life Ministry — Shirley Sequeira; 786-452-0266
- Special Volunteering Group — Nilda Rodriguez
- St. Vincent de Paul Society — John West; food distribution 2nd & 4th Wed 9 AM–12 PM
- Women's Council — Ella Brown & Debbie Gadson; 4th Saturday 6 PM, Parish Hall
Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage
Visitation is one of the parishes participating in the Archdiocese of Miami's Jubilee 2025 ('Pilgrims of Hope') program. A pilgrimage brochure and registration form are published on the parish website, and parishioner Junie Cornielle, a Eucharistic minister at Visitation, was present at the archdiocesan opening of the Jubilee Year.
- Jubilee Pilgrimage 2025 brochure and registration available on visitationmiami.org
- Parishioner Junie Cornielle attended the archdiocesan Jubilee opening in December 2024
Contact & Visiting
Parish Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM. The parish office is reachable at (305) 652-3624 and [email protected]; the parish website is visitationmiami.org. The church is located at 100 NE 191 Street, Miami, FL 33179, in the Northeast Dade Deanery of the Archdiocese of Miami.
- Address: 100 NE 191 Street, Miami, FL 33179
- Phone: (305) 652-3624
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–1:00 PM & 1:30 PM–4:00 PM
- Deanery: Northeast Dade, Archdiocese of Miami
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John F. McKeownat least 1964–1965
Listed as Pastor of Visitation Parish, North Miami, in the Diocese of Miami's official appointments effective June 4, 1964; still pastor in March 1965 (served as deacon of honor at an ordination).
- Rev. René H. Gracida1964–
Assigned as Assistant Pastor at Visitation Parish in the same June 4, 1964 appointments; later became Bishop of Corpus Christi and then Bishop of Amarillo, Texas.
- Rev. Msgr. James Fetscherlate 1970s–1980s
Served as parochial vicar at Visitation Church in North Miami during his tenure as founding director of the Archdiocesan Office of Worship (1978–1984). Ordained May 25, 1968.
- Rev. Joseph Fishwick1974–1975
Worked at Visitation as a deacon prior to ordination; ordained May 17, 1975. Later chaplain to the traditional Latin Mass community; retired January 2010.
- Rev. Christopher Marino2002–2008
Served as administrator and later pastor of Visitation, North Miami, before being named pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, Miami (2008) and ultimately rector of St. Mary Cathedral. Ordained April 16, 1993.
- Rev. Pierre Charlesby 2024
Listed as Administrator of the parish in the January 14, 2024 parish bulletin, with Rev. James Quinn and Rev. Bernard Kirlin assisting on weekends.
- Rev. Eliseus Ezeuchenne2024–2025 (present)
Current Parochial Administrator; listed on the parish website, archdiocesan parish page, and bulletins dated April–August 2025. Rev. Bernard Kirlin continues to celebrate the Spanish Mass.