Ministers of Hospitality 
Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion 
Lectors 
Altar Servers 
Sacristans 
Music Ministry 
Intercessions 
Funeral Liaison 
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) 
Small Faith Communities 
Inviting Catholics Home 
Preparation for the Sacraments of Eucharist & Confirmation 
Youth of Espiritu Santo (YES) 
Thursday Sewing Group 
Health Ministry 
Marriage Preparation 
Familia 
Teams of Our Lady 
Jail Ministry Our Parish
What We Believe
We are Catholic-Christians.
We are Catholic or universal Christians, members of the Roman Catholic Church which was instituted by Jesus Christ and led by the apostles and their successors for over 2,000 years and strengthened through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are called to go forth and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are united by our common beliefs which are set forth in our statement of beliefs, the Nicene Creed. This creed was established in 325 BC and is proclaimed as our statement of faith by the assembly during Sunday and Feast day celebrations of the Mass.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in being with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
he was born of the Virgin Mary , and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day He rose again
in fulfillment of the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Parish Pastoral Council
The Parish Pastoral Council discerns the mission of the parish and envisions ways in which the parish membership is being called by God to carry out that mission. The Pastoral Council serves as a consultative leadership body to the pastor. The pastoral visioning and planning function of the council and the day-to-day administrative operations of the parish are two separate and distinct areas of responsibility. The pastor and parish staff are responsible for routine decision-making which needs to take place for the parish to function efficiently and effectively on a daily basis. These day-to-day operational decisions are not the responsibility of the Pastoral Council, whose role is to guide the community in the discernment, expression and fulfillment of its pastoral mission. This is accomplished through an ongoing cyclical process of Pastoral Planning, which is mission-motivated and involves: discernment, consensus, goal setting, developing objectives, implementation and evaluation.
One of the elements of this model of pastoral council is a discernment process that takes place each year. Instead of an annual Parish Council election, nominations of parishioners that you feel would be good leaders for our parish are put forth.
This past year, three new members joined the Pastoral Council. Current members of the parish Pastoral Council are: Rev. Robert J. Schneider, Rev. Joseph Musco, Rev. Mr. Vincent P. Alterio, Pat Erickson, Marie Bishop, Ken Puig, Richard Glass, Sonia Dris, Kathy Kukulski, Gert Panacci, Christine York-Amstutz, and Shaun Shea.
Parish Pastoral Council Meeting Minutes
Pastoral Team
CLERGY
 |
 |
| Father Robert J. Schneider Pastor 727.726.8477 x303 |
Father Joseph Musco Parochial Vicar 727.726.8477 x303 |
 |
 |
| Deacon Vincent P. Alterio Parish Administrator 727.726.8477 x303 |
Deacon Dominic P. Friscia Assisting |
RELIGIOUS
 |
Sister Paulamarie Lacy, SND |
PASTORAL TEAM
 |
Tim Bergevin Stewardship & Family Life Ministries 727.726.8477 x326 |
 |
Migdalia Cantone |
 |
Mike Cortese Facility & Grounds 727.726.8477 x305 |
 |
Jeff Fitzcharles Liturgy & Music 727.726.8477 x306 |
 |
Karen Heaphy Pastoral Care 727.726.8477 x310 |
 |
Tom Heironimus Business Manager 727.726.8477 x325 |
 |
Ellen Jones Religious Education 727.812.4656 |
 |
Kim Paczynski Youth Minister 727.726.8477 x307 |
PASTORAL STAFF
 |
Patti Alterio Gift Shop 727.726.8477 x315 |
 |
Kathee Giuffré Business Office Administrator 727.726.8477 x302 |
 |
Justine Mullaney School Accountant 727.726.8477 x304 |
 |
Terry Ness Sacristan 727.726.8477 x332 |
 |
Pat Roane Religious Education Administrative Assistant 727.812.4656 |
History of Espiritu Santo
The History of Espiritu Santo begins with the history of the Catholic faith first being carried to Florida’s west coast in 1539 by Hernando Desoto. In his search for wealth, Desoto landed on the shores of what is now known as Tampa Bay on Pentecost Sunday, where he discovered five mineral springs near a large Tocabago Indian village. He named the body of water Bahia Espiritu Santo (Bay of the Holy Spirit) in honor of the holy day and because the inhabitants of the nearby Indian village believed the springs had healing properties, a legend that persists today.
Timeline |
|
| 1539 | Hernando DeSoto discovers Bahia Espiritu Santo (Tampa Bay) |
| 1567 | Pedro Menendez de Aviles came to Espiritu Santo Springs to establish a mission |
| 1960 | The mission church of Espiritu Santo was established in Safety Harbor. |
| 1964 | The first Mass was celebrated in Espiritu Santo Catholic Church. |
| 1987 | The first Mass was celebrated in the present-day church. |
| 2001 | Espiritu Santo Catholic School was dedicated. |
In 1567 Pedro Menendez de Aviles came to Espiritu Santo Springs, later to be known as Safety Harbor, where he negotiated with Carlos, a Calusa chief, in an effort to convert the natives to Christianity.
Menendez sailed on, leaving behind a blockhouse mission, a captain, thirty soldiers, and Father Rogel, a Catholic priest.
The Indians destroyed the mission, however, and drove the Spaniards out. Though their initial effort proved unsuccessful, the seed of faith had been planted at the springs, and in time would blossom and flourish, according to the will of God.
Over 400 years later, this seed of faith found expression in a mission begun under the direction of Monsignor John F. McNulty, V.G. Responding to the need for a Catholic parish in the growing community of Safety Harbor, a mission church was established in 1960 on the present site.
The mission thrived. It soon became apparent that a church building and parish hall were needed. On Christmas Eve, 1964, the first Mass was celebrated in Espiritu Santo Catholic Church.
Through the years the parish grew rapidly. The need for a new, bigger church was apparent, and on April 18, 1987 the first Mass was celebrated in the new church, which seats approximately 1,000 people. The original church building is now the Parish Center.
The Espiritu Santo Catholic School was dedicated on August 19, 2001. The mission of the school is to pass on the beliefs and teachings of the Roman Catholic faith, to teach students to reach out to each other in a caring, Christian way, and to offer students an academic, Christ-centered education in a disciplined environment. The school serves Pre-K 3 through the 8th grade, Sunday morning and weekday evening Religious Education, and Adult Education programs.
The former Education Building has been remodeled and named the St. John Bosco Center. It is available for a variety of parish uses. In the life of the Espiritu Santo Catholic Church community, the seed of faith planted by the Spanish missionaries in 1539 has borne much fruit and continues to flourish.
The following two videos describe Espiritu Santo's long history in becoming the thriving community it is today:
