About Your Church

About St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish

In 1990, Bishop John J. Nevins asked Father Pat Farrell to establish a mission to serve the Spanish-speaking migrant workers in Parrish. A prefabricated church was purchased and installed on the land. Bishop Nevins blessed the church in December 1992 and appropriately named the mission in honor of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who had been canonized for her dedication to improving the lives of poor immigrants.
In 1995, Father Farrell was transferred to Saint Bernard Church in Holmes Beach, and Father Janusz Jancarz, “Father Jay”, was appointed to serve as the priest in charge of the mission.
Between 1995 and 1999, the population of the mission more than doubled, and the need for a new, larger church became apparent. A design was selected, and after the use of almost every fundraising device known to man, a lovely, spacious church was built. Three exceptional statues—Our Lady of LaLeche, the Risen Christ and St. Joseph—were created by parishioner Audrey Keisacker to enhance the beauty of the modern building.

At a ceremony in the fall of 1999, the new church building was consecrated by Bishop Nevins and St. Frances X. Cabrini Mission acquired parish status, with Father Jay Jancarz as its first pastor.
The concluding comments at that dedication service in November 13, 1999 were as follows:

Writing a community history is complicated by the fact that with God there is no time. A community is distinguished by its people, not by its buildings. If the spirit of Jesus Christ is in our hearts and we are united as a family observing the precepts of our Savior, then our change of the canonical status from Mission to Parish shall be the next step in our continuing journey home to our most loving Lord and God.

Florida’s population increased rapidly after 1999, and as St. Frances X. Cabrini Parish grew, so too did the needs of its parishioners for classrooms, offices, and meeting space. On October 5, 2008, after much effort and anticipation, the parish held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new parish center. Construction of the building took more than a year, and on November 22, 2009, Bishop Frank Dewane blessed the new Mother Cabrini Center.

Presentation on St. Frances X. Cabrini at the Nothern Deanery Council of Catholic Women Meeting, March 2008 by Wendy Dawson.  This Link has a detailed history of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini which includes pictures and a special prayer.