“O Jesus, stretched out upon the cross, I implore You, give me the grace of following faithfully the most holy will of Your Father in all things, always and everywhere. And when this will of God seems to me very harsh and difficult to fulfill, it is then I beg You, Jesus, may power and strength flow upon me from Your wounds, and may my lips keep repeating – Your will be done, O Lord (…) O most compassionate Jesus, grant me the grace to forget myself that I may live totally for souls, helping You in the work of salvation, according to the most holy will of Your Father…” (Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, #1265).
St. Faustina was established in September 2006 under Bishop Thomas Wenski to meet the needs of the residents of the Four Corners area of central Florida.
Parish History
Founding Pastor, Father Stephen Phillips
Father Stephen Phillips was appointed the founding pastor. The parish held its first three months of Masses in the banquet room of the Westgate Inn on Route 192. The first Mass was celebrated on Saturday, September 30, 2006, at 4:00 p.m. with 168 parishioners in attendance. An unexpected “choir” for the Mass consisted of just two people, Willie Nelson and Conway Twitty, as the banquet room was next to the bar at the Inn. After continuous disruption Father Phillips’ sister, Mary, left Mass to go over to the bar and offered the bartender homemade chocolate chip cookies if he shut down the jukebox until Mass was concluded. The offer was accepted, and the rest of the Mass continued without interruption. The bartender received his cookies from the celebration that was held after Mass.
In December, the parish moved into an ex-barbeque restaurant, Homer’s Bar-B-Q. Father Phillips referred to it as, “The Church of Holy Smokes” while the parishioners affectionately called it, “St. Homers.”
It took a lot of backbreaking work to convert the space into a suitable worship space. A number of parishioners demonstrated the true meaning of stewardship as they used their time, talents, and treasures to bring life to the space and the parish. Volunteers arrived with their own tools, paintbrushes and carpentry items. An altar was constructed, walls and floors were scrubbed clean and pocketed coverings were sewn for metal chairs, which allowed storage of hymnal books and prayer missals. When additional space was needed a terrace was created from the dirt floor of an open-air shed. The open space was enclosed, and a camera was set up in the main church with a large-screen TV and speakers creating approximately 125 more seats for parishioners and visitors.
Father Phillips celebrated this site’s first Mass on December 24, 2006. Faith Formation classes were held in an external area, with teachers and parents rearranging the metal folding chairs around the long picnic-style tables for the students. After the week’s classes were completed, it was rearranged for Mass.
Four years later, after the lease expired at the Homer’s location, the parish moved to another space in a strip mall along Highway 27. It was formerly known as “Zak’s” and was just down the street from the Westgate Inn.
Father Jean Desir
After the passing of Father Phillips on December 5, 2008, Father Fernando Gill celebrated our weekend Masses until Father Jean Desir was appointed pastor on January 12, 2009.
The parish spent five years at the former Zak’s. Once again, parishioners of all ages chipped in and worked hard to turn three office suites into one place of worship. Coincidentally, Father Desir blessed the location on December 24, 2010, four years to the day when Father Phillips had celebrated the first Mass at the Homer’s location. The celebration was made possible by an “Eleventh Hour” securing of the certificate of occupancy at 3:00 pm on Christmas Eve.
The Zak’s space was bigger, brighter, and cleaner than Homer’s had been, and the parishioners were finally together in one worship space. There was even enough room for some small offices and religious education classrooms. Additionally, a “Grotto of Mercy” room offered a dedicated space for confessions, a quiet space for prayer and reflection, and an opportunity to honor St. Faustina, St. John Paul II, and Blessed Father Michael Sopocko who was St. Faustina’s spiritual director. Parking was a significant challenge, and parishioners used a variety of areas to park for Mass and other church functions.
Father Desir guided the first fund-raising efforts towards the building of the parish’s own church. Assisted by the Catholic Foundation of Central Florida the parish participated in the Diocese of Orlando’s Alive in Christ Capital Campaign. The initial fund-raising committee helped coordinate Walk-A-Thons, t-shirt sales, a silent auction, and a parish cookbook, to name but a few activities. Parishioners gladly paid a “fee” to enter their names in beautiful registers all of which helped to raise funds. By 2012 the parish had raised $500,000 towards a new church building.
The parish community continued to grow in size requiring a move to a larger space in the Glenbrook Commons Shopping Plaza on Highway 27. Bishop Noonan celebrated the first Mass in the new location on December 19, 2015. This space featured seating for 450 people with a foyer, modern restroom facilities, sufficient office space for the pastor and staff, as well as classrooms, a front reception area, and a conference room.
Father Ramon Bolatete
Father Ramon Bolatete was assigned to the parish as pastor on May 1, 2018. The parish continued to grow in number of families, number of outreach programs, and number of ministries.
Plans for building a church continued until at last on January 9, 2022, Bishop John Noonan blessed the property during the groundbreaking ceremony at 15551 N. Boggy Marsh Road in Clermont.
Construction began and the church took shape, with the red color of the building standing out among the other buildings in the area. The color choice reflected Poland where St. Faustina lived. Bishop Noonan dedicated the new church on February 4, 2023. He noted, “The color red reflects the Polish people and their flag. The interior beauty and prayerfulness reflect the life of St. Faustina. You, the parishioners, are light to the world, set upon a hill for all to see. The light of Christ has sustained and helped you fulfill your dreams, and He will continue to sustain your faith.”
The Divine Mercy Statue of Jesus stands at the entrance to the church welcoming all those who enter to worship.
Father Carlos Cabán
On November 14, 2023, Father Carlos J. Cabán was appointed the new pastor. The parish community continues its faith journey through worship, receiving the sacraments, faith formation, and through a number of service and prayer ministries.
The St. Faustina parish community is thankful for all the faithful who have been part of the parish since its founding in 2006. “Pioneer parishioners” signed these posters to memorialize their history with the parish:
