View the Ukrainian National Anthem, as played by Director of Music, Philip Jakob

(Editor’s Note: This page will be updated as diocesan & provincial initiatives are developed or occur)

As the invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold, there is a growing need for humanitarian aid within the country to supplement basic services for the people of that nation.

Donations are needed now to get such aid to the people on the ground.

Sacred Heart is taking up the call from Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM, of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province, and offering a special collection to assist Franciscan Friar efforts in Ukraine, beginning on 3/12/22, and occurring during every weekend Mass for the subsequent two weeks.

In a letter to all Franciscan parishes within the Province, Fr. Mullen stated that he is “appealing on behalf of the people in the Ukraine to help them now in their time of need.” Within our Franciscan family, the brothers in the Province of St. Michael the Archangel are in grave risk in the city of Konotop, which was occupied by Russian soldiers late last week. The province has 16 friaries with 65 friars serving 54 parishes in Ukraine.

Fr. Mullen goes on to say that “all the people, all our brothers and sisters, are in need of help. We cannot not turn away our glance from them nor turn our back on them. I am asking each friar fraternity and all our ministerial sites to raise funds over the next weeks to provide some relief for the people of Ukraine.”

Holy Name Province’s Office of Development will coordinate all of the donations from their friaries and ministries, in cooperation with several groups, including Catholic Relief Services.

The friars thank you in advance for your cooperation on this crucial issue. Our prayers and our donations will make a difference. Let us be generous with both. Envelopes for the collection can be found in the pews. Checks can be made payable to “Sacred Heart Catholic Church” with “Ukrainian Collection” listed on the memo line.

• Click here to donate directly to the Franciscan Relief Fund

For more resources on the greater Catholic and Franciscan response to the crisis in Ukraine, visit the links below:

• Franciscans Call for Peace: US Franciscans
• Provincial Ministers Call for Peace: Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province
• How to Help the Ukrainian People: Gulf Coast Catholic
• News from Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church’s Efforts: Gulf Coast Catholic
• Link to Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Petersburg, FL
• How to Send Aid to Ukraine: Catholic News Service
• Russian Catholics See Invasion as Reminder of Atheistic Soviet Union: Catholic News Service
• Pope Francis Appeals for Peace: Vatican News
• Friars on the Front Lines: Emergency News

In our continued effort to meet the growing needs of the Tampa/Hillsborough community, Sacred Heart held its latest Giving from the Heart donation drive-thru on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the North Campus. The February event was an effort of both Hands of Hope and Love INC. Volunteers collected items for future Hands of Hope meal and essentials distributions, as well as Love INC’s Adopt-A-School project and its beneficiary, St. Joseph Catholic School.

Volunteers from both Love INC and Hands of Hope were joined by representatives of Sacred Heart’s Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, and our Friars to collect the donations.

In total, 48 vehicles drove through and provided many truck-loads of needed supplies, for the school and the meal-based outreach ministry respectively. Nearly $600 (cash and gift cards) was raised for teacher appreciation and family assistance for Love INC’s adopted school. 32 bags of non-perishable food items, and 21 bags of children’s clothes and shoes also were collected, with distribution to needy students attending St. Joseph’s to occur soon.

Hands of Hope collected 20 bags of toiletries, garments, and personal items for distribution to the homeless the ministry serves every Saturday at St. Peter Claver. They also received more than 10 bags of food for future meal prep.

Love INC currently provides assistance to the students and families of St. Joseph Catholic School through their Adopt-A-School outreach. Since its founding in 1896, St. Joseph Catholic School has played an important role in educating the children of West Tampa. Many of the students attending the school, and their families, are underserved in our community, and need assistance with some basic needs.

Hands of Hope meets every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., preparing meals at the North Campus, distributing those meals to the homeless and underserved in the community gathering at St. Peter Claver School.

If you would like to participate in Love INC’s Adopt-A-School project or with Hands of Hope, please contact Ann Doyle (Love INC) at 813-541-7366, or Robb Mercado (Hands of Hope) via email.

View a gallery from the latest Giving from the Heart event below: 

At the 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Feb. 13, the Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes, bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, installed Fr. Michael Jones, OFM, as pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Joining Sacred Heart as a parochial vicar in September 2020, Fr. Mike is the 33rd pastor in the 117-year history of the existing church, dating back to Fr. William Tyrrell, S.J., who was pastor of the preceding St. Louis Parish at the time of Sacred Heart’s groundbreaking.

Fr. Mike celebrated his 25th anniversary as a friar in 2021, and has served in the role of pastor twice before, at parishes in New Jersey and South Carolina.

Fr. Zack, Fr. Ron, Friar Henry, Deacon Ray, and the parish staff all wish Fr. Mike well in this new leadership role.

For those who were unable to attend this Mass in person, you may view the Mass live below:

Past Events: The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2/13/22, 10:30 a.m.)
The Installation of Fr. Mike Jones as Pastor of Sacred Heart Church,
presided by Bishop Gregory Parkes

View a gallery of photos from the Installation Mass Below:

Join Sacred Heart’s Garden Ministry for a day of cleaning and beautifying the grounds of the North Campus on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As the parish continues to make regular use of the North Campus for outreach and events, the Garden Ministry is working to make the grounds more inviting for all. The group is requesting the help of all parishioners with a handful of projects that require additional manpower.

Projects to be worked on during the clean-up event include:

• Plant and tree removal
• Planting new bougainvillea (digging and soil prep included) along rear border and walkway
• Ground leveling and gravel installation around mausoleums
• Cleaning debris along Lake Avenue and Jefferson Street

Lunch will be provided to volunteers. Those planning to assist should be prepared for physical work and bring their garden gloves, sun protection, and bug spray. Common garden tools, such as shovels, trowels, pruners, trimmers, and wheel barrows also would be useful for volunteers to bring along, if possible.

Volunteers can sign up to assist with individual projects here.

For more information, reach out to Michael Fabianski via email.

Lace up those sneakers, kids!

The Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus (Council #12110) are back with their fourth annual free-throw contest, set for Saturday, Feb. 5, at the North Campus Courts from 9-11 a.m.

The competition is open to all boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 14, and winners for each category are eligible to compete at the district, regional, and state-level competitions.

You can preregister for this contest with one of our brother Knights after all masses the weekend of Jan. 30 or on the day of the event, beginning at 8:45 am.

For more information, contact Tony Miranda at 480-236-2955 or tjmiranda@yahoo.com.

On Saturday, Jan.15, Sacred Heart Church celebrates the 117th anniversary of its dedication. On the same date in 1905, Papal Legate (representative/missionary of the Pope) Archbishop Diomede Falconio, along with a consortium of traveling bishops and priests attended the 10 a.m. dedication. This would be among the first services held in the newly completed church, a ticketed event led by the Bishop of St. Augustine, Rev. William J. Kenny.

As written for the Tampa Morning Tribune’s Sunday edition on Jan 15., 1905, “the completion of this magnificent structure marks an important epoch in the history of Tampa, and its dedication today will be an event to always be remembered by the Catholics throughout America.” If the event that day was not remembered by all Catholics throughout the country, surely then by our many longstanding parishioners with ancestors that settled in our relatively young city.

Sacred Heart still serves as one of the oldest churches in Florida, and also as one of the oldest structures in our rapidly changing and expanding downtown core. We see five-star hotels and world-class office buildings raised in a matter of months as our city continues to grow, but like all good things, Sacred Heart’s construction took a longer period of time. Seven years in fact, from the date the foundation was poured in 1898 to the eventual completion in 1905. The reported cost was between $200,000 and $300,000. Adjusted for inflation, that is between $6.3 and $9.4 million today.

Discover more about the history of Sacred Heart by clicking here.

As announced at all Masses on Dec. 12, 2021, our Pastor, Fr. Stephen Mimnaugh, OFM, has been assigned by the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province to a new post at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York.

In lieu of any large gatherings ahead of his departure, Fr. Stephen will meet with parishioners outside the church following all Masses on Sunday, Jan. 16. Fr. Stephen will also preside over three Masses on Sunday, at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m. We hope you take a moment to wish Fr. Stephen well as you leave Mass.

The friars, Deacon Ray, and parish staff of Sacred Heart wish Fr. Stephen well on this new assignment.

Fr. Stephen’s final letter to Sacred Heart parishioners:

(Printed for 1/16/21 Parish Bulletin)

Dear Sacred Heart parishioners,

Nothing makes a change in liturgical season more present for me than putting on vestments of a color that I have not worn recently. Violet announces Advent and Lent. White arrives at the end of each preparatory season with the excitement and activity of Christmas or Easter. When the calendar calls for a return to green, I feel a sense of comfort pulling a green chasuble over my head after those vestments hung untouched. Ordinary Time announces that things will return to normal. I chose “normal” intentionally recognizing how our shared understanding of its meaning has evolved over the past two years. Was “new normal” ever a turn of phrase so commonly used as it is now?

I write this — my final bulletin note — while the church is still decorated for Christmas, anticipating that when I put on green vestments for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time it will be to bid you farewell. As I mentioned earlier, this change is occurring sooner than we had anticipated, and so I am feeling mixed emotions. I am saddened to know there are things I will not get to see firsthand. However, I am eager and excited to see my brothers, led by Fr. Mike as Pastor, continuing in their ministry here. I am also grateful for the many wonderful things I have witnessed in the 16 months that I have been privileged to serve at Sacred Heart. Your accomplishments as a community of faith have been truly uplifting.

When the new friars arrived in September 2020, things were very different than they are now. Half the pews were roped off; Mass attendance was a fraction of what it is now; live streaming required a camera and monitor in front of the sanctuary making Mass look like a TV set. All of us felt less connected than we do now. Even the anxiety of life before vaccines seems like a distant memory despite less than a year having elapsed. The world is seeing another wave of illness but one that is less anxiety producing than earlier waves. We have learned how to be members of the Living Body of Christ serving others while protecting the wellbeing of all.

Together we have created new ways of service through Giving from the Heart and discovered that in giving we truly do receive. Sacred Heart has been honored for its commitment to serving the community. After many years of effort, Catholic Charities opened Tampa Hope to serve the homeless and Sacred Heart will be a part of its future success. There are great things happening in Tampa and at Sacred Heart. Although I may observe these great things from 1,200 miles away, I am confident that great things will happen.

You have likely noticed that each friar has his own style of presiding and preaching. Some of you may have noticed that I have a fondness for one of the lesser-used options for dismissal at Mass. The Roman Missal give four options:

• Go forth, the Mass is ended.
• Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.
• Go in peace.
• Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord.

I typically use the fourth option. The Rule of the Franciscans begins with these words, “The rule and life of the lesser brothers is this: To observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…” The Gospel is not uniquely the Franciscan rule. It is the rule for all Christians. In John 13:34, Jesus gave us a simple commandment, love one another. Sacred Heart — so aptly and providentially named — truly follows this commandment. Thank you for teaching me how to do so better.

Peace and all good,
Fr. Stephen

Our own Fr. Mike Jones, OFM will assume the role of pastor on January 17, 2022, as described in a letter from Fr. Kevin Mullen, OFM, the Provincial Minister for Holy Name Province, regarding Fr. Stephen’s upcoming transfer. You can read both Fr. Kevin’s letter, and the announcement from Fr. Stephen by clicking the tabs below:

A heartfelt and humble thank you goes out to all of our dedicated partners, vendors, volunteers, donors, and staff who made Sacred Heart’s 2022 Homeless Outreach Event at the North Campus such a huge success.

Held Jan. 11, this was just the second event of its kind hosted by Sacred Heart, and the first since 2019. Originally scheduled for Sept. 2021, the event was postponed due to COVID concerns, similarly to why the event was unable to be held in 2020. Despite those challenges, organizers remained in contact and mobilized in droves last week to help address the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community.

Eighteen attendees were placed into housing directly from the event, with three others qualifying for conviction expungements, and dozens more linked to mental health, substance abuse, health and veteran services.

From shower trucks and haircuts, to health screenings and legal assistance, more than 100 attendees were assisted by the more than 25 service providers on hand, which included:

• ACTS
• Seace Law
• Heights Dental
• Tampa Police Department
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART)
• Hillsborough Co. Sheriff’s Office
• SVDP CARES
• Hillsborough Co. Government
• Early Learning Coalition
• 2 The Next Chapter
• Florida Blue
• Cove Behavioral Health
• AA
• Tampa Crossroads
• Hillsborough Co. Veteran Services
• Brandon Elks Lodge 2383
• Bikes 4 Christ
• Hunter Law Group
• Created Women
• Tampa Hope
• Catholic Charities
• Nzema Community Development
• Metropolitan Ministries
• Community Pet Project
• Family Health Care Foundation
• Unbroken Dreams
• Guided Path Foundation

Special thanks to organizers Felix Vega, Michael Fabianski, Don Murray, and all of our parishioners who volunteered!

View a gallery of photos from the 2022 Homeless Outreach Event Below:

In 2021, resilience, philanthropy, and determination were well and truly on display within the Sacred Heart parish community. As we continue to struggle with the unknowns that clouded much of these last two years, paths were forged by the parishioners, friars, ministries and staff of Sacred Heart throughout 2021, evidenced by dozens of successful outreach & donation campaigns and fellowship events.

• 2021 saw the continuation of our “Giving From the Heart” donation drives, with six separate events taking place throughout the year, and goods being collected for charities like Love INC, St. Vincent de Paul, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, and many more.
• Assisting our partners at Catholic Charities, the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the City of Tampa, we saw Tampa Hope, a new homeless rehabilitation facility, open its doors.
• Catholic Charities recognized the parish with its annual Angel Award, in part from efforts like those just described.
• We relaunched our choir, docent tours, and fellowship activities, providing a more familiar environment for our parishioners and visitors.
• Service awards were presented by the Diocese of St. Petersburg to parishioner Kathy Palmer (St. Jude Medal) and faith formation staffer Maria Giral (20th anniversary with DOSP) for their continued service to Sacred Heart and the broader Catholic Community of Tampa Bay.
• A new historical marker was placed in downtown Tampa by Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa recognizing one of Sacred Heart’s founding families and their role in the establishment of our parish.

Take a look through the blessings from 2021 in the gallery below. (Photos will load slowly)