News

Join us for a joyous celebration of faith and community as the Filipino community of Tampa Bay gathers for Simbang Gabi (Christmas Novena Mass) on Monday, December 16, 2022, at 7:00 PM at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. This special evening marks the second of nine Novena Masses hosted by various Catholic churches […]

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone that joined us to celebrate Our Lady of the Divine Providence, Patroness of Puerto Rico. The food, cake, music and company was spectacular!Thank you to Carlos Flores, Director of Intercultural Ministries and Giselle Gillis, Director of Human Resources from the Diocese of St. Petersburg for […]

The Feast of Sto. Nino del Mundo will be celebrated at the 10:00 AM mass on Sunday, October 22, 2023, by Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and the Sto. Niño del Mundo Prayer Group. Father Hector Cruz, SM, will preside over the mass. The veneration of Sto. Niño, the Holy Child, has been […]

The Filipino-American community of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Tampa, FL will incorporate the celebration of the Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila on Saturday, September 30, 2023 at the 5:30PM Mass. Many thanks to the efforts of parishioners Jun and Gloria Biaquis, Jojie Vicedo, and to Rev. Hector Cruz-Lesbros, SM […]

God of the Universe, at the dawn of creation, your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. You created the oceans and rivers, and all that dwell within them, and at your word the wind and the waves were born. The seasons follow your plan, and the tides rise and […]

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) has announced that “abortion activists are working to gather petition signatures to place a pro-abortion constitutional amendment on the November 2024 ballot.” The FCCB has provided half-page “Decline to Sign” bulletin announcements (attached, in English and Spanish), which may be utilized in your various parish media channels. While […]

Lyle Polyak, Communications Director at St. Cecelia Parish, Clearwater, is working with local artists to present a month-long Christmas Art Show in downtown Dunedin.  If you have artistically talented parishioners who would like to participate in the event, please feel free to share the attached graphic.  All details are included in the graphic, and questions […]

To show your support for victims of natural disasters, we invite you to contribute to the Diocese of St. Petersburg Disaster Relief Fund here: www.dosp.org/disaster-relief-fund. This fund helps those in desperate need because of natural disasters, including victims of the recent fires in Maui. By joining together, the people of our Diocese can make a […]

On July 16th 2023, Fr. Hector Cruz, SM celebrates his 46th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination. From a very young age he felt the desire to consecrate himself and serve the People of God. He attended catholic schools in Mexico City until he graduated high school. He then entered the seminary of the Marist Fathers in […]

BIOGRAPHY Father Hector was born in Mexico City on May 7, 1952 – the oldest of nine siblings. He attended Catholic schools in that city until he was 18. He entered the Marist Fathers’ seminary in 1970 and was ordained a priest on July 16, 1977, in Mexico City. Right after his ordination he was […]

On Sunday, February 26th we celebrated the Rite of Sending for those who will be Baptized, Confirmed, and receive the Eucharist at the Easter Vigil! May God bless and strengthen the Elect as they continue their spiritual journey. El domingo 26 de febrero celebramos el Rito de Envío para aquellos que serán Bautizados, Confirmados yrecibirán […]

Everyone is invited as the Filipino community of Tampa Bay celebrates Simbang Gabi (Christmas Novena Mass) at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 7:00 PM. This will be the third of nine-day novena masses to be hosted by eight Catholic churches in the Tampa Bay Area and at […]

TAMPA – The campus of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ybor City used to be loud and busy. During the week in the from the late-1800s through 1960s, hundreds of students attended the church’s kindergarten through 12th grade school, helmed by nuns who lived in a campus convent. The church bell rung at noon […]

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church and the Sto. Niño del Mundo Prayer Group will celebrate the Feast of Sto. Nino del Mundo at the 10:00 AM mass on Sunday, October 30, 2022. The mass will be presided by Fr. Hector Cruz, SM. The veneration of Sto. Niño (the Holy Child) has been closely […]

While Hurricane Ian changed paths and the Tampa Bay area was spared direct impact, several areas of our diocese have experienced damage. Generous donors are invited to join together for those within our five-county area, helping parishes and people in our home diocese as we did in 2019 for those affected by COVID-19 and in […]

As the Tampa Bay area prepares for what could be a direct hit from a major hurricane, Bishop Gregory Parkes is calling everyone to prayer. In a newly released video, Bishop Parkes calmly recites a prayer for protection in the midst of a storm. Prayer for Protection during Hurricane Season O God, Master of this […]

Updated – August 2021 Below is a listing of the communities within our diocese, listed by county, which contain the name “Catholic,” but are not in union with the Roman Pontiff or the Diocese of St. Petersburg. PLEASE NOTE: This is by no means a complete list, as there could be other churches which belong […]

Luz María, Jose Luis and their 4 children (Mayra, Luis, Jesús and Vanessa) moved to Florida approximately 17 years ago from California to be closer to the rest of their family. They began to attend Our Lady of Perpetual Help because their relatives were parishioners here. Most of their children have also done their sacraments […]

Last Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 10:00 am, Fr. Héctor Cruz, SM celebrated a Mass where catechumens Julissa Martínez and Víctor Antonio Jiménez were sent to the Cathedral to send the Candidates to the Cathedral. On the same day at 3:30pm, at Saint Jude Cathedral, Bishop Gregory Parkes celebrated the Rite of the Elect. Along […]

When Christopher Columbus, commissioned by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, arrived in the Western Hemisphere in 1492, a long history of Spanish exploration and settlement in what is now the southern states of the United States began.  Early trips to the Western Hemisphere were greatly motivated by Spain’s desire to find new riches to finance […]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Change is all around us. We all experience it in our day-to-day life. We also see it within the life of our Church. It is when the world is changing we most need to place our trust in God who is our strength and our stronghold (Jeremiah 16:19). You […]