St. Jerome 50th Anniversary Parish Directory History
Like many parishes in Pinellas County, St. Jerome began humbly as a mission of the long-established St. Cecelia Church in Clearwater, within the Diocese of St. Augustine. In 1951, St. Cecelia’s pastor, Father Thomas Colreavy, began celebrating Mass in the American Legion Hall on Indian Rocks Beach. The Catholic community in this sleepy resort town amounted to just 25 families at the time.
The number of Catholic families in the community grew quickly, and Fr. Colreavy – recognizing the growth potential for the community – purchased two acres of land on the shore side of the Haven Beach Canal in 1954. The site was acquired through mission funds and included a cottage, a large garage, and a boathouse. It would become the first official gathering place for the Catholic family originally known as Indian Rocks Parish.
When Archbishop Joseph Hurley announced on January 4, 1956 that he was designating the new parish as “St. Jerome,” he knew that a pastor who would be passionate and able to guide the young parish into its own would have to be appointed. The archbishop’s selection of Father William Carroll proved to be a fine choice.
Archbishop Hurley specified that Fr. Carroll and his successors “must labor to make the Sacred Scriptures known and read,” much like Saint Jerome had done centuries before. Over the next three years as pastor, Fr. Carroll nurtured the burgeoning parish. His thoughtful guidance drew local Catholics, and by 1959, he felt moved to write to Archbishop Hurley. He noted that the attendance at the previous Sunday’s two Masses was 740 – a number that was impressive by itself, but that would surely be much greater if there was a parish church in which to gather. “All these good people dream and talk about a church and would, I am convinced, make great sacrifices towards the building of it...” he wrote.
Fr. Carroll also suggested to the archbishop that a new pastor be appointed. He had served the parish community despite relatively poor health, and recognized that a healthy young pastor would be critical to its continued growth. Soon Father Roman Gromala was named the second pastor of the young parish.
Upon his arrival, Fr. Gromala assessed the needs of his 125-family congregation. His immediate concern was the lack of worship space for daily Mass, as the American Legion Hall was available for Mass only on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. The answer, he discovered, was right before his eyes: conversion of the large, unused garage on the parish property next to the Haven Beach Canal.
Furnished with folding chairs, the new chapel could seat 60 for daily Mass. By April, a census of the new parish revealed 275 Catholic families now resided within St. Jerome’s boundaries.
Despite being just a few years removed from its infancy as a mission, St. Jerome Church continued to grow unrelentingly, and the need for a larger church could no longer be ignored. A fundraising drive was launched to raise the money necessary to build a church and a social hall on 20 acres of undeveloped land located on the east side of Hamlin Boulevard, which the Diocese had purchased three years earlier.
With his customary zeal, Fr. Gromala launched into planning the new church, incorporating many of his own designs into the final details. Plans called for a church that would seat 600 people, an attached social hall that would accommodate 250 people, and a kitchen. In addition to social gatherings, the hall would also be used to provide religious education classes for children and adults. The estimated cost for the new facilities was $150,000 – a seemingly enormous sum at the time, but ultimately a worthy and necessary investment.
Upon approval of the final plans, groundbreaking took place on Pentecost Sunday. Construction progressed rapidly, and the first Mass was celebrated in the new church at midnight on Christmas morning 1960 – an amazing experience for attendees, as the darkness was illumined by car headlights and flickering bulbs attached to temporary generators. The church was formally dedicated by Archbishop Hurley just three weeks later, on January 15, 1961. In less than ten years, the parish had grown from a handful to a churchful, with much more to come.
Despite cautious planning, the continued rapid growth of the parish in the following years confirmed that the single building housing the church, social hall, and classrooms was inadequately sized. In March 1970, plans were drawn up for a new parish center. The building was completed in early 1971 and proved to be an important addition to the growing parish.
Vital additions to the parish facilities followed in 1974. A new rectory building – including much-needed office space for the parish staff – and a west-wing extension of the parish center helped ease the previous limitations. With immediate needs met, attention shifted once again to the crowded church conditions.
Demographic studies of the Tampa Bay area predicted a surge in development and a population spike along the Gulf Beaches, and St. Jerome was already feeling the effects. In the decade since its dedication, the church itself had also become too small for the needs of the parish. As a result, in April of 1979, Fr. Gromala officially unveiled his plans for the construction of a new church and the conversion of the existing church building into classrooms and work areas. He wrote that it was “time for the final step to build a Church with ample accommodations to encourage people to come,” because having “suitable space promotes proper decorum, dignity, and devotion.” The success of the capital campaign was made a priority and, yet again, the steadfast parish family responded generously. And once more, Fr. Gromala dedicated himself to the planning of the new building.
The goal was to ensure that the entire complex would be a beautiful, artistic facility fitting for the worship and honor of Almighty God. The design consisted of a large central pyramid with three smaller satellites. The central structure would be the main area of worship with the altar at the northeast corner. The southwest pyramid featured the Holy Family Chapel, intended for daily Mass and continuous adoration, and was connected to the main church by a corridor that included rooms for a sacristy and vesting rooms for altar servers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. A stunning addition to the main church building was the classic pipe organ, constructed from other defunct instruments, and including restored pipes more than a century old. Additionally, elaborate hand-carved church entrance doors portraying significant biblical scenes were to be added.
On October 26, 1980, ground was broken and dedicated for the new church. Less than two years later, on July 15, 1982, the first Mass in the new building was celebrated. The official dedication followed on September 26. Bishop W. Thomas Larkin, principal celebrant of the Mass, wrote in the dedication program that the “new St. Jerome Church represents more than two decades of planning and sacrificing on the part of your people, and it will stand as a beacon of faith to remind all who see it that God is first in the lives of those who made this building a reality.”
In May of 1983, after 23 years as pastor, Fr. Gromala retired. He left an incredible legacy for the parish: in just two decades, he had helped to create a thriving model of Catholicity from a tiny church mission.
Monsignor Brendan Muldoon, the new pastor, was no stranger to strong leadership roles or pastoral work, having spent years serving both in his native Ireland and in St. Petersburg and Tampa. He accepted this appointment while serving the diocese as Chancellor and enthusiastically assumed the reins of this flourishing community. It was clear to him from the beginning that the growth and the needs of his new parish family would continue to expand into the foreseeable future.
One important early expansion would occur very soon after Msgr. Muldoon’s arrival in 1983, when a parishioner approached him with a story and a request. While serving in the Navy during World War II, Ed Fowler’s ship, the U.S.S. Rednour, was hit by a kamikaze attack while on nighttime anti-aircraft patrol during the Battle of Okinawa. The Rednour suffered casualties, but Fowler survived and became a salesman after the war. As they talked decades later, he told Msgr. Muldoon that he sincerely felt that God had saved him so he could do something more with his life.
With Msgr. Muldoon’s agreement and encouragement, Ed Fowler formed a parish ministry that would benefit the needy both within the parish boundaries and beyond. So began Lifeline Ministries: with a handful of parishioners meeting once a week to coordinate assistance for the poor and elderly within the local community, with an ultimate goal of raising the conscientiousness of their fellow parishioners to the very real needs of the less fortunate around them. Lifeline’s first major accomplishment came following a severe freeze that displaced migrant workers and farmers in rural parts of central Florida. Parishioners responded by loading up their own cars with donations of food and clothing, and then driving out to the missions nearest to those affected.
From there, Lifeline continued to increase its presence and its effectiveness. Donations of food, clothing, shoes, household goods, and books were all collected and dispersed amongst the neediest in the community. Volunteers offered transportation to the elderly and home-bound, ensuring that doctor’s appointments could be kept, errands could be run, and Mass could be attended on the weekend. Local donations were delivered to migrant areas like Arcadia, Dade City, Plant City, and Wachula, and in-community help was available for the needy in Indian Rocks Beach and Largo.
A separate but parallel ministry would follow, our Feed the Homeless program, which has also served the community well. This program has helped feed the homeless in our area for many years and, with the inception of Pinellas Hope through the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 2007, Feed the Homeless now does its work by taking a weekly turn by preparing meals and sandwiches for more than 200 people one night per week.
Over the next few years, numerous ministries and organizations continued to share the already-overburdened facilities on the parish grounds. Because Fr. Gromala’s previous plan of converting the old church building into classrooms and work areas had been foiled by revised county codes, the task of addressing the lack of adequate classrooms and gathering space on campus was left to Msgr. Muldoon. In the late 1980s, a new study assessed the feasibility of these desperately-needed additions. After careful planning, ground was broken for a new Education Building in April 1989. The Ed Building was designed to serve three primary purposes: to provide religious education classrooms and offices; to house an Early Childhood Center; and to function as a Senior Activity Center. When work was completed the following year, the facility was quickly a welcomed addition to parish life.
With each passing year, it became increasingly apparent that our youth ministry deserved individual recognition. In 1994, the parish established a LifeTeen Mass. With faith formation programs and religious education classes underway in the Ed Building, the LifeTeen Mass provided a wonderful worship opportunity for teenagers and young adults.
Over the following decade, Msgr. Muldoon shepherded his flock through the turn of the millennium. The buildings and grounds of our parish campus suffered the passage of time, too, and with more than 40 years of use under its proverbial belt, the campus began to show its age. Msgr. Muldoon set to work on creating a vision for the future: a plan to build where necessary, but principally to update existing pieces to ensure they would be useful for the parish family today and for generations to follow.
Keeping that blueprint for the future in mind, the first step was taken toward improving the aging facilities in 2004. After many years of working in a dilapidated double-wide trailer, a permanent parish office building was constructed – the completion of which offered religious and lay staff the space and conditions needed to better serve our parish family.
Just two years later, in 2006, St. Jerome parish paused to celebrate a major milestone: our Golden Jubilee. For fifty years, people had given of their time, talent, and treasure to build up the Body of Christ in this part of the Lord’s vineyard. Referred to as A Year of Favor From The Lord, we reflected on the amazing works we had accomplished through God’s grace over the past five decades. Celebrations included a Parish Mission, Gala Dinner Dance, a Jubilee Concert, and a Festival Day.
Our church has always been the centerpiece of both our campus and our faith. In 2008, we launched a capital campaign to create something new for our parish and to also further our celebrated community outreach ministries. The campaign was designed to build upon the accomplishments of those who came before us and to bring us into compliance with current liturgical norms. After prayerful consideration, a multi-year construction plan was created and implemented, the fruits of which are apparent today.
Step one included the construction of the 5,000 square foot Ed Kilroy Outreach Building, named after a former director of Lifeline. Because of this, our vital outreach ministries now have an appropriate space to meet in, which has dramatically increased the good works we do within the community. Our Toys for Tots group gives out more than 3,000 gifts each year to brighten Christmas for children who might not otherwise receive presents. We also host AA meetings three days a week, serving more than 300 people who are on the path to recovery. Increased emphasis has been placed on caring for the needy and less fortunate as – more than 30 years after its start – Lifeline continues to provide much-needed support today. Since the economic downturn of 2007-2008, increased local need has narrowed its scope to the immediate Pinellas County area. Even still, Lifeline distributes food and clothing to over 1,000 poor and needy individuals each month.
This campaign allowed us to finally address many other pressing needs by both beautifying and mod-ernizing the space we have. Demolition of the old church building, which was beyond its useful life and had become structurally too dangerous to be used, has opened up the front of the campus. It is striking to see – for the very first time – the pyramid church from the street. The verdant walkway and spectacular new courtyard serve as a peaceful contemplation area as families and individuals head inside for Mass.
The completely new church interior is even more impressive than the amazing changes made on the outside. The new Gathering Space serves as a great place for parishioners and visitors to convene before and after Mass. On September 23, 2012, we dedicated the centerpiece of the Gathering Space: a professionally-painted mural called “Florida’s First Mass.” It depicts the celebration of the first Mass in La Florida, held on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay on Easter Sunday in 1528 by Juan Suarez, OFM, the first bishop appointed in the territory of the present-day United States. He and his fellow Franciscans were sent to the area specifically to protect the local native population from the Spanish soldiers. This engaging work of art allows us to connect with our local past and reminds us of the Church’s humble beginnings in the “New World.”
Inside the church, reconstruction allowed us to add a center aisle, which we did not have before. Our new Baptismal font at the head of the center aisle reminds us that through the Paschal Mystery, we walk with Christ in newness of life. Our redesigned altar connects the priests more closely with the worshipping community, allowing the celebrant to be immersed in the people. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which now houses our beautiful tabernacle, is a true focal point behind the altar and keeps the Body of Christ in front of us both literally and figuratively. Even the newly-leveled terrazzo floor and new pews strengthen our bonds with one another and with God by improving accessibility and further fostering a sense of pride within our community. It is easier than ever for us all to meet and worship together. With our more inviting layout and newly refinished facilities, St. Jerome is prepared to continue to do what it has always done: nourish an ever-changing parish community while leading people in worship.
Many orders of religious have served the parish over the years and helped facilitate our ministries and outreach programs here. Notably, we have been blessed with the Sisters of St. Clare (who have attended to our pastoral ministry, ministry to the homebound, and religious education needs) and the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin (who have worked with our youth and religious education programs especially). We have included an expanded list of the religious who have served the parish throughout its history and wish to also honor each of them as we touch on several wonderful milestones we have shared here in recent years.
In May of 2011, Sister Lucia Brady, O.S.C., celebrated her Golden Jubilee – the 50th anniversary of the profession of her vows in the Order of St. Clare. Since coming to St. Jerome in 1997 as a pastoral associate, she has directed our RCIA program and directed or assisted several other ministries, all after a life time of teaching. The following year, we shared in the 25th Anniversary of associate pastor Fr. Frans Berkhout’s ordination to the priesthood. Although Fr. Frans was raised in Brooklyn, he comes to us by way of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was ordained and served as a school administrator.
More recently, on April 26, 2014, our very own Curtis Carro was ordained as a Transitional Deacon and spent the following summer here. He was baptized at St. Jerome and was an altar server here growing up. On May 16, 2015, he was ordained to the priesthood. But Fr. Curtis had already made an impact on life and liturgy here at St. Jerome. His training and first-hand experience with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program – a Montessori-style approach to religious training that we have adopted – has proven to be a wonderful tool for nurturing children’s prayer and spirituality through hands-on learning.
As a result, we have created a CGS “atrium” in the Education Building that is designed specifically to make it easier for children to learn about God and take advantage of the inherent inquisitiveness of their age. Msgr. Muldoon – who brought his dream of a full-time preschool program to reality in 1990 when construction of the Education Building was completed – has been a major proponent of this program and has attested to the positive impact it has had thus far.
In the summer of 2014, two more Golden Jubilee celebrations occurred: one for Fr. Gregory Reisert, OFM Cap, and one for Msgr. Brendan Muldoon. Fr. Reisert celebrated his first Mass at St. Michael Church in Brooklyn, and has held many interesting posts between New York and Maryland since then – including Provincial Vicar and then Vicar of the Capuchin Provincial Chapter for several years. In 2004, the Provincial asked if he would become the Administrator of the Capuchin Guest House in Seminole, which finally brought him to Florida and, ultimately, to St. Jerome. Since that time, he has been a blessing to St. Jerome parish, regularly assisting with our weekend Masses and answering the call whenever a pastoral need arises.
Msgr. Brendan Muldoon’s 50th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood took place on June 21, 2014. He was ordained at St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland, where he spent several years working in Galway parishes and managing a college. In 1969, he came to the United States and served at parishes in St. Petersburg and Tampa. In 1981, he was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and later Vicar General. While still working in the diocese in 1983, he became the pastor here at St. Jerome and just one year later, was elected as Administrator of the Diocese during a gap year in which there was no bishop. With numerous assignments that followed over the years, he became familiar with every aspect of diocesan life.
St. Jerome’s liturgical music program has been emphasized through the years. Since 1983, the parish has had two very talented music directors – Dr. Dennis Varley, who served from 1983 to 1989 and is currently the professor of music at DeSales University in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Tom Kurt, who has served since 1989. On April 28, 2015, both musical directors combined in celebration of the Mass of Thanksgiving, recognizing Msgr. Muldoon’s unwavering support of the program through original compositions, including some in his native Irish.
For more than 30 years, Msgr. Muldoon has guided his parish family as a humble, faithful steward of God, carrying on the vision of those who preceded him while still looking toward the future. We thank him for his loving leadership of St. Jerome, his ongoing work for the diocese, and for having provided a quiet constancy that enabled this family to continue moving forward with confidence.
This brings us to up to today. As the seasons change so too do we experience the changes brought on by Msgr. Muldoon’s retirement and getting to know our new pastor, Fr. Thomas Morgan. Fr. Tom has served as pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Tampa since 2007. He grew up in the area after moving from Louisiana to Tampa as a child in 1961. Fr. Tom attended Tampa’s St. Lawrence Catholic School from 1963 to 1972, and graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1976. Following studies at FSU, St. John Vianney College Seminary, and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Fr. Tom was ordained by Bishop Larkin in May 1984. Interestingly, Fr. Tom’s first pastoral assignment was here at St. Jerome in 1983 as a transitional deacon, and after ordination, he remained on as assistant pastor from 1984 to 1987. We welcome him back now as our new pastor and look forward with excitement to our future together.
The true beauty of St. Jerome Church is the people who live, work, attend, and volunteer here. In the past year alone, we celebrated more than 1,000 Masses with the more than 2,400 families who call this parish home. We also celebrated 50 Baptisms, 28 First Communions, 32 Confirmations, welcomed 13 new members through the RCIA program, 10 marriages, more than 500 Anointings of the Sick, and returned 56 people to the Lord during Funeral celebrations. The parish is more active and vibrant than ever, and we look forward to a continuation of our shared success and the celebration of all the blessings God has given us. †
A HISTORY OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS AT ST. JEROME CHURCH
Pastors -—
Rev. William J. Carrol 1956-1959
Rev. Roman S. Gromala 1959-1983
Msgr. Brendan Muldoon 1983-2015
Rev. Thomas Morgan 2015-2023
Rev. John Blum 2023-Present
Parochial Administrators --
Rev Joseph C. Pellegrino 1983-1985
Rev. Thomas T. Morgan 1984-1987
Rev. Robert Sherman 1987-1990
Rev. Robert Donlan 1990-1993
Rev. David DeJulio 1993-1996
Rev. Leonard Piotrowski 1996-2000
Rev. Gary Dowsey 2004-2007
Parochial Vicars --
Rev. Mario Romani 1968-1969
Rev. Bernard J. Caverly 1969-1971
Rev. John Morrissey 1971-1973
Rev. James Kiley, SM 1972-1975
Rev. John C. Murphy 1976-1979
Rev. Louie J. Reczek, MS 1976-1977
Rev. George G. Myszel 1976-1978
Rev. John T. Tracy, OMI 1977-1978
Rev. Benjamin B. Gorr 1979-1981
Rev. Charles E. O’Toole 1979
Rev. Ray B. Hughes, CR 1980-1981
Rev. Wilson DeFord 1981
Rev. Bruno Szymusiak 1982
Rev. Eugene Fekete 1982
Rev. Charles Casale 1983
Rev. Sean O’Sullivan, IC 1984-2003
Rev. Vincent McDonald, SCJ 1984-1985
Rev. James A. Bucaria 1985-1986
Rev. James Gigliotti, TOR 1988-1994
Rev. Kenneth Slattery 1994-1996
Rev. Kenneth Malley 2000-2002
Rev. Hugh Chikawe 2002-2007
Rev. Robert Wiseman, CSC 2007-2011
Rev. Frans Berkhout 2011-2018
Rev. Robert Cadrecha 2018-Present
Other Priests Who Served the Parish --
Rev. Sylvester Benedict, SCJ
Msgr. Dacian Dee, JCD, VE
Rev. Bernard Dillon
Rev. Gerard Doherty
Rev. Anthony Donahue, OFM Cap.
Rev. Richard Donaldson, OFM Cap.
Rev. William Kiefer
Msgr. John McCall
Rev. Eugene O’Hara, OFM Cap.
Rev. Gregory Reisert, OFM Cap.
Rev. Frank Sienna
Rev. Michael Simko, S.A.
Rev. Joseph Testagrossa, OFM Cap.
Rev. John Tuchlinsky
Transitional Deacons --
Deacon Thomas Morgan 1983-1984
Deacon Zbigniew Gawienczuk 1996-1997
Deacon Curtis Carro 2014-2015
Permanent Deacons --
Deacon William Mahood
Deacon Richard Nagle
Deacon Fred Kunder
Religious Sisters --
Noel Boggs, OP 1971-1972
Noella Finn, OP 1975-1976
Dorothy Russell, OP 1977-1988
Audrey Pate, OP 1978-1979
Betty Gibbons, OP 1990-1992
Catherine Allen, OP 1990-1996
Lucia Brady, OSC 1997-Present
Cecilia McDonnell, OSC 1997-2004
Helen Conway, OSC 2003-2008
Phyllis Shaughnessy, OSC 2009-2011
Like many parishes in Pinellas County, St. Jerome began humbly as a mission of the long-established St. Cecelia Church in Clearwater, within the Diocese of St. Augustine. In 1951, St. Cecelia’s pastor, Father Thomas Colreavy, began celebrating Mass in the American Legion Hall on Indian Rocks Beach. The Catholic community in this sleepy resort town amounted to just 25 families at the time.
The number of Catholic families in the community grew quickly, and Fr. Colreavy – recognizing the growth potential for the community – purchased two acres of land on the shore side of the Haven Beach Canal in 1954. The site was acquired through mission funds and included a cottage, a large garage, and a boathouse. It would become the first official gathering place for the Catholic family originally known as Indian Rocks Parish.
When Archbishop Joseph Hurley announced on January 4, 1956 that he was designating the new parish as “St. Jerome,” he knew that a pastor who would be passionate and able to guide the young parish into its own would have to be appointed. The archbishop’s selection of Father William Carroll proved to be a fine choice.
Archbishop Hurley specified that Fr. Carroll and his successors “must labor to make the Sacred Scriptures known and read,” much like Saint Jerome had done centuries before. Over the next three years as pastor, Fr. Carroll nurtured the burgeoning parish. His thoughtful guidance drew local Catholics, and by 1959, he felt moved to write to Archbishop Hurley. He noted that the attendance at the previous Sunday’s two Masses was 740 – a number that was impressive by itself, but that would surely be much greater if there was a parish church in which to gather. “All these good people dream and talk about a church and would, I am convinced, make great sacrifices towards the building of it...” he wrote.
Fr. Carroll also suggested to the archbishop that a new pastor be appointed. He had served the parish community despite relatively poor health, and recognized that a healthy young pastor would be critical to its continued growth. Soon Father Roman Gromala was named the second pastor of the young parish.
Upon his arrival, Fr. Gromala assessed the needs of his 125-family congregation. His immediate concern was the lack of worship space for daily Mass, as the American Legion Hall was available for Mass only on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. The answer, he discovered, was right before his eyes: conversion of the large, unused garage on the parish property next to the Haven Beach Canal.
Furnished with folding chairs, the new chapel could seat 60 for daily Mass. By April, a census of the new parish revealed 275 Catholic families now resided within St. Jerome’s boundaries.
Despite being just a few years removed from its infancy as a mission, St. Jerome Church continued to grow unrelentingly, and the need for a larger church could no longer be ignored. A fundraising drive was launched to raise the money necessary to build a church and a social hall on 20 acres of undeveloped land located on the east side of Hamlin Boulevard, which the Diocese had purchased three years earlier.
With his customary zeal, Fr. Gromala launched into planning the new church, incorporating many of his own designs into the final details. Plans called for a church that would seat 600 people, an attached social hall that would accommodate 250 people, and a kitchen. In addition to social gatherings, the hall would also be used to provide religious education classes for children and adults. The estimated cost for the new facilities was $150,000 – a seemingly enormous sum at the time, but ultimately a worthy and necessary investment.
Upon approval of the final plans, groundbreaking took place on Pentecost Sunday. Construction progressed rapidly, and the first Mass was celebrated in the new church at midnight on Christmas morning 1960 – an amazing experience for attendees, as the darkness was illumined by car headlights and flickering bulbs attached to temporary generators. The church was formally dedicated by Archbishop Hurley just three weeks later, on January 15, 1961. In less than ten years, the parish had grown from a handful to a churchful, with much more to come.
Despite cautious planning, the continued rapid growth of the parish in the following years confirmed that the single building housing the church, social hall, and classrooms was inadequately sized. In March 1970, plans were drawn up for a new parish center. The building was completed in early 1971 and proved to be an important addition to the growing parish.
Vital additions to the parish facilities followed in 1974. A new rectory building – including much-needed office space for the parish staff – and a west-wing extension of the parish center helped ease the previous limitations. With immediate needs met, attention shifted once again to the crowded church conditions.
Demographic studies of the Tampa Bay area predicted a surge in development and a population spike along the Gulf Beaches, and St. Jerome was already feeling the effects. In the decade since its dedication, the church itself had also become too small for the needs of the parish. As a result, in April of 1979, Fr. Gromala officially unveiled his plans for the construction of a new church and the conversion of the existing church building into classrooms and work areas. He wrote that it was “time for the final step to build a Church with ample accommodations to encourage people to come,” because having “suitable space promotes proper decorum, dignity, and devotion.” The success of the capital campaign was made a priority and, yet again, the steadfast parish family responded generously. And once more, Fr. Gromala dedicated himself to the planning of the new building.
The goal was to ensure that the entire complex would be a beautiful, artistic facility fitting for the worship and honor of Almighty God. The design consisted of a large central pyramid with three smaller satellites. The central structure would be the main area of worship with the altar at the northeast corner. The southwest pyramid featured the Holy Family Chapel, intended for daily Mass and continuous adoration, and was connected to the main church by a corridor that included rooms for a sacristy and vesting rooms for altar servers and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. A stunning addition to the main church building was the classic pipe organ, constructed from other defunct instruments, and including restored pipes more than a century old. Additionally, elaborate hand-carved church entrance doors portraying significant biblical scenes were to be added.
On October 26, 1980, ground was broken and dedicated for the new church. Less than two years later, on July 15, 1982, the first Mass in the new building was celebrated. The official dedication followed on September 26. Bishop W. Thomas Larkin, principal celebrant of the Mass, wrote in the dedication program that the “new St. Jerome Church represents more than two decades of planning and sacrificing on the part of your people, and it will stand as a beacon of faith to remind all who see it that God is first in the lives of those who made this building a reality.”
In May of 1983, after 23 years as pastor, Fr. Gromala retired. He left an incredible legacy for the parish: in just two decades, he had helped to create a thriving model of Catholicity from a tiny church mission.
Monsignor Brendan Muldoon, the new pastor, was no stranger to strong leadership roles or pastoral work, having spent years serving both in his native Ireland and in St. Petersburg and Tampa. He accepted this appointment while serving the diocese as Chancellor and enthusiastically assumed the reins of this flourishing community. It was clear to him from the beginning that the growth and the needs of his new parish family would continue to expand into the foreseeable future.
One important early expansion would occur very soon after Msgr. Muldoon’s arrival in 1983, when a parishioner approached him with a story and a request. While serving in the Navy during World War II, Ed Fowler’s ship, the U.S.S. Rednour, was hit by a kamikaze attack while on nighttime anti-aircraft patrol during the Battle of Okinawa. The Rednour suffered casualties, but Fowler survived and became a salesman after the war. As they talked decades later, he told Msgr. Muldoon that he sincerely felt that God had saved him so he could do something more with his life.
With Msgr. Muldoon’s agreement and encouragement, Ed Fowler formed a parish ministry that would benefit the needy both within the parish boundaries and beyond. So began Lifeline Ministries: with a handful of parishioners meeting once a week to coordinate assistance for the poor and elderly within the local community, with an ultimate goal of raising the conscientiousness of their fellow parishioners to the very real needs of the less fortunate around them. Lifeline’s first major accomplishment came following a severe freeze that displaced migrant workers and farmers in rural parts of central Florida. Parishioners responded by loading up their own cars with donations of food and clothing, and then driving out to the missions nearest to those affected.
From there, Lifeline continued to increase its presence and its effectiveness. Donations of food, clothing, shoes, household goods, and books were all collected and dispersed amongst the neediest in the community. Volunteers offered transportation to the elderly and home-bound, ensuring that doctor’s appointments could be kept, errands could be run, and Mass could be attended on the weekend. Local donations were delivered to migrant areas like Arcadia, Dade City, Plant City, and Wachula, and in-community help was available for the needy in Indian Rocks Beach and Largo.
A separate but parallel ministry would follow, our Feed the Homeless program, which has also served the community well. This program has helped feed the homeless in our area for many years and, with the inception of Pinellas Hope through the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 2007, Feed the Homeless now does its work by taking a weekly turn by preparing meals and sandwiches for more than 200 people one night per week.
Over the next few years, numerous ministries and organizations continued to share the already-overburdened facilities on the parish grounds. Because Fr. Gromala’s previous plan of converting the old church building into classrooms and work areas had been foiled by revised county codes, the task of addressing the lack of adequate classrooms and gathering space on campus was left to Msgr. Muldoon. In the late 1980s, a new study assessed the feasibility of these desperately-needed additions. After careful planning, ground was broken for a new Education Building in April 1989. The Ed Building was designed to serve three primary purposes: to provide religious education classrooms and offices; to house an Early Childhood Center; and to function as a Senior Activity Center. When work was completed the following year, the facility was quickly a welcomed addition to parish life.
With each passing year, it became increasingly apparent that our youth ministry deserved individual recognition. In 1994, the parish established a LifeTeen Mass. With faith formation programs and religious education classes underway in the Ed Building, the LifeTeen Mass provided a wonderful worship opportunity for teenagers and young adults.
Over the following decade, Msgr. Muldoon shepherded his flock through the turn of the millennium. The buildings and grounds of our parish campus suffered the passage of time, too, and with more than 40 years of use under its proverbial belt, the campus began to show its age. Msgr. Muldoon set to work on creating a vision for the future: a plan to build where necessary, but principally to update existing pieces to ensure they would be useful for the parish family today and for generations to follow.
Keeping that blueprint for the future in mind, the first step was taken toward improving the aging facilities in 2004. After many years of working in a dilapidated double-wide trailer, a permanent parish office building was constructed – the completion of which offered religious and lay staff the space and conditions needed to better serve our parish family.
Just two years later, in 2006, St. Jerome parish paused to celebrate a major milestone: our Golden Jubilee. For fifty years, people had given of their time, talent, and treasure to build up the Body of Christ in this part of the Lord’s vineyard. Referred to as A Year of Favor From The Lord, we reflected on the amazing works we had accomplished through God’s grace over the past five decades. Celebrations included a Parish Mission, Gala Dinner Dance, a Jubilee Concert, and a Festival Day.
Our church has always been the centerpiece of both our campus and our faith. In 2008, we launched a capital campaign to create something new for our parish and to also further our celebrated community outreach ministries. The campaign was designed to build upon the accomplishments of those who came before us and to bring us into compliance with current liturgical norms. After prayerful consideration, a multi-year construction plan was created and implemented, the fruits of which are apparent today.
Step one included the construction of the 5,000 square foot Ed Kilroy Outreach Building, named after a former director of Lifeline. Because of this, our vital outreach ministries now have an appropriate space to meet in, which has dramatically increased the good works we do within the community. Our Toys for Tots group gives out more than 3,000 gifts each year to brighten Christmas for children who might not otherwise receive presents. We also host AA meetings three days a week, serving more than 300 people who are on the path to recovery. Increased emphasis has been placed on caring for the needy and less fortunate as – more than 30 years after its start – Lifeline continues to provide much-needed support today. Since the economic downturn of 2007-2008, increased local need has narrowed its scope to the immediate Pinellas County area. Even still, Lifeline distributes food and clothing to over 1,000 poor and needy individuals each month.
This campaign allowed us to finally address many other pressing needs by both beautifying and mod-ernizing the space we have. Demolition of the old church building, which was beyond its useful life and had become structurally too dangerous to be used, has opened up the front of the campus. It is striking to see – for the very first time – the pyramid church from the street. The verdant walkway and spectacular new courtyard serve as a peaceful contemplation area as families and individuals head inside for Mass.
The completely new church interior is even more impressive than the amazing changes made on the outside. The new Gathering Space serves as a great place for parishioners and visitors to convene before and after Mass. On September 23, 2012, we dedicated the centerpiece of the Gathering Space: a professionally-painted mural called “Florida’s First Mass.” It depicts the celebration of the first Mass in La Florida, held on the shores of Boca Ciega Bay on Easter Sunday in 1528 by Juan Suarez, OFM, the first bishop appointed in the territory of the present-day United States. He and his fellow Franciscans were sent to the area specifically to protect the local native population from the Spanish soldiers. This engaging work of art allows us to connect with our local past and reminds us of the Church’s humble beginnings in the “New World.”
Inside the church, reconstruction allowed us to add a center aisle, which we did not have before. Our new Baptismal font at the head of the center aisle reminds us that through the Paschal Mystery, we walk with Christ in newness of life. Our redesigned altar connects the priests more closely with the worshipping community, allowing the celebrant to be immersed in the people. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which now houses our beautiful tabernacle, is a true focal point behind the altar and keeps the Body of Christ in front of us both literally and figuratively. Even the newly-leveled terrazzo floor and new pews strengthen our bonds with one another and with God by improving accessibility and further fostering a sense of pride within our community. It is easier than ever for us all to meet and worship together. With our more inviting layout and newly refinished facilities, St. Jerome is prepared to continue to do what it has always done: nourish an ever-changing parish community while leading people in worship.
Many orders of religious have served the parish over the years and helped facilitate our ministries and outreach programs here. Notably, we have been blessed with the Sisters of St. Clare (who have attended to our pastoral ministry, ministry to the homebound, and religious education needs) and the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin (who have worked with our youth and religious education programs especially). We have included an expanded list of the religious who have served the parish throughout its history and wish to also honor each of them as we touch on several wonderful milestones we have shared here in recent years.
In May of 2011, Sister Lucia Brady, O.S.C., celebrated her Golden Jubilee – the 50th anniversary of the profession of her vows in the Order of St. Clare. Since coming to St. Jerome in 1997 as a pastoral associate, she has directed our RCIA program and directed or assisted several other ministries, all after a life time of teaching. The following year, we shared in the 25th Anniversary of associate pastor Fr. Frans Berkhout’s ordination to the priesthood. Although Fr. Frans was raised in Brooklyn, he comes to us by way of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he was ordained and served as a school administrator.
More recently, on April 26, 2014, our very own Curtis Carro was ordained as a Transitional Deacon and spent the following summer here. He was baptized at St. Jerome and was an altar server here growing up. On May 16, 2015, he was ordained to the priesthood. But Fr. Curtis had already made an impact on life and liturgy here at St. Jerome. His training and first-hand experience with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program – a Montessori-style approach to religious training that we have adopted – has proven to be a wonderful tool for nurturing children’s prayer and spirituality through hands-on learning.
As a result, we have created a CGS “atrium” in the Education Building that is designed specifically to make it easier for children to learn about God and take advantage of the inherent inquisitiveness of their age. Msgr. Muldoon – who brought his dream of a full-time preschool program to reality in 1990 when construction of the Education Building was completed – has been a major proponent of this program and has attested to the positive impact it has had thus far.
In the summer of 2014, two more Golden Jubilee celebrations occurred: one for Fr. Gregory Reisert, OFM Cap, and one for Msgr. Brendan Muldoon. Fr. Reisert celebrated his first Mass at St. Michael Church in Brooklyn, and has held many interesting posts between New York and Maryland since then – including Provincial Vicar and then Vicar of the Capuchin Provincial Chapter for several years. In 2004, the Provincial asked if he would become the Administrator of the Capuchin Guest House in Seminole, which finally brought him to Florida and, ultimately, to St. Jerome. Since that time, he has been a blessing to St. Jerome parish, regularly assisting with our weekend Masses and answering the call whenever a pastoral need arises.
Msgr. Brendan Muldoon’s 50th Anniversary of Ordination to the Priesthood took place on June 21, 2014. He was ordained at St. Patrick’s College in Maynooth, Ireland, where he spent several years working in Galway parishes and managing a college. In 1969, he came to the United States and served at parishes in St. Petersburg and Tampa. In 1981, he was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and later Vicar General. While still working in the diocese in 1983, he became the pastor here at St. Jerome and just one year later, was elected as Administrator of the Diocese during a gap year in which there was no bishop. With numerous assignments that followed over the years, he became familiar with every aspect of diocesan life.
St. Jerome’s liturgical music program has been emphasized through the years. Since 1983, the parish has had two very talented music directors – Dr. Dennis Varley, who served from 1983 to 1989 and is currently the professor of music at DeSales University in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Tom Kurt, who has served since 1989. On April 28, 2015, both musical directors combined in celebration of the Mass of Thanksgiving, recognizing Msgr. Muldoon’s unwavering support of the program through original compositions, including some in his native Irish.
For more than 30 years, Msgr. Muldoon has guided his parish family as a humble, faithful steward of God, carrying on the vision of those who preceded him while still looking toward the future. We thank him for his loving leadership of St. Jerome, his ongoing work for the diocese, and for having provided a quiet constancy that enabled this family to continue moving forward with confidence.
This brings us to up to today. As the seasons change so too do we experience the changes brought on by Msgr. Muldoon’s retirement and getting to know our new pastor, Fr. Thomas Morgan. Fr. Tom has served as pastor of St. Lawrence Church in Tampa since 2007. He grew up in the area after moving from Louisiana to Tampa as a child in 1961. Fr. Tom attended Tampa’s St. Lawrence Catholic School from 1963 to 1972, and graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1976. Following studies at FSU, St. John Vianney College Seminary, and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Fr. Tom was ordained by Bishop Larkin in May 1984. Interestingly, Fr. Tom’s first pastoral assignment was here at St. Jerome in 1983 as a transitional deacon, and after ordination, he remained on as assistant pastor from 1984 to 1987. We welcome him back now as our new pastor and look forward with excitement to our future together.
The true beauty of St. Jerome Church is the people who live, work, attend, and volunteer here. In the past year alone, we celebrated more than 1,000 Masses with the more than 2,400 families who call this parish home. We also celebrated 50 Baptisms, 28 First Communions, 32 Confirmations, welcomed 13 new members through the RCIA program, 10 marriages, more than 500 Anointings of the Sick, and returned 56 people to the Lord during Funeral celebrations. The parish is more active and vibrant than ever, and we look forward to a continuation of our shared success and the celebration of all the blessings God has given us. †
A HISTORY OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS AT ST. JEROME CHURCH
Pastors -—
Rev. William J. Carrol 1956-1959
Rev. Roman S. Gromala 1959-1983
Msgr. Brendan Muldoon 1983-2015
Rev. Thomas Morgan 2015-2023
Rev. John Blum 2023-Present
Parochial Administrators --
Rev Joseph C. Pellegrino 1983-1985
Rev. Thomas T. Morgan 1984-1987
Rev. Robert Sherman 1987-1990
Rev. Robert Donlan 1990-1993
Rev. David DeJulio 1993-1996
Rev. Leonard Piotrowski 1996-2000
Rev. Gary Dowsey 2004-2007
Parochial Vicars --
Rev. Mario Romani 1968-1969
Rev. Bernard J. Caverly 1969-1971
Rev. John Morrissey 1971-1973
Rev. James Kiley, SM 1972-1975
Rev. John C. Murphy 1976-1979
Rev. Louie J. Reczek, MS 1976-1977
Rev. George G. Myszel 1976-1978
Rev. John T. Tracy, OMI 1977-1978
Rev. Benjamin B. Gorr 1979-1981
Rev. Charles E. O’Toole 1979
Rev. Ray B. Hughes, CR 1980-1981
Rev. Wilson DeFord 1981
Rev. Bruno Szymusiak 1982
Rev. Eugene Fekete 1982
Rev. Charles Casale 1983
Rev. Sean O’Sullivan, IC 1984-2003
Rev. Vincent McDonald, SCJ 1984-1985
Rev. James A. Bucaria 1985-1986
Rev. James Gigliotti, TOR 1988-1994
Rev. Kenneth Slattery 1994-1996
Rev. Kenneth Malley 2000-2002
Rev. Hugh Chikawe 2002-2007
Rev. Robert Wiseman, CSC 2007-2011
Rev. Frans Berkhout 2011-2018
Rev. Robert Cadrecha 2018-Present
Other Priests Who Served the Parish --
Rev. Sylvester Benedict, SCJ
Msgr. Dacian Dee, JCD, VE
Rev. Bernard Dillon
Rev. Gerard Doherty
Rev. Anthony Donahue, OFM Cap.
Rev. Richard Donaldson, OFM Cap.
Rev. William Kiefer
Msgr. John McCall
Rev. Eugene O’Hara, OFM Cap.
Rev. Gregory Reisert, OFM Cap.
Rev. Frank Sienna
Rev. Michael Simko, S.A.
Rev. Joseph Testagrossa, OFM Cap.
Rev. John Tuchlinsky
Transitional Deacons --
Deacon Thomas Morgan 1983-1984
Deacon Zbigniew Gawienczuk 1996-1997
Deacon Curtis Carro 2014-2015
Permanent Deacons --
Deacon William Mahood
Deacon Richard Nagle
Deacon Fred Kunder
Religious Sisters --
Noel Boggs, OP 1971-1972
Noella Finn, OP 1975-1976
Dorothy Russell, OP 1977-1988
Audrey Pate, OP 1978-1979
Betty Gibbons, OP 1990-1992
Catherine Allen, OP 1990-1996
Lucia Brady, OSC 1997-Present
Cecilia McDonnell, OSC 1997-2004
Helen Conway, OSC 2003-2008
Phyllis Shaughnessy, OSC 2009-2011