After almost 20 years, the parish of St. Faustina in Clermont has finally dedicated their new home. Bishop John Noonan celebrated the Mass as the community welcomed parishioners and guests on Feb. 4th to their long-awaited new building. It’s a journey that began back in 2006 with a gathering at a hotel banquet facility on Route 192. The parish was established by former Bishop of Orlando, Thomas Wenski, and founding pastor, Father Stephen Phillips. It’s the first parish in the US dedicated to St. Faustina Kowalska, founder of the devotion to Divine Mercy. Today, Father Ramón Bolatete has received the keys to the new parish, and is pastor of St. Faustina parish as they look toward the future they’ve worked so hard to build. The parish had to move four times over the years; the hotel, strip malls, a barbecue restaurant all served as the church home at one time or another as the faithful of St. Faustina searched for a permanent place to call home.
What a wonderful breath of relief and satisfaction Fr. Ramón and his parishioners are experiencing, and deservedly so. It’s a beautiful new building built to serve the Clermont area and beyond for generations to come. Welcome home, St. Faustina parish! Thanks be to God.