Founding of St. Patrick’s Church on Miami Beach

The story of the early years and founding of the Saint Patrick's Church on Miami Beach, which celebrated Mass in a converted polo stable on June 2, 1926.

Cover: St. Patrick’s Church at 3716 Garden Avenue on March 19, 1933. Courtesy of Florida State Archives.

On June 2, 1926, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church held Mass in a converted polo stable on Miami Beach. Although the first Mass was celebrated in the Miami Beach Garden’s Theater on May 13, 1926, the June 2^nd service was conducted in what was to become a temporary home for the Catholic Church.

The parish was formally established on February 21, 1926, under the leadership of Father John J. O’Leary. However, just a few months later, on May 26, Father O’Leary was reassigned to a parish in northern Florida, and leadership was passed to Father William Barry. Although Father O’Leary had initiated plans for an ambitious $1 million Catholic church and parish school, those plans remained in their early stages when Father Barry assumed responsibility for the fledgling parish.

Figure 1: Headline in the Miami Daily News on May 26, 1926.

The stables where the June mass had taken place were donated by Carl Fisher to Father William Barry for use as a temporary parish and school for the newly established congregation. However, just before the school was set to open, a powerful hurricane overwhelmed the area on September 17, 1926, destroying the stables and severely damaging the grounds intended for both the church and school.

In response to the devastation, Father Barry and twelve dedicated parishioners set out to establish a permanent home for the church. They acquired twelve lots on which they built a parish church, rectory, school, and recreation hall. The cornerstone for the new church was laid on February 22, 1928, and the completed structure at 3716 Garden Avenue was formally dedicated on February 3, 1929.

Figure 2: Polo grounds at the Nautilus Hotel on Miami Beach in 1924. The converted stables were affiliated with the Polo grounds. Courtesy of Florida State Archives.

Resources:

• Website: St. Patrick’s Church Parish History

• Miami News: “Father Barry Will Succeed O’Leary Here”, May 26, 1926 (p. 15).

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