Our History

The establishment of a parish church in Gainesville was a long time coming. Franciscan missionaries were the first to serve the area at San Francisco de Potano Mission northwest of Gainesville and Santa Fe de Tolaco on the Santa Fe River.

After the diocese was established in 1870, the area’s Catholics relied on visiting priests who celebrated Mass in private homes. The first recorded Mass was celebrated in the home of Mr. James Battie in 1862. Mass was celebrated in the homes of the Flynn family, the Smith family, and the Dell family, as well as in Mrs. Young’s Boarding House. In 1871, Bishop Verot celebrated Mass in Gainesville at the Beville Hotel.

In 1886, Bishop John Moore bought land from an African-American barber to build Gainesville’s first parish, St. Patrick. The name St. Patrick was no accident. Both the bishop and the first pastor, P.J. Lynch, were Irishmen. Within a decade, the church was thriving with 125 families and almost debt-fee.

Over the years, St. Patrick’s pastors also provided pastoral care to Cedar Key, Cross City, Hawthorne, Lake City, Madison, Starke, Waldo, Newberry, Alachua, Micanopy, High Springs, Williston, Interlachen, and Keystone Heights.

In 1919, Father John Conoley became pastor and began an outreach to the Catholic students at the University of Florida and built Crane Hall, a Catholic dorm, and began the campus ministry, which would eventually become St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center.

In 1950, Fr. William F. Balfe, with the help of the Matsko, Pierce and several other families, was able to purchase land from developer Hugh Edwards on NE 16th Ave with the intention of building a school. St. Patrick’s  School opened in 1959, and the building was completed in 1960. The school opened with 80 students, operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It is now an interparish school sponsored by St. Patrick, Holy Faith and St. Augustine parishes. Other area parishes send students and support the school as well. In 1992, the Sisters of St. Joseph ended their service. The school was enlarged in 1988 and again in 1994 with a building added for middle school classrooms, a kitchen and lunchroom, technology and science labs and gymnasium. Many of the school’s graduates go on to St. Francis Academy, the Catholic high school.

In 1965, Fr. Thomas R. Gross broke ground on a provisional church next to the school, and the original church location was abandoned. It was felt a new church was needed to support the community, and that it should be closer to the school. A rectory was built in 1968 by Fr. Bernand McFadden. The first church building was sold in 1970, and was later demolished. In 1973 the parish was divided to add Holy Faith parish to Gainesville.

In 2009, Fr. Roland Julien built a new permanent church, which is the 3rd building to house St. Patrick parish. The church offices and rectory were torn down to make space for this building. The older church building became the social hall of the parish. This hall serves the parish’s many ministries.

Currently, St. Patrick Catholic Church continues to be a busy, diverse, family-oriented parish. Active ministries include the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Council of Catholic Women, Knights of Columbus Council 6108, youth and family ministry, a thrift store and an evangelization team. The parish looks forward to the future and continuing to be a beacon of the Gospel in east Gainesville.