Overview
Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church is a Parish in Pensacola, Florida and a member of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. The church is located at 3131 Hyde Park Road, and the office at 1700 Conway Drive (32503). Saint Paul was founded in 1963 by member of Sacred Heart Church(located in East Hill) and a school was founded in 1964. The current Pastor of Saint Paul Parish is Very Rev. Craig S. Smith. The Parochial Vicar (associate Priest) is Rev. Stephen Olson. Saint Paul Church and School is known for its active community, powerful and engaging liturgies, very active school sports teams, high academic standards, and generous contributions to various charities as well as to the Diocese.
History
Saint Paul Parish was founded in 1963, by order of the Bishop, made up of the parishioners of Sacred Heart Church (now Cathedral). The ground-breaking of what is now referred to as Spartan Hall occurred on March 8, 1964 (Laetare Sunday) by The Rev. Fr. Frank Giri (for whom one of the current gathering rooms was named). On January 10, 1965, Spartan Hall, the school, and old rectory were blessed by Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen.
In 1964, Saint Paul Catholic School (K-8) was founded by the parish. In order to help start the school, Fr. Giri requested help from various holy orders that specialized in education, finally receiving help from the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Convent of Our Lady of the Angels in Pennsylvania. The school's first 8th grade class graduated in 1966.
Over time, more religious sisters came to assist in the administration and daily running of the school, eventually growing to 5 in number. Mr. Vincent Whibbs was kind enough to donate a new 1964 Pontiac to the sisters to satisfy transportation needs. On September 23, 1967, a convent was constructed on the Church property. The convent still stands today but has been converted into the parish office.
Other buildings constructed on the site prior to the year 2000 include a nursery and a gymnasium, which have now been converted into the Parish Hall, and Sindik Hall respectively; which both serve as event centers. In order to better serve the needs of the geographical area, Saint Paul opened the Church of Our Savior as a "multi-celebration center" on Old Spanish Trail Road in the late 1980's. However, by the 2000's, it was obvious the growing pains of the parish were stretching the limits of the physical campuses as well as the clergy and staff.
A few renovations were done to the school building in its lifetime. Initially, the school consisted of only 6 classrooms in one long hallway. Some small changes were made to specific rooms prior to 2000, but were minimal. In 2004, another wing was added on the south side of the building to accommodate middle school students.
In 2007, ground was broken for the "New Church" located on the Saint Paul campus (Hyde Park Rd.) by Bishop John H. Ricard. Many people were very supportive of the new church building, but others were saddened that the Church of Our Savior would be closed. The "New Church" was opened and consecrated to God by Bishop Ricard in late 2008 with more than 1,400 people in attendance. Along with the new church, a piazza, parking lot, school expansion, and new rectory were built.
In 2014-2015, another addition was made to the middle school that added 4 more classrooms.
List of Buildings on Campus
- Saint Paul Catholic Church
- Saint Paul Catholic School
- Spartan Hall
- Parish Hall
- Sindik Hall
- Parish Office
- Rectory
- New Gym
Building Design
Most buildings on the church campus vary from 1960's to 1980's style - the times in which they were constructed. However, the new rectory and church put more emphasis on aesthetics than the previous structures.
When asked what kind of church building they wanted, the congregation agreed on a gothic church, yet modern and uplifting with lots of light. This preference was more challenging than many because of a perceived conflict of interest. The Gothic style is usually one featuring more darkness due to smaller arched windows. Also, standard gothic style emphasized the height and length of the church, drawing one's eyes upwards toward a vaulted ceiling.
The product of the construction in 2008 has less gothic elements than initially anticipated, but is still hailed by many as magnificent. The one prominent traditional gothic feature is the Gothic arch, present everywhere from designs carved into the sides of the mahogany pews, to the roof support beams. Present also are many historical stained glass windows and statues taken from churches all over the world. Outside, a custom made mosaic of the conversion of Saul adorns the wall above the massive bronze plated doors that serve as the front entrance, both of which are covered by a steeple in the shape of a gothic arch, with a large circular window overlooking the piazza, which has a statue of Saint Paul in the center. Some of the more modern elements include skylights and the use of more vibrant colors like gold and blue.
The new church seats 1,200 people and provides a space for liturgies, private prayer, and concerts.
In 2015, an 1868 Baumgarten pipe organ was installed in the tribune and is used frequently during the celebration of Mass and other important events such as weddings and funerals.