Parish Capital Campaign: 

Preserving Our Past, Embracing Our Future

Fr. Bernie was a long and constant presence here at the parish, where he began his almost 30 years of service in 1991. Over the years, he presided at countless weddings, funerals, baptisms, first holy communions, first penances, and school Masses. In addition to the sacramental duties he so cherished, he supported the many social activities of the parish. He was a fixture at the annual Fall Festival, handing out extra tickets to whoever may need them. He was the spiritual director of Christ Renews His Parish (CHRP), a powerful ministry that transformed the lives of hundreds of Parishioners. Fr. Bernie was a vital force in the development and growth of the parish. Over his years here, he greatly assisted Fr. Cody in the many building projects that have made our Parish the landmark that is it. He continued this effort in our current Capital Campaign working tirelessly to help raise the funds to ensure our campus will serve the spiritual needs of the Diocese for many years to come. It is for these reasons that the second phase of the Capital Campaign will be dedicated to preserving His Legacy Phase II, The Legacy of Fr. Bernie seeks to raise an additional $1.75 million to:
• Complete the facility/grounds renovations
• Complete exterior restoration to the school gym
• Install a new gym floor and complete additional maintenance projects
• Repair and renovate the Historic Church
• Construct a new columbarium and improve the condition of the cemetery
• Establish a maintenance fund to protect our parish infrastructure
Learn More About Phase II

Current Construction:

• Exterior repairs and rehabilitation of the John Bell Gymnasium at St. Joseph School
• Finishing the interior renovation of the Main Church and Marian Center

• Roof Replacement and Exterior Repairs/Renovation of the Cody Family Enrichment Center
• Exterior Repairs and Roof Replacement of the Main Church - see links below!
• Interior Repairs and Renovation of the Main Church - see links below!

Main Church Exterior Renovations
Father John's Explanation of the Interior Renovations (Homily)
Before and After Interior Renovations of the Main Church
Explanation of Phase 2 (from Jan 24, 2021 Sunday Mass)
 

A special parish.  Since our founding in 1858, this remarkable parish community has witnessed the tremendous growth of the Mandarin community and served as an anchor of Catholic faith.  From the fruits of the first collection of $6.65, God has multiplied the offerings of the faithful to grow St. Joseph's to one of the largest Catholic parishes in the Diocese of St. Augustine.  He has sent inspiring, loving pastors who have nurtured the faith, administered God’s sacraments, and looked after the spiritual needs of our faith community.  Through multiple, faith-backed undertakings, successive generations of parishioners have built the magnificent parish we call our spiritual home.

A special time.  Building new facilities is exciting.  New possibilities inspire people.  The harder work comes in the diligent effort of maintaining existing facilities, in making the improvements and repairs necessitated by time, use, and the relentless weather of Northeast Florida.  St. Joseph's is blessed to have the bold leadership of Fr. Sebastian and his willingness to address a myriad of urgently needed physical renovations and repairs of multiple parish facilities.  These projects cannot wait any longer. There is great agreement in the parish; the time is now to restore God’s home and the facilities that support the ministries through which we express God’s love to the greater community.

A special request. The prior major fundraising efforts for St. Joseph's – to build the Main Church and then the Cody Center – benefitted from the leadership of a pastor with a long history at St. Joseph's and deep knowledge of the parish.  Fr. Sebastian must address the pressing needs without the time to build that reservoir of connections.  He must rely on those in the parish who hold a deep love for St. Joseph's and who have those relationships.  It is in that spirit that we ask you to prayerfully consider supporting this important campaign.

We invite you to view the many projects included in this capital campaign by scrolling through the presentation below.