St. Juliania Parish celebrates its 60th anniversary

The parish gathers its multi–generational flock for Mass celebrated by Bishop Barbarito and a party.

Representatives of ministries at St. Juliana Parish form part of the opening procession for a Mass Oct. 10 to celebrate the parish’s 60th anniversary. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrated the Mass and praised the parish for its livng example of faith, hope and charity.

LINDA REEVES | FC
Representatives of ministries at St. Juliana Parish form part of the opening procession for a Mass Oct. 10 to celebrate the parish’s 60th anniversary. Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito celebrated the Mass and praised the parish for its livng example of faith, hope and charity.

LINDA REEVES | FLORIDA CATHOLIC PALM BEACH BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 10.16.09

WEST PALM BEACH | Six decades ago, Anna Stevens was among the faithful who witnessed the birth of St. Juliana Parish as a community within the Diocese of St. Augustine.

“I was there when it was first founded, and I am here today,” a proud Stevens, 92, told the Florida Catholic during anniversary celebrations Oct. 10 at St. Juliana Parish, now a faith family in the Diocese of Palm Beach that celebrates its 25th anniversary this month.

Anna Stevens, 92, walks to the front of St. Juliana Church with her grandson, Alex Stevens II, on her left side and her great grandson, Alexis Stevens III, on her right during celebration of the Mass at St. Juliana Parish Oct. 10. Anna has been a parishioner since the church’s founding in 1949.

LINDA REEVES | FC
Anna Stevens, 92, walks to the front of St. Juliana Church with her grandson, Alex Stevens II, on her left side and her great grandson, Alexis Stevens III, on her right during celebration of the Mass at St. Juliana Parish Oct. 10. Anna has been a parishioner since the church’s founding in 1949.

“Four generations are here,” she explained about her family gathered for the 60th anniversary.

Stevens was part of a procession that began the evening. She slowly walked down the center aisle with her grandson, Alex Stevens II, on one side and her great-grandson, Alex Stevens III, on the other. They followed representatives of the parish’s more than 15 ministries, who carried colorful banners. Clergy and Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, main celebrant, processed at the end and walked up to the altar.

“It is a pleasure to be here to celebrate your 60th anniversary,” said Bishop Barbarito, as he greeted the crowd and opened the bilingual Mass.

The celebration was attended by parishioners and guests, and the evening featured beautiful music by the parish choir. St. Juliana’s pastor Father Alfredo Hernandez, parish clergy and priests from around the diocese were present and added to the evening.

“I thought it was breathtaking,” said Janie Messina, a St. Juliana parishioner and parish school secretary. “I brought my 3-year-old granddaughter. She was mesmerized. It was beautiful.”

During the evening, Bishop Barbarito praised St. Juliana as a model parish filled with faith, hope and love. He touched on the parish’s great diversity. Today, colorful St. Juliana has 3,000 registered families and an unknown amount of nonregistered congregants.

The parish in the southeastern section of West Palm Beach consists of a variety of people with roots in many areas of the world, and the parish with a school continues to grow in numbers, diversity and faith.

“St. Juliana has been a sterling image of living the faith in so many ways,” said Bishop Barbarito. “Thank you for being that family of faith. You are truly what a parish family is all about.”

A reception followed the Mass.

“It was beautiful,” said Sister Vivan Gonzalez of the parish, who is a member of the Religious of Mary Immaculate Claretian Missionary Sisters. Sister Gonzalez helped organize the evening. “It was a team effort,” she explained. “Everything was great.”

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