Ministries Link, Energize
Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Ponte Vedra Beach    

By Shannon Scruby Henderson

On the first Friday of Lent this year, the Men’s Club fish fry at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish drew a crowd of about 1,000. In this highly connected faith community, over-the-top participation is the norm, not the exception, notes Msgr. Daniel Logan, pastor. “Our greatest strength is having so many ministries. People are actively involved at every level.”


Bishop Paul F. Tanner established Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish on Oct. 10, 1972. He named Msgr. T. Leo Danaher its first pastor. The parish has grown from 73 families in 1972 to 2,400 families today.

Msgr. Daniel B. Logan became the second pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea in 1999 and has overseen the development of a K-8 grade school and state-of-the-art Media Center for Advanced Learning.

The parish’s steady proliferation of ministries and participants is no accident. “Msgr. Logan grabbed me soon after he arrived and sent me to stewardship school; in fact, he sent me to several schools,” recalls parishioner Ernie Bono. “A lot of stewardship is about increasing ministries in a parish. So we did that. We pitched it to others and got them to step up and take leadership roles. We started CRHP (Christ Renews His Parish), and that has been a phenomenal thing. We’ve become more spiritual and more active because of these things.”

Dianne Giehrl, chair of the parish council, agrees that CRHP renewal weekends for men and women were the beginning of positive change. “We have such a warm fellowship, particularly in the last couple of years since CRHP began. I wouldn’t say that’s the only thing, but it’s really been a factor – particularly with bringing our retired parishioners together with our young families with children. In the past, they didn’t connect so much; now it’s like one happy family. It’s a very exciting time to be part of this parish.”

For Ed and Ceci Birk and their daughter, Our Lady Star of the Sea is a second home. “Being involved in the church is our biggest activity after work and school. Like most people at Our Lady, we’re transplants. People here didn’t grow up together – they come from different places. So we appreciate that the parish is a place to connect. Most of our close friends are from the parish community. It really has been transformed under Msgr. Logan into a very active church. People get to know each other and to be part of the community on a deep level beyond just giving each other a sign of peace at Sunday Mass. Everywhere you look, there’s some activity going on.”

“We just have so many ways to get involved,” seconds Giehrl. “The men’s group has been wonderful, providing a lot of family activities. There’s a seniors group that meets regularly. Father Remek has taken over the youth group. We also have a very active parenting ministry and M.O.M.S. (Ministry of Mothers Sharing), which is the first thing I joined in the parish. I did the women’s CRHP, too. Now, because I know so many people here, I walk into church and really feel part of things. As a matter of fact, one of our biggest ongoing challenges is finding enough space to accommodate all of our groups. It’s a good problem to have, I guess, but scheduling can get complicated – especially since there’s nowhere left to build meeting rooms or add parking spaces.”

An interior view of the altar at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Bono points out that Our Lady Star of the Sea, set in prosperous Ponte Vedra Beach, tends to be viewed by others as a wealthy parish. “I know we have that reputation, but the way we see ourselves is that we’re graced – graced in that we are able to give a lot,” he says. The parish invests in its own ministries; for example, a six-week video seminar by Dr. Kevin Leman offered by the parenting ministry culminated with a live appearance by Leman, an in-demand parenting expert. Another emphasis is social justice outreach to the wider community. “We tithe a percentage of our offertory to help groups outside our parish and we give to a mission in Africa,” says Bono.

“Parishioners here also give their time and talent generously,” adds Msgr. Logan. “We have a tremendous ministry to the sick, with a lot of people involved. Many others help the poor through St. Vincent de Paul. The important thing is that everybody is learning how stewardship works, that it changes lives when we work together to give our time, talent and treasure.”

Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish

Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish, est. 1972 545 A1A North Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 www.olsspvb.org Pastor: Msgr. Daniel B. Logan Parochial Vicars: Rev. Remigiusz Blaszkowski Rev. Glenn Charest Parishioners: 2,400 registered families The growth spurt that would transform quiet Ponte Vedra Beach was just beginning in 1972 – the year Msgr. T. Leo Danaher and 73 Catholic families began building Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish. Today, an impressive complex of buildings and parking lots sprawl across its 12-acre grounds on A1A North. At the center is the church, remodeled in recent years to accommodate the expanding faith community’s 2,400 families. Neighboring structures include the rectory, the Browning Education Center, a cultural center and the Little Stars Preschool. Dedicated in 1999, the parish’s K-8 school, named Palmer Catholic Academy after its major benefactor, sits on a satellite campus three miles south on County Road 210/Palm Valley Road. Our Lady Star of the Sea’s second pastor, Msgr. Daniel B. Logan, succeeded the late Msgr. Danaher in 1999.

Email questions and comments to: sac@dosafl.com