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The year was 1954, and Archbishop Joseph P. Hurley had a vision that one day in the future Catholic families would need a place to worship in the state of Florida. He traveled the Florida coast from Tallahassee to the Keys, purchasing property for the Diocese of St. Augustine approximately every ten miles. Flagler Beach fit within that boundary.
In the early 1950’s there were very few Catholics in Flagler Beach. For services they had to travel to St. Mary’s in Korona. In 1957, St. Stephen’s was built in Bunnell. Each Sunday, the Chancellor’s office in St. Augustine sent priests to the two churches to celebrate Mass for the Catholics in the area. Fr. Antonio Leon arrived in Flagler Beach in 1960 and served as the first resident Pastor for Korona and Bunnell. Still without a church in Flagler Beach, the Catholics traveled to St. Stephen’s for Masses, baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals.
The first Mass was celebrated on April 24, 1966 by Fr. Antonio Leon in a temporary chapel established in a building on the corner of A-1-A and North 7th Street. Mr. & Mrs. Tom Carmody offered this structure to Fr. Leon. The building had been vacant for some time and was in need of renovations. Stained-glass paper was applied to the windows, a wooden altar was constructed, the Lady of Good Council Church in Bakersville donated pews, a large crucifix from Germany was installed on the wall and a sign signifying the building as The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was erected.
Ground was broken for a new church on Central Avenue and 8th Street on June 14, 1970, at a cost of $72,000. Bishop Tanner requested that the church be called Santa Maria del Mar in honor of the voyage of Columbus to the New World. On October 11, 1970, Mass was celebrated at Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church for the first time. Bishop Tanner dedicated the new church on Wednesday, December 3, 1970. Fr. William Mooney was Master of Ceremony. Fr. O’Flaherty attended and recalled that approximately 40 people were present.
In June, 1974, Fr. Thomas Cody was assigned to Flagler County. Fr. Cody remembers that Mass could not begin at Santa Maria until Ed Cawe went outside to ring the bells and then sound the chimes inside.
In 1976, Bishop Tanner established two distinct parishes in Flagler County. One parish would include Santa Maria del Mar, St. Mary’s and the cemetery in Korona. St. Stephen’s, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the hospital in Bunnell would constitute the other parish.
Fr. Cody became Pastor in Palm Coast
in 1977, and Fr. Roland Julien arrived in Flagler Beach.
When Fr. Julien transferred to
St. Patrick’s in Gainesville in 1980, Fr. Anthony Sebra became Pastor of
Santa Maria del Mar. Fr. Sebra led the parish in the 3-year Renew program,
installed the parking lot, built the garage, renovated the Church, acquired
stained-glass windows for the door, and created a recreation area behind
the church.
Fr. Sebra left for Epiphany Church in Lake City in June of 1990, and Fr. John O’Flaherty was welcomed to the parish. Fr. O’Flaherty was born in County Kerry, Ireland, ordained on June 4, 1961, in Kilkenny, Ireland and came to Florida that same year. He served at four different parishes before coming to Santa Maria del Mar.
Extensive renovations were made to the church, increasing the seating capacity to 480. Santa Maria del Mar was then home to approximately 1200 people in the winter and 600 in the summer. Even though three masses are celebrated each weekend, they are filled to capacity. With that in mind, Fr. O’Flaherty set out to build a new church with a capacity of 1300.
Groundbreaking of the current church structure took place on May 9, 1999 by Father John O'Flaherty. Construction started on November 1, 1999. Official dedication ceremonies were conducted on October 22, 2000 by Bishop John J. Snyder. The architects were Junck & Walter, Jacksonville, FL, and the general contractor was The Fannin Company, Jacksonville, FL.
(Information taken from Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church Silver Jubilee document.)