A Parish at the Heart of Lake Wales
Holy Spirit Catholic Church sits at 644 South 9th Street in Lake Wales, in the heart of Polk County. From a single location, a diverse Catholic community gathers year-round in English and Spanish to celebrate the Eucharist, prepare children and adults for the sacraments, distribute groceries and clothing to neighbors in need, and send volunteers into the prisons of central Florida. The parish traces its roots to a house Mass celebrated in 1915 and has called three successive buildings home since then; today it occupies a Spanish-style church decorated with murals by the Spanish artist José Agnar Ibáñez.
From a House Mass to a National Register Landmark
The first recorded Mass in the vicinity of Lake Wales was celebrated in 1915 by Father A. Latiolais, who traveled by horse and buggy from Sacred Heart Church in Tampa over sand trails to the home of the Jacob Kirch family at Starr Lake. For several years, Catholic families took turns hosting the priest every month or two. In 1924, the Club of Catholic Women organized in Lake Wales, and a year later, twenty families formed a building committee to raise a church at Highway 60 and 11th Street.
Ground was broken on March 13, 1927, and on December 11 of that year, Bishop Patrick Joseph Barry of the Diocese of St. Augustine dedicated Holy Spirit Church. The building was praised in the newspapers as one of Florida's most charming small churches, a mix of Mediterranean, Mission, and antique Spanish styles with a dome ceiling of sky blue lit to suggest the heavens. Father A. J. Salois became the first resident pastor in February 1928.
The Florida land boom collapsed in 1929, leaving the parish with a debt it could not pay alone, and the lean years of the Depression and the Second World War were weathered with the help of diocesan support and volunteer catechists. In 1961 ground was broken for the Academy of St. William, a school that opened in September 1962 under Dominican sisters from Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school later closed and the building was converted into a religious education center; it now houses the food pantry, the clothing ministry, the parish offices, and many small-group meeting rooms.
The liturgical changes of Vatican II reached Holy Spirit in the late 1960s: the Mass moved from Latin to English, altars were turned to face the people, kneeling rails were removed, and women took on active roles in liturgical services. Around the same time, Pope Paul VI created the Diocese of Orlando, and the parish was placed in the new diocese under Bishop William Borders. By the parish's fiftieth anniversary in 1977, the twenty founding families had grown to nine hundred registered households.
By the 1980s the original 1927 church, beloved but small, could not hold Sunday assemblies. A pledge drive began in February 1986, and on February 22, 1987, Bishop Thomas J. Brady blessed a new site on 9th Street. The Spanish-style building, adorned with murals by José Agnar Ibáñez of Spain, was dedicated on April 10, 1988. The final Mass at Highway 60 and 11th Street was celebrated on March 1, 1989; the keys were turned over to the Lake Wales Arts Council, and the city later converted the building into a cultural center, adding it to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in August 1990.
Over the years that followed, the parish added a Parish Center, a rectory, stained-glass windows in the sanctuary, and Pentecost and Marian windows, paying off the mortgage in March 2000. Father Luis S. Osorio was appointed parochial administrator in March 2022 and now serves as pastor.
Mass, Confession, and the Bilingual Rhythm of the Week
Daily Mass is celebrated Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:00 pm in the chapel. On Thursdays the chapel is open for Adoration at 11:00 am, followed by a Communion Service at 12:00 pm in the church. Confessions are heard on Fridays from 11:30 to 11:55 am and on Saturdays from 3:00 to 3:45 pm and 5:30 to 6:15 pm, with additional appointments available by calling the parish office.
Weekend Masses follow two seasonal schedules. During the winter (from the Sunday after Labor Day through Pentecost), the Saturday Vigil is offered at 4:00 pm in English and 6:30 pm in Spanish; on Sundays, English Masses are at 8:00 and 11:00 am, with a Spanish Mass at 12:30 pm. During the summer (from Pentecost Sunday through the Sunday after Labor Day), the Saturday Vigil is at 4:00 pm in English and 6:30 pm in Spanish, and Sundays bring a 9:30 am English Mass and a 12:00 pm Spanish Mass.
Mass is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel for those unable to attend in person, giving is available online through a secure portal, and a printable bulletin is posted each week.
Faith Formation from Toddlers to Adults
The parish's Faith Formation program follows the curriculum framework, benchmarks, and expectations of the Diocese of Orlando and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Classes are offered for children from Pre-K through Grade 12, with sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation running two full years. Sessions are held on Sundays from 9:00 to 10:30 am and from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Registration opens in February and the program begins in September. Families must be registered parishioners who have been attending Sunday Mass regularly for at least three months, and students must complete eighty percent of class sessions to receive credit for the year. A required meeting of all parents is held on the first Sunday of each month.
Adults who have not yet received the sacraments can enter the Rites of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), while children aged seven and older who need the sacraments can be enrolled in the Rites of Christian Initiation adapted for Children (RCIC). Both programs cover the meaning of the signs, symbols, words, and actions of the rites. Classes for young adults are offered in English and Spanish; children's classes are held in English.
The Family Ministry gathers parents and children on the first Sundays of the month at 9:15 am and 11:00 am, with invited speakers and discussion on topics that range from conflict resolution, time management, money management, and social justice to reflection on Catholic moral life and the role of the family in evangelization.
Youth and Young Adults
Following the guidelines of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Diocese of Orlando, the parish's Youth Ministry (for ages thirteen to eighteen) combines catechesis, community life, advocacy, justice, leadership, pastoral care, prayer, and worship, with programs that involve parents, foster parents, grandparents, and inter-generational parish activities. It includes small-group experiences, one-on-one mentoring, home-based resources, and the use of current technology for communication.
The Young Adult Ministry (YAM) gathers emerging adults from their late teens through their thirties, with members of varied cultural, racial, ethnic, educational, social, and spiritual backgrounds. The group meets monthly for faith enrichment and leadership training, attends the 11:00 am Mass together on the second Sunday of the month, volunteers once a month in liturgical ministries, mentors children in faith formation, and assists catechists. Members help build existing programs such as Sips of Faith and Bible Study, host social gatherings for Christmas, Halloween, and birthdays, and connect with YAM groups from other parishes and diocesan-sponsored events.
The Liturgical Ministries
When the community gathers, the celebration of the Eucharist depends on a wide range of lay liturgical ministers drawn from the parish itself. The parish draws its understanding of these ministries from Sacrosanctum Concilium, paragraph 29, which calls them to exercise their roles with "sincere piety and decorum." Liturgical ministries include Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Altar Servers, Sacristans, Hospitality Ministers (Ushers), Music Ministers, and Art and Environment.
Lectors proclaim the readings from God's Word clearly and reverently, rehearsing the assigned readings in advance and, for those who are new, working with the Liturgical Lector Minister to learn projection and delivery. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (at least sixteen years old, fully initiated Catholics) assist the priest and deacon with the distribution of Communion under both species and bring the Blessed Sacrament to the sick when no priest or deacon is available. They are formed through a diocesan workshop and commissioned by the Bishop for a renewable five-year term.
Sacristans prepare the sanctuary, vessels, books, candles, and elements for Mass and clean up afterward. Altar Servers (boys and girls in fifth grade and above who have received First Communion) lead the procession, carry the cross and processional candles, hold the book for the celebrant, and assist with incense when used. Ushers (at least fourteen years old) welcome the assembly, help with seating, take up the collection, distribute bulletins, and assist anyone with special needs; the ministry is a natural fit for families and for teens looking for service hours.
The Holy Spirit Choir leads the music, and the Art and Environment ministry (under Amelia Updike) prepares the worship space for every liturgical season - Advent and Christmas, Ordinary Time, Lent and the Triduum, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost - changing altar cloths, arranging flowers, and hanging decorations.
Food, Clothing, and the Margins
Outreach is woven into the parish's identity. The Holy Spirit Food Pantry, located on the first floor of the school building, distributes fresh produce, bakery goods, dry and canned foods, laundry items, and personal items to neighbors in need on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Because donations vary, only fifty boxes of food can be given out on each open day, and clients may receive food once a month. Volunteers fill boxes, stock shelves, and distribute groceries; the pantry is led by Raiza Torres, the Food Ministry Assistant.
Dorothy's Corner Clothing Ministry, named for the journalist and Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day, gives away clothing, shoes, bedding, toys, and books at no cost on Fridays from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. It serves the parish, the wider community, and, in partnership with the parish's Prison Ministry, newly released inmates. The ministry is run by Nick and Joan Ramirez.
The parish has been actively involved in prison ministry at Avon Park Correctional Institution for over thirty years. Three Catholic ministries operate inside the institution: a Tuesday-evening Communion Service for a small group of Catholic men in the Work Camp, a Catholic Catechism Class for about thirty prisoners in the Main Unit every other Tuesday morning, and a Wednesday-morning Mass celebrated by a priest of the Diocese of Venice for an assembly of about fifty to sixty prisoners. The parish also takes part in the ecumenical Kairos Prison Ministry, which meets with prisoners on the fourth Saturday of each month and twice a year hosts a special four-day retreat.
Walking with Mom's in Need supports pregnant and parenting mothers in difficult circumstances, and a separate Mom's Ministry shares ongoing news and reflections from that outreach.
Bible Study, Faith Sharing, and the Prayer Groups
Several small communities of faith meet around the parish throughout the week. Sips of Faith is a Sunday-morning Bible study led by Deacon Sam that breaks open the weekend Mass readings and applies them to the social and political context of the day; the group gathers in the Parish Center after the first Mass of the day, often with coffee and doughnuts served by the Knights of Columbus.
Faith Sharing meets every Saturday from 9:30 to 10:45 am in Room 8 of the school building, led by Deacon Joe, who mixes an explanation of the upcoming weekend scripture with humor. The Bible Study Group meets every Tuesday morning from 10:30 to 11:45 am in Room 8, working through ninety-six major biblical events - forty-eight from the Old Testament and forty-eight from the New Testament - also led by Deacon Joe. Both groups are open to anyone; sessions are independent and newcomers are welcome any week.
Renovación Carismática, the parish's Spanish Charismatic prayer group, meets on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, drawing on the gifts of the Holy Spirit for prayer, worship, healing, and evangelization. It is coordinated by Johnny Nasser and supported by Linda Dizon, the Director of Faith Formation. The parish also lists a broader network of prayer groups that meet on regular days and times, all open to anyone who wishes to join.
Knights of Columbus, Columbiettes, and Parish Life
The parish is home to a council of the Knights of Columbus and to the Columbiettes, who serve alongside them at parish events and social gatherings. Together they sponsor Friday fish fries during Lent and other parish fundraisers, and the Knights serve coffee and doughnuts after Sunday Masses. Holy Spirit Bingo is a long-running parish tradition, and the parish also hosts Italian Night, a St. Patrick's Day Party, the Harvest Moon Ball, a Bon Voyage gathering for snowbirds, and parish picnics each November.
The Young Adult Ministry and other ministries support the parish's celebration of Quinceañeras. The Bereavement Coordinator, Joyce Pettus, has been helping families bring their loved ones to their final rest for more than fifteen years, walking them through the choice of celebrant, music, scripture, eulogy, funeral bulletin, and funeral home arrangements. Families are encouraged to call the parish office to set an appointment.
The Building, the Gift Shop, and the Sister Diocese
The 9th Street church is the main worship space, with a separate chapel used for weekday Mass. The Parish Center next door houses gatherings, coffee hours, and ministry meetings, and the converted school building (the former Academy of St. William) contains the food pantry, the clothing ministry, and many of the rooms used for faith formation and small-group meetings.
A newly renovated Gift Shop, managed by volunteer Shirley Neumeyer, opens after each weekend Mass, and a Time Capsule and Parish Photo Gallery preserve the parish's visual history.
The Diocese of Orlando maintains a missionary sister-diocese relationship with the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic. Parishioners travel twice a year to assist with the work there, and any willing volunteer is welcome to join the trips.