On May 20, 1987, Bishop John J. Snyder, Bishop of St. Augustine, called Fr. Flannan Walsh to establish a new parish west of Gainesville effective August 18, 1987. The parish began with 200 souls and grew into a small, friendly community.
Fr. John Patrick joined Fr. Walsh in 1988 and in 1992, Queen of Peace Catholic Church moved into what is today known as our parish hall. In 1995, the parish began the process of building a new church and school. Fr. Jeff McGowan was appointed pastor in June 1999 and in 2000, Queen of Peace Catholic Academy opened its doors. Our first eighth grade class graduated in 2008.
On October 7, 2001, Bishop Victor Galeone dedicated our permanent church on the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The rose window, centered above the altar, is inscribed with the names of all registered parishioners as of the dedication date. Fr. Alberto Esposito was ordained a priest in 2001. His first assignment was Parochial Vicar at Queen of Peace Catholic Community from 2001 through 2006. In June 2018, upon the retirement of Fr. Jeff McGowan, Fr. Al was appointed as Pastor of Queen of Peace.
When people comment, “Queen of Peace is a beautiful church,” we might respond, “yes and the building is beautiful, too!” Our church centers us, calls us to community to proclaim our faith and our gratitude, but most essentially, together as the Body of Christ we are drawn closer into the magnificent mystery of God’s creative and loving Word made flesh, Jesus Christ.
In the fall of 2002, our parish entered the next phase of our spiritual journey by becoming a total stewardship parish. Stewardship is an expression of our discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives. We recognize God as the source of life, freedom, all we have and all we are. Our time, talents, and ability to earn an income all are gifts from God. In gratitude for all God has given us, we return a portion of it back to Him, and we invite our parishioners to live this stewardship way of life, trusting that God continues to provide for their needs. Our parish and Academy continue to be faithful good stewards to God’s message of stewardship. As a parish, we tithe 10% of our income to support other charities.
Just as our heavenly mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, said yes to God via the angel Gabriel, we at Queen of Peace enthusiastically say yes to our commitment to be missionary disciples of Jesus Christ to further the Gospel message and to be good stewards to each other, our community and beyond. This community of believers strives to meet the needs of our parish family, warmly welcome all and bring the works of mercy to our community. We thank God in advance for all that is to come. We welcome you and invite you to be a part of our journey.
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