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Religion

Franciscans build urban ministry at a mainstay

In addition to weekly Mass at the 1905 church, Sacred Heart's new leadership will minister to TGH patients.

By ELIZABETH MILLER
Published August 19, 2005

"Where is the ocean?" he jokes to the students on their first day of school.

Father Andrew Reitz is referring to the irony that since moving to Florida he has yet to see one of its famous beaches.

Reitz is the new pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, an architectural and community mainstay of downtown for 100 years.

Last week, he introduced himself and the other new Franciscan priests to students at Sacred Heart Academy, the church's elementary school.

The new ministerial leadership marks a significant change for the 1905 church at Twiggs Street and Florida Avenue. Until now, it has been run by the Jesuits, a religious order of Catholic Church.

The Jesuits, like many religious orders, had been understaffed because of a general decline in those joining the priesthood.

At the same time, the Franciscan friars, headquartered in New York City, had been seeking to expand their ministry to a downtown parish in the South. After looking into parishes in Palm Beach, Richmond, Va., and Miami, they finally decided upon Sacred Heart.

Last month, Sacred Heart said goodbye to its pastor of six years, the Rev. Paul Osterle. Reitz and three other Franciscans moved into the rectory downtown.

Reitz came from Long Beach Island, N.J., Father Barry Langley from Wilmington, Del., Father Sean O'Brien from Loudonville, N.Y., and Father Roch Coogan from St. Petersburg.

"There's a special type of ministry to a downtown area because you're serving both the permanent community and the business community who works there," Reitz said.

In addition to their weekly Mass schedule, Reitz and the others will minister to patients at Tampa General Hospital. O'Brien will teach some of the religious education classes at Sacred Heart Academy - a rarity among Catholic schools, which these days rely on lay teachers.

Also different will be the priests' habits, modeled after the Franciscan friars' patron saint, St. Francis.

"St. Francis had a view that included all of creation - the sun, the earth, moon, animals. He stressed a simpler way of life that emphasized the connectedness of everything on earth," Reitz said.

The Franciscans will bring a new tradition to Sacred Heart: a blessing of the animals service held every year near the time of the Feast of St. Francis.

"One year, we had a zoo bring their goats - only they were late because the goats ate the directions," Reitz said with a laugh.

The service at Sacred Heart will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 2. The public is welcome.

Other plans include reaching out to the University of Tampa to determine interest in student groups and Masses; developing support groups for downtown business professionals; expanding the church's outreach programs for the poor, elderly and homebound; and continuing efforts to boost enrollment at Sacred Heart Academy.

Reitz would also like to develop a youth group and, as the downtown area grows, get more young professionals and families involved with volunteer activities.

Plans are still in the works to raise money to complete renovation projects, such as painting the inside of the church and updating the parish center. The church recently raised $2.8-million for renovations that included its most costly project: removing and releading the stained glass windows.

The Romanesque-style church, with its pillars, cathedral ceilings and stained glass, draws both parishioners and nonparishioners. The new leaders hope to bring positive changes to the church.

"This transition has its sadness, but people have been so warm and welcoming," Reitz said. "The Jesuits have a long tradition of service to Tampa and the state of Florida. We're here to build on this foundation."

[Last modified August 18, 2005, 11:46:08]