WELCOME VISITORS AND NEW PARISHIONERS
Welcome to The Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea. Whether you are a visitor or new to our parish, interested in becoming Catholic, seeking to return to the practice of your faith or an active member of our parish, we are pleased that you have come to our website and we will do all that we can to assist you. If you cannot find the information that you are seeking on this website, please call our parish office 305-294-1018 or email us at stmary@stmarykeywest.com and we will make every effort to help you.
If you are a new parishioner, you are invited to stop by the rectory to register and let us know how we may be of service to you.
You are welcome to pray in the historic Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Stations of the Cross Garden, to adore the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Chapel and to visit our Gift Shop.
Pamphlets, leading you on a self-guided walking tour of the Basilica, are available at the entrance to the Basilica or you can visit our Web App at http://bsmkw.com on your mobile device.
Thank you,
Fr. Christopher Marino, Pastor (Email: fr.marino@stmarykeywest.com)
“With a hymn composed in the eighth or ninth century, thus for over a thousand years, the Church has greeted Mary, the Mother of God, as “Star of the Sea”: Ave maris stella. Human life is a journey. Towards what destination? How do we find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by—people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way. Who more than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her “yes” she opened the door of our world to God himself; she became the living Ark of the Covenant, in whom God took flesh, became one of us, and pitched his tent among us (cf. Jn 1:14).
Pope Benedict XVI from his Encyclical Letter, Spe Salvi
Help Build Our New High School
Online Gift Shop Now Open!
You may now purchase items and have them shipped directly to you. If you have visited our store and don’t see some of our items online, give us a call and we will ship the order to you.
Shop NowAll proceeds from the Gift Shop benefit The Basilica School.
NEW! Gift Shop/Uniform Distribution Hours
We will be moving the school uniform distribution to the Gift Shop. We will offer both religious gifts and uniform pickup for the school.
Current Gift Shop Hours
Mon-Thur: 9am – 3pm, Fri & Sat:
Closed, Sunday: 8am – 12pm.
For information, call Michelle Nelson at (305) 294-0651.
Uniform Pickup Hours
Hours coming soon!
Happy Birthday Father Marino!
Please wish Father Marino a happy birthday when you see him this weekend! His birthday is Saturday, July 27th.
Stewardship Opportunities—Ministries
All baptized people are called to share the gifts that God, in His Generous Mercy, has entrusted to them. This is called
STEWARDSHIP. Often referred to as Time, Talent and Treasure. Today I am inviting YOU to consider sharing your time and talent in the following ministries here at The Basilica. More to come!
Baptism Ministry
To assist the Baptism Coordinators in the organization and
hospitality on the day of Baptism Preparation Mass and Class AND to assist the Celebrant on the baptism day to set up, receive the families and be present as witnesses of the Catholic Community for the ceremony.
Marriage Formation Ministry
To assist couples on their journey to The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in collaboration with the Parish Priests as “Mentor Couples”. We will use the Fully Engaged Marriage Formation instrument supported by the Archdiocese of Miami (ADOM). Please read about Fully Engaged Mentor Couple information on the ADOM website.
Wedding Ministry
To assist the engaged couples in the Liturgical aspects (choosing the bible readings, etc.) of their wedding ceremony prior to the scheduled wedding date, conduct the wedding rehearsal AND assist the Celebrant on the wedding day itself to set up and oversee the ceremony.
If these ministries interest you, please email me and we will set up an appointment to discuss these and other Stewardship Opportunities.
Peace and Mercy,
Fr. Marino
SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jesus is describing God’s immeasurable generosity when He says in today’s Gospel, “Whoever asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; whoever knocks, is admitted.” But it should also be the description of us as Christian stewards—those seeking to follow Christ by using our gifts in service to others.
New Hours for The Sacrament of Confession
Saturday 4:30-5:30 pm (until the end of July)
5:30-6 pm (starting August)
Sunday
30 minutes prior to each Mass
7:00 am, 8:30 am, 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 6:00 pm
New!
Use your phone to scan the QR code to make a donation to The Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea.
Safe Environment Requirements
In order to volunteer, all parents/guardians must complete the requirements established by the Archdiocese of Miami for the safety of all children. The requirements include a Level II FDLE background check as well as completing the VIRTUS safe environment training.
The VIRTUS course is now available online. Create a Virtus account. Make sure that you list St. Mary Star of the Sea Basilica (School) as one of the places you wish to volunteer.
Read and sign (electronically) the Archdiocese’s Volunteer Pledge. It is part of the Virtus registration process. Complete the online Virtus class Protecting God’s Children. (It takes 60- 90 minutes to complete.) For more information, please contact our school’s Safe Environment Coordinator, Ms. Eileen Dolan-Heitlinger at edh@basilicaschool.com.
Religious Gift Shop
NEW HOURS BEGIN JULY 15TH
Mon: 8:00 am—3:00 pm
Tues: CLOSED
Wed 12:00 pm—6:00 pm
Thurs & Fri 8:00 am—3:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am—6:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am—1:00 pm
For more information, call Michelle at 305-294-0651.
Perpetual Adoration Chapel
Everyone is welcome to spend some quiet time with Jesus in our Adoration Chapel. May we take advantage of this great opportunity to be in the presence of the Body of Christ. Come and let Him transform you. If you are interested in participating, please call Maria Del Pino at (305) 587-3545.
Bereavement Meetings
If you are working your way through the grieving process from the death of a spouse, parent, child, sibling or friend, be reminded that grief support meetings are available to you every Thursday at 7:15 pm in the St. Francis Room of the Klaus Murphy Center. All bereaved are invited to receive support.
If you are interested in becoming a part of the leadership team for this ministry, please contact Velma Christian at the Thursday evening meeting.
SOS Mission
Every first Sunday of the month, we are distributing grocery bags to replenish the food pantry. We ask that you return the bags the following Sunday. You may place your non-perishable charitable donations in front of the altar under St. Joseph. Thank you for your generosity.
You are welcome to place your charitable donations of non-perishable food for the Star of the Sea Outreach Mission by the Saint Joseph altar. Thank you.
Gabriel Project
If you know someone who is pregnant or with a newborn and may need assistance, you can contact the Gabriel Project at: hello@gabrielprojectkw.com or by calling us at:786-492-2867.
“The Lord is with you do not be afraid.” Luke 1:26
Haitian Prayer Group
The Haitian prayer group has begun meeting on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Basilica.
The Basilica School: Fostering growth in spiritual,
academic, cultural, and social development.
To make a donation, please visit
www.basilicaschoolkeywest.com or call 305-294-1031.
CONTACT US
The Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea
Address
The Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea
1010 Windsor Lane
Key West, FL 33040
Phone/Fax
305-294-1018 Office
305-292-8096 Fax
Priests
Rev. Christopher Marino V.F., Pastor
Rev. Félière Louis, C.S., Parochial Vicar
Rev. John C. Baker, In Residence