Hail, Virgin, dearest Mary. Our lovely Queen of May! Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, Writing to you from Saint Marys, KS to spend a little time with my mother. In the last few hours of this special month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, let us rejoice that we all have a Mother who loves us and always directs us to her Divine Son. It feels like just yesterday we had our First Annual Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii. For many, it was an introduction to the sacred image of Our

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, I wish to invite you to our third annual celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Pompeii next Friday, May 8th. At five o’clock in the evening, about 200 of us will gather around the new church, pray the Supplica, which is prescribed for only two days out of the year, process around the church, and then walk two blocks to our favorite restaurant where the chef will treat us to a Friday-friendly feast fit for king (and Queen.) You won’t want

In December, on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I sent an update to our readers. As we hit the home stretch, now is a good time to revisit her maternal words — “Am I not here, I, who am your mother?” Let us respond with trusting generosity to her loving call. Thanks to your faithful support, we have raised over 80% of the total funds for Phase II. This May, we're launching our 2026 Fundraising Campaign. The goal is to reach $7,000,000 by August 15th. This would put us i

“100% chance of rain at 5pm.” I check a text message from a choir member and look out the window two hours before showtime: overcast clouds - not good! Fr. Gardner offers the Votive Mass of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary with the Blessed Virgin's Banner on display. My son John and I in procession I wasn't too worried, though. When you start your day with a Missa Cantata it can't really be that bad. Hello everyone, my name is Alex Walker, and I help out Fr. Thomas manage the Pomp

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, Last night was outstanding. For those who were unable to be there in person, I'll recap a few of the highlights and updates. We received a check for over a million dollars. We will call the anonymous person "Bartolo Longo." Fr. Gardner does us the honor of unveiling the reinvigorated painting of the sacred image of Our Lady of Pompeii. Our Lord and Lady's crowns are now adorned with Swarovski crystals and the new deep hues are vastly r

We recently toured Precast and Restoration Services, Inc . in Jacksonville, FL to see how the stone veneer of the church was made. A special thanks to James Malenfant for helping us get the exact match. North Florida is not exactly known for natural rock quarries, and many have wondered where would we get the stone needed to encase the new mechanical room to match the existing limestone. Well, 103 years ago, a newspaper article memorialized the creative secret. Our predecesso

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, As we prepare for the Sacred Triduum, I look at things a little differently this year. Yes, the beautiful ceremonies are the same, but they are the end of a chapter in this chapel's history. Thursday will be the last time the Carpenter Gothic altar is stripped and readorned on the Third Day. Good Friday will be the last time the Crucifixes on the Rood Beam and back wall are unveiled during the adoration of the Cross. Saturday Night will be

The following Florida Times-Union article was published on March 4, 1923 The cornerstone of the Church of the Holy Rosary will be laid with appropriate services this afternoon at 3:00 o'clock. This new edifice will be erected on the corner of Laura Street and Cottage avenue. The impressive ceremony will be performed by Rt. Rev. Patrick Barry, bishop of the diocese of St. Augustine, assisted by the priests belonging to the different parishes of Jacksonville. Rev. Michael Ma

Bishop Barry Officiates; Large Crowd The following Jacksonville Journal article was published on March 5, 1923 A large crowd attended the ceremonies Sunday afternoon of the laying of the cornerstone of the new church of the Holy Rosary performed by the the RT. Rev. Patrick Barry. Assisting him were Knights of Columbus council number 648 and Bishop Kinney council of South Jacksonville, Troops 5 and 28. Boy scouts of America, were out for the ceremonies. The ceremony performe

The following Florida Times-Union article was published on February 19, 1986 By Barbara White, Staff Writer When he suffered a heart attack last year, Monsignor Andrew Shashy asked God to let him live to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. He celebrated that anniversary Sunday with a Mass and reception at Christ the King Catholic Church in Jacksonville. Afterward, Father Shashy had a heart attack. He died yesterday in Baptist Medical Center.

The following Jacksonville Journal article was published on February 25, 1961 By George Harmon, Journal Religion Editor -On March 05- A Roman Catholic minister who is the only one of his type in the United States will be honored here on March 5 at religious and social events marking the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. He is Rev. Andrew George Shashy, only priest of the Syrian rite of the Catholic Church in this country. Father Shashy has ministered t

Church of Holy Rosary Scene of Ceremonies The following Jacksonville Journal article was published September 23, 1944 A special high mass will be celebrated in the Church of the Holy Rosary at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning, by the Rev. Joseph Eid, celebrated author and linguist and pastor of St. Anthony's Church of the Desert, Fall River, Mass. Father Eid, who will conduct the mass in the Maronite Catholic rite, was brought to Jacksonville at the request of Lebanese and Sy

Catholic Head of Syrian Rite to Be Celebrant. The Florida Times Union article was published on November 26, 1937 Mass sung in Old Syriac or Aramusic, the language Christ supposedly spoke, will be heard Sunday by Syrian and Lebanon worshippers in the Holy Rosary Church, Laura and Cottage Streets. The Most Rev. Cyril George Dallal. Archbishop of Mosul, Irak, and head of the Syrian Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, will conduct the traditional and colorful service, which will

The following Florida Times Union article was published on October 21, 1923 in Jacksonville, FL. Will Be One of Finest Houses of Worship in Jacksonville, With Rev. Father D. A. Lyons in Charge – First Building in Jacksonville Finished Entirely in Arnold Stone – New Church Is at Corner of Laura and Cottage Avenue. First building to be erected in Jacksonville with an exterior First building to be erected in Jacksonville with an exterior which is finished entirely in Arnold sto

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, In Lent, we break ourselves down to see what is on the inside. With a certain amount of introspection, rotten bits are purged to ensure we adhere to a solid foundation. This is precisely what is happening in terms of site restoration. The stunning vaulted ceilings are one of the defining features of the church. We knew there was termite and water damage in other parts of the building, but how extensive was any hidden damage directly above

The following is Jacksonville Journal article written from 1965 A Jacksonville priest who is the only clergyman of Syrian Rite Catholicism in the United States will be be invested tomorrow as a "papal chamberlain," a distinction conferred on him by Pope Paul VI. A papal chamberlain automatically becomes a monsignor and may use the term "very reverend" in front of his name. Appointment as a chamberlain recognizes an outstanding member of the priesthood. Conferring the honor

The following is a transcript of a news article from The Florida Times Union, February 3, 1968. A Solemn High Requiem Mass for Gabriel Cardinal Tappouni, the first cardinal ever named from the Eastern Rites of the Roman Catholic Church when nominated by Pope Pius XI in 1935, will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Laura and Cottage streets. The celebrant of the Mass will be the Most Rev. Msgr. Andrew Shashy. Msgr. Shashy said Cardinal Tapp

Syrian Mass Translation Completed In Jacksonville Jacksonville Journal 1955 Sep 17 Page 16 The first English translation of the Holy Syrian Mass has been completed here in Jacksonville. At the request of the Rev. Andrew Shashy , pastor of the Syrian people at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the translation was undertaken by Joseph Redlinger, local scholar. The translation is intended to help the Syrian and American born to understand the Rite of the Holy Mass in its original s

The following is a transcript of a news article from The Florida Times Union, January 21, 1924. NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SPRINGFIELD DEDICATED FATHER JOHN CONOLEY PREACHES DEDICATORY SERMON; MANY ATTEND RAW, RAINY WEATHER FAILS TO CUT DOWN ATTENDANCE AT OPENING SERVICES IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY ATTENDS DEDICATION Divinity of Christ is Subject of Discourse By Father Conoley; Pontifical Blessing. Despite the inclement weather throngs gathered for the impressive ceremonies which marke

Dear Friends of Our Lady of Pompeii, January comes from the Latin word “ianua,” meaning door. This month moves us through time - from the past into the future. This door is a perfect opportunity to see where we’ve been and where we are going. From the outset, I don’t think any of us knew how big this would be. I don’t just mean repairing the towers and ceiling, but a deeper, much larger work that is still being uncovered. When Bartolo Longo first came to Pompei in 1872, he s