116 th Anniversary of Gesù Catholic Church
What's new at Gesù in the decade since its Anniversary in 2009?
Gesù had a first Centenary ten years ago, celebrating it's foundation as a small wooden Church back in 1896, well before the incorporation of the City of Miami.

        In this last decade profound changes have taken place in Miami, and throughout the Church's surroundings. During these last few years Gesù has had to transform from a traditional residential parish to what today one would call a "transient parish". Gesù has accommodated to change while further enriching its apostolate in servicing Catholic needs throughout the area.
Miami's refreshing and powerful rebirth of its downtown in recent years is bringing back homes and families to live in the area. It is quite a change from the last three decades. Gesù Catholic Church lost many parishioners, who in the 60'5 and 70'5, move out of the area in an exodus to suburb parishes outside of the historical center of the city.

Now Gesù hopes to become again a parish with new residents in the area plus keeping also the character of "transient parish." We call it a "transient parish" because its is visited in its 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. schedule by tourists, Cruise vacationers, lawyers, bankers, government employees, Miami Dade College faculty and staff and business people.

As you can now imagine, today Gesù has two distinct groups of parishioners: during weekends, a small amount of local residents, with an extremely diverse representation of 35 countries, tourists and Catholics from other Miami parishes; and during weekdays, managers and employees of a wide spectrum of office activities.

In a modern day urban gestalt or "Big City" living, Miami is not different, from other cities. It generates a degree of loneliness that is peculiar to downtown environments. Gesù has restored a daily Confession Ministry (see Directory), where persons can share their problem, their need for human warmth, and be forgiven. We provide a compassionate apostolate through the Sacrament of Confession. Additionally, a Prayers League has been created to capitalize on the telephone medium for Catholic prayers.
A Charismatic Prayer Group
A Charismatic Prayer Group has been initiated as a support group. This "alive in the spirit" group meets every Saturday from 1:00 p.m. through 3:00 p. m. More that 30 members meet in our basement to praise God with music and prayers.
A Youth Group
A Youth Group has been instituted: IMAGO DEI. Adult young men and women, ages 20 and above, meet every Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the basement of the Church. The Spiritual Director of Imago Dei is Father Frank Permuy, S.J.
The traditional Jesuit Fathers' service vocation, at Gesù has modulated its dedication to address the needs of its 21st Century Big City reality into three distinct avenues since 1996: Assistance, Catholic Growth and Counseling.
Gesù, the "mother" Church of the Archdiocese, will continue, as in the last 110 years, to properly carry its mission of ministering the presence of Jesus Christ to the downtown Catholic. Our purpose is "to the Greater Glory of God."