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By the summer of 1946, the needs of the Catholic faithful living in Florida, particularly Miami, were served by the Diocese of St. Augustine in St. John's County, in Northeastern Florida.  In the city of Miami there were only five parishes: Gesu, St. Francis Xavier, St. Mary, St. Peter and Paul, and Corpus Christi.  The shortage of parishes forced many Catholics, who lived in the area west of N.W. 27th Avenue, to attend Sunday services at Gesu, in downtown Miami.  A parish in the neighborhood was needed!  Rev. Romuald E. Philbin was the priest appointed to come to Miami and study the feasibility of establishing a sixth, and new parish in the city.  Rev. Philbin, a young priest who had been recently discharged from the Navy after serving in the Pacific front, arrived in Miami during the summer of 1946 and immediately began

Monsignor Romuald E. Philbin

recruiting Catholic men and women to prepare the road for the establishment of the new parish.

Just six blocks west from the grounds where the new parish was to be established, at 54 N.W. 32 Place, there was a two story Mission style, Miami home, where Rev. Philbin was able to rent a room in the house's basement turning his small living quarters into the first rectory for the future parish.  He was also authorized to use the chapel of St. Joseph's Villa, a Catholic shelter for homeless boys located at N.W. 32 Avenue and 7th Street, to celebrate the daily masses for the faithful of the neighborhood. 

The number of prospective families grew by the late summer and, on Sunday, September 29, 1946, coinciding with the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, the first community Sunday Mass of the forthcoming parish was celebrated at the Miami Senior High School's Auditorium. 

On that day's Mass, the first collection in the history of the forming parish was taken.  Also, on that day, Sunday announcements included the implementation of a religious instruction course to be held at a private home, and the first meeting of the Altar Boy's Society and Choir which was scheduled for the following Saturday.  On October 27th, the first Sunday School and First Communion preparatory classes started. 

With the temporary assignment of Rev. Guillaume Aubuchom, the number of Sunday masses grew from two, to four.  Following his departure, Rev. Richard B. Washington and Rev. John R. Flinn were assigned to assist Rev. Philbin. 

With the approaching holiday season, new activities were organized, including a Christmas eve Mass in which over 1100 people attended.  The following morning, five Christmas day Masses were celebrated and the turnout was such that there was no room to accommodate all who attended the services.  

By the spring of 1947, the auditorium at Miami High School proved to be too small to accommodate the growing number of parish members, and with the newly formed Methodist Church also using the premises for their congregation's services, the need for a place to call "home" became a priority. 

Since building supplies were still very scarce and the new parish's coffers were nearly empty, there was not enough resources with which to build a church.  Rev. Philbin solved this problem.  It so happened that an Army chapel at Hendrick Field, Sebring, and an Army hospital ward at Camp Murphy, in Stuart, Florida, had been declared a surplus property and listed for sale at a very modest price.  With the help of several families of the parish, Rev. Philbin traveled back and forth to Stuart to pick up furniture and removable materials.  The structures were then disassembled into three main parts by a local construction company, and relocated to Miami on large flat-bed tractor trailers. 

To prepare the grounds for the reassembling of the structures, over one hundred men, women, and children, led by Rev. Philbin, gathered on Sunday, March 29, 1947, and cleared the field of trees, wild-growth, and weeds. 

During the summer of 1947, progress was made in the reconstruction of the Army barrack and hospital ward that were to serve as the new church.  Parishioners planted fruit trees, Carissa plum, and hibiscus plants on the parish grounds, making the parish's arboretum the focus of attention of the media. 

Pictures of parishioners preparing the grounds for the reassembling of the structures and reassembled Army Hospital Ward from Camp Murphy

On Sunday, August 15th, 1947, on the Feast of the Assumption, the first Sunday Mass was celebrated inside the partially reconstructed church.  Three weeks later, on the second Sunday of September, the Church was completely reassembled, just in time for the celebration of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

On the third week of September, 1947, His Excellency, the Most Rev. McDonough, summoned Rev. Philbin to the Diocese's office in St. Augustine and delivered the long awaited news, that the new parish was approved to become operational under the name of "St. Michael The Archangel Parish," and that Rev. Philbin was also appointed as the first pastor.  A recently ordained priest, Rev. Charles A. Bartok, was also appointed as the new parish's assistant Pastor.   

First mass in new parish

The boundaries of St. Michael's (as it became known to all), were established to encompass the area from the Miami River and 19th Avenue, to 12th Street S.W. and Douglas Rd., and from S.W. 8th Street west to N.W. 57th Avenue, and then north to N.W. 36th Street. 

The official inauguration date was set to be on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, Sunday, September 29, 1947.

St. Michael's continued growing in direct proportion to the demographic augmentation of the area.  Masses were increased in number and, once approved by the Second Vatican Council, Spanish Masses were included in the daily and Sunday schedules.  The parish's upturn was such that, by early 1962, three additional Masses had to be held every Sunday at the Dade County Auditorium, to the east of the parish's grounds.  Rev. Philbin requested permission from the Bishop of the recently formed Diocese of Miami, the Most Rev. Coleman F. Carroll, to commence a fund drive to build a new and permanent church building. 

On December 16 of that year, Rev. Philbin was elevated to the rank of Very Reverend, Monsignor. 

Approval was granted, and the construction project was assigned to one of Miami's leading architects of the time, Mr. Murray Blair Wright.  Ground was broken on March 15, 1964.  The structure was completed in August 1964 thanks to the efforts of Monsignor Philbin, the parishioners, and the generous donations of Mr. Victor Gatti, a philanthropist who donated large sums of money in loving memory of his parents, Angela and Stephen.  The building, with capacity of 1200 seats, was solemnly dedicated on December 13, 1964 by Bishop Carroll. 

Groundbreaking for new parish, March 15, 1964

Outside picture of the new parish, 1964

Rev. Sebastian Loncar

Inauguration and dedication of the new parish, 1964

Also, in 1964, a house located on the west end of the parish grounds, a structure that was formerly known as the Brighman estate, and which at that time was a funeral parlor, was purchased by the Archdiocese of Miami and remodeled into a rectory.  The purchase of the structure had not been an easy task, however, as years earlier, Monsignor Philbin's initial idea of buying it had been sternly opposed by the Bishop. 

St. Michael's Parish Rectory, 1964

Rev. Patrick Slevin

Historical records indicate that, during the 20's and the years of the prohibition, the house had been an establishment of ill-repute owned by a mobster named Gertie Walsh who owned other similar houses in the city.  The dwelling, and the scabrous activities that took place within its walls, served as the inspiration for several gangsters movies, police episodes, and thrillers made for television and radio.

Police records reveal that, even after the domicile was transformed into a funeral parlor, its reputation followed, and the place became the site of numerous raids by the Miami Police Department's Vice squads which suspected that illegal gambling activities were taking place inside. 

The edifice, described in Dade County Archives as of "fine masonry, vernacular style," is currently classified as a historically preserved structure.  The first priest to occupy the new Rectory was Rev. Joseph Cliff, whom Monsignor Philbin recruited to serve in the parish.  Rev. Cliff, originally from England, served in Cuba (Santiago de Cuba), and became a key friend, in the ensuing years, to the Cubans who arrived in Miami. 

A year later, in 1965, Rev. Patrick Slevin was appointed as new Pastor of St. Michael's, a position he held until 1969 when Rev. Xavier Morras was chosen by the Chancery to lead the congregation.  Rev. Slevin's term saw the birth of many parish groups that are in operation today. 

Parish's interior (metal chairs)                                Parish's interior (refurnished)

Under Rev. Morras' leadership, in February, 1971, the church's interior was furnished with new pews and carpeting.  The exterior walls were remodeled, painted, and in May, 1972, the church's parking lot and beautiful landscaping were designed and constructed.  The church building and its architect received the July 1973, "Building of the Month Award" from Mr. E. Pellot, Chairman of the City of Miami Committee on Ecology and Beautification, who presented the prize to Rev. Morras and Mr. Blair Wright on behalf of that organization.

In 1978, Rev. Morras was replaced by Rev. Jose M. Paz, a Spaniard who had lived and preached in Cuba, and who had firsthand knowledge of the different cultures of the area.  The church continued improving its physical, as well as its human structure.  On his first year as Pastor, the Christ on the Cross of the main altar of the temple, a master work of art made by the Italian artist Vincenzio Demetrio Figlio was obtained and set in place. 

Tragically on that same year, Monsignor Philbin passed away at North Miami General Hospital on Friday, July 14, 1978, at the age of 70. 

Rev. Xavier Morras                                                        Rev. Jose Maria Paz

In October, 1981, a monument of St. Michael the Archangel which was donated by St. Francis Hospital, was placed in the front of the church, and a great organ, which combines traditional pipe and electronic sound systems, was installed at a price of over $70,000-- money obtained from donations by parishioners.

St. Michael the Archangel Monument

Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament

The construction project was assigned to Porfiri Construction under the supervision of architect Ricardo Gonzalez.  Donations in the form of money and objects were received from all over the parish, and other parts of the city of Miami.  One parishioner, for example, donated the Christ on the Cross, a large sculpture for which she had no room in her home, and which had the exact dimensions that the chapel needed.  The Tabernacle, which is mounted in the wall that divides the Church and the Chapel as required by Canonical decree, was brought from Spain thanks to the business acumen of Rev. Eduardo Pastor, an assistant Pastor known for his enthusiasm and dedication to St. Michael's parish and its parishioners, and who has recently taken permanent residency at St. Michael's. Today, the names of over two hundred patrons are displayed in an appreciation plaque inside the chapel, as a historical rendition to their fidelity and devotion to their beloved parish. 

One of the most solemn spots in the parking lot is the small mount dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima.  This is now the assembly center for religious activities such as the reciting of the Holy Rosary, and the departure point for parish processions around the neighborhood. 

St. Michael remains committed to propagating Christ's message of love and equality to its congregation.  It is "a very active, ever changing, and revolving door-type parish," proclaims Rev. Paz.  With God's help and the protection of our patron, St. Michael the Archangel, this parish will continue serving Him here on earth.  Also thanks to the help of all the previous pastors, associate pastors, the parishioners, philanthropists, employees, and volunteers.

The history of St. Michael the Archangel was courtesy of Frank J. Piloto, Jr.  For more detailed information about the Parish and School, you can obtain a copy of "St. Michael the Archangel Parish and School: The First Fifty Years" from the Church Rectory. 

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