With hundreds looking on and cheering their support, Bishop Frank J. Dewane dedicated and blessed a new Parish Activity Center on March 30, 2025, Laetare Sunday, for Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Lakewood Ranch.
“We dedicate this Parish Activity Center of Our Lady of the Angels,” Bishop Dewane said. “We bless and open it today for the education and wellbeing of the present and future students and parishioners as they grow in faith, hope, love, and learning. May it be a place where students and parishioners will search for the wisdom that guides the Christian life and strive wholeheartedly to stand by Christ, their teacher, Your Son, Jesus Christ, who reigns forever and ever, Amen.”
Father Sebastian Szczawínski, Pastor of Our Lady of the Angels, said the new Parish Activity Center and rectory were made possible thanks to the enthusiastic support of the families who make up the Parish community.
“I am extremely grateful for your support, prayers and contributions,” Father Szczawínski said. “This activity was greatly needed for the various ministries but more importantly in faith formation, because we have more than 500 students.”
Bishop Dewane remarked that the new activity center is beautiful from the outside but what will make it most beautiful will be when the 500 students are settled in.
The Bishop also encouraged all to pray for those will enter and be educated for generations to come. “This building will be here for a long time. It is an accomplishment all of you have undertaken. Thank you for that.”
Following the dedication ceremony, the Bishop walked through the building, blessing each of the meeting rooms with Holy Water. Father Szczawínski also joined in the blessing of the building.
The faithful closely followed the Bishop through the building, with many taking photos or videos. All expressed their joy and wonder at the new building, with many remarking about how wonderful the facility will be for the students in religious education.
The activity center is more than double the size of the original facilities and will service the needs of an ever-growing community. The activity center will be a one-story building and will house 10 rooms of various sizes for use in ministries and programs. The new structure will serve the needs of the more than 500 1st – 12th grade Faith Formation students and support the more than 40 outreach ministries and groups of the Parish. The Parish Hall will remain and continue to be used for meetings and events as needed. A celebratory reception for the new activity center was held in the Hall.
The new 12,580-foot Parish Activity Center is located on the west side of the Parish property. In addition, there is a new duplex rectory for the Pastor and Parochial Vicar in the northwest corner of the property.
Our Lady of the Angels serves 3,730 registered families in the growing Lakewood Ranch community with seven weekend Masses offered during the peak season. Bishop Dewane recently decreed that a new Mission Church of Our Lady of the Angels be erected. That future Mission (St. Benedict) will be constructed on Diocesan-owned land at Lorraine Boulevard and University Parkway. For more information about Our Lady of the Angels, please visit olangelscc.org.
