Tampa, Florida: Mary Help of Christians Center
About the Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, Florida:
Run by the Salesians, the center was founded as a home for boys in 1928, but has since grown to be a place for young and old.
Mary Help of Christians Center is modeled after the Oratory of Valdocco in Turin, Italy, founded by St. John Bosco. The Oratory is a pastoral experience in which Salesians spend their time with youth: welcoming, evangelizing, preparing them for life and enabling friends to meet and have fun. Programs for youth are offered through the parish, on weekends, during after-school hours and throughout the summer.
Mary Help of Christians Church is home to a local parish within the Diocese of St. Petersburg, serving the Catholic community in the vicinity of East Lake. Daily Mass, a vibrant youth ministry and spiritual retreats are just some of the offerings for families and young people throughout the year.
The parish serves as a base for the Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa. The Salesian Boys & Girls Club, operated in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, serves neighborhood youth ages 5-18 with programs that help them to become productive, caring and responsible citizens. A fleet of buses bring youth to the Club every day. Mary Help of Christians Camp is a year-round facility that serves nearly 2,000 children annually.
For five weeks of the summer a daily program designed by the Salesians is offered for youth ages 9-15. The site is also used throughout the year by children ages 5-18 who are members of Boys & Girls Clubs in the five county area around Tampa Bay.
St. Philip Residence is a retirement community for Salesian Priests and Brothers who are involved in the ministry, even in their senior years.
Mary Help of Christians Church is part of the center and has approximately 200 relics that are available for veneration whenever the church is open.
In addition, there is a full size replica of the Shroud of Turin here in the church.
Traveling to the Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa, Florida:
Address: 6400 East Chelsea St., Tampa, Florida 33610
Tel: +1 (813) 626-6191
email: center@mhctampa.org
Click here for the official website of Mary Help of Christians Center in Tampa.