MIAMI | Remembering their humble beginnings and looking forward to a blooming future, hundreds of Mother of Our Redeemer parishioners celebrated their church�s 25th anniversary June 29.

�It�s always great to return home to be with your family and this parish is my family,� said Father Fernando Compaired, founding pastor, as he described the feeling of coming home.

Father Compaired was the main celebrant of the anniversary Mass of thanksgiving, accompanied by current pastor Father Jaime �Jimmy� Acevedo and several priests who have helped out at the parish over the past 25 years.

�This church is filled with a great love, enthusiasm and an incredible drive. It is great to be here and celebrate again with them on this monumental occasion,� Father Compaired said.

Established as a parish in 1988 by Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy, Mother of Our Redeemer serves Catholics who live north of the Miami Lakes / Hialeah area. The first Mass took place at American High School. The community then moved to a storefront at a nearby shopping center. From 1988 to 2005, Father Compaired led the congregation through the trials and tribulation of growth.

�I have been coming to this church since the very beginning. This is more than a church to me, this is my home,� said Jose Luis �Toby� Sanchez, one of the founding members of the parish. He was embraced by Father Compaired during the offertory as a grateful congregation erupted in cheers and applause.

After years of fundraising, the parish hall was built on the church�s permanent site, off N.W. 183rd Street just a few blocks east of I-75. The hall functions as both a meeting and worship space for a growing community, which currently numbers more than 1,200 registered families. Adding to its growth, in 2002 the parish added an elementary school, grades PK-3 through 8, which is staying on top of the technology trend by utilizing iPads in the classroom.

When Father Compaired retired, Father Acevedo took over as pastor. Nearly eight years later, he said he stills gets emotional when talking about how he was welcomed to the parish community.

�From the moment I got here, from the first weekend I celebrated Mass, it�s been love towards me,� he recalled. �I�ve always felt that love from everybody and that desire to make me feel a part of this family. What stands out the most about this parish community is their hospitality.  Everyone that comes to visit our church feels welcomed.  They feel this warmth that stays with them.�

Other priests who returned to celebrate with the congregation were Father Liam Quinn, now pastor of All Saints in Sunrise; Father Raul Quesada, Father Jaime Diaz, Father Jorge Cleto and Father Juan Rumin Dominguez, now rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami. At the end of the Mass, the priests stood side by side at the altar to greet parishioners and reminisce with them about their mutual experiences at the parish.

�I�m filled with joy and melancholy today. This Mass has stirred up all these great memories inside of me,� said Fela Nieves, one of the church�s founding members. �It was a lot of work getting this parish started but we always went forward filled with the spirit, believing that this was possible.�