Address
8330 Johnson Street
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Contact
(954) 432-2750
(954) 432-2756
Social Media
Founded on June 17, 1971
History
On June 17, 1971, Archbishop Coleman Carroll announced the establishment of five new parishes in the rapidly growing Diocese of Miami. One of these was the parish of St. Boniface in Pembroke Pines, a city of 10,000 households. The first pastor was Father Jack Totty, who set up his rectory at 8541 Johnson Street, close to a recently acquired 5-acre plot of land. For the first two years, Masses were held at Boulevard Heights School and Pines Middle School. In October 1973, Father Michael Eivers was appointed pastor. The Diocesan Building Commission approved a plan for a Parish Center designed by architect Blair Wright. A multipurpose building designed to seat 700 was dedicated on Palm Sunday (April 11) 1976 by Archbishop Carroll. A new rectory and administration center was built in 1980 and a pre-school and ministry building in 1986.
The spiritual development of St. Boniface seemed to take off from the very day of the dedication of the Parish Center. On that occasion, Archbishop Carroll in his homily remarked, rather prophetically, “I sense there is something special going on here. It is something called Christian Community.” A first phase of spiritual growth (1975-1980) saw 800 members come into a conversion experience through Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The parish began to experience vibrant liturgy, a deepening of prayer life and expansion of ministries. In 1983, a prayer group of 450 to 500 was broken down into cell groups (small groups which meet in homes for prayer, sharing, teaching and Bible study). There were eventually 40 such groups operating with a total attendance of 500. Central to the spirituality of the parish was the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, started in 1982 and which took place weekdays, with many families committing to one hour each week of adoration. Evangelization was top priority in St. Boniface. A “Fisher Team” went door to door on a regular basis inviting the lapsed and unchurched to return. There were 67 ministries in the parish with 750 participants, all coordinated by Muriel Kroll. In 1983 the parish became a stewardship parish and was moving towards tithing. At the time, parish leaders were planning the implementation of the Diocesan Synod, specifically in the areas of RCIA and Pastoral Council. The clergy staff of St. Boniface Church at this time was Father Michael J. Eivers (pastor), Father Karunei Joseph (associate pastor, director of RCIA), and Deacon Perry Vitale (administrator and director of Pastoral Ministries).
Father Antonio Silió, pastor, came to us in March 1999. Under his guidance and direction, St. Boniface became a multicultural parish. In addition to English, the Life in the Spirit seminars were also presented in Spanish and French. The Cell Group system in the parish was also formed in those three languages. This contributed to an increase in the number of parishioners who attended the parish. Father Silió was in charge of reforming the appearance of our church and the exteriors.
On June 13, 2013, Archbishop Thomas Wenski appointed Father Fernando Orejuela, a member of the Order of the Immaculate Conception, as parish administrator, and on March 25, 2014, he was named pastor of St. Boniface. Father Fernando was born in Cali, Colombia.
Cuando St. Boniface fue establecida en junio de 1971, vivían más vacas que personas en los límites que bordeaban las orillas de los Everglades. El Padre Jack Totty fue su primer párroco. Las misas se celebraron en la escuela primaria local; luego en una funeraria; y más tarde en una iglesia metodista cercana, antes de que St. Boniface fuera dedicada en 1976.
Un grupo de oración, establecido en 1975 ha organizado más de 31 seminarios de Vida en el Espíritu, y más de 3,000 personas han experimentado la conversión. Es por esa razón que la parroquia se ha dado a conocer como una “Comunidad del Espíritu Santo”.
Los feligreses han establecido pequeños grupos de oración que han evolucionado hasta convertirse en el proceso de evangelización conocido como el sistema de células. Los seminarios de Vida en el Espíritu y el sistema de células permanecen como la base del crecimiento espiritual y apostólico de la parroquia.
Lè Sen Boniface te tabli nan mwa jyen 1971, te gen plis betay pase fi dèl ki t ap viv sou limit pawas la ki kouvri toutotou riv Everglades yo. Se Pè Jack Totty ki te sèvi kòm premye kire. Mès yo nan kòmansman te selebre nan lokal lekòl primè nan zòn nan ak nan yon mezon fi nèb, epitou na yon legliz Metodis ki te tou pre pou yon tan byenavan legliz Sen Bonifas la te inogire nan lane 1976.
Yon gwoup lapriyè ki te fòme nan ane 1975 jenere plis pase trantenyen seminè lavi-nan-lespri, ki ede plis pase 3,000 fè esperyans lakonvèsyon sa. Konsa, pawas la jwen repitasyon kòm “Komonite Lesprisen an.”
Pawasyen yo te etabli tou ti gwoup priyè ki vin fonsyone tankou yon sistèm Cellule pawas la, ki se yon metòd evanjelizasyon ki sèvi kòm yon fondasyon solid pou travay apostola ak kwasyans espirityèl pawas la.