Parish Community Wall – Christ the King

WELCOME, we are so happy to have you here with us! Whether you are visiting, looking for a new home of worship, or you’re one of our devoted parishioners, we extend the warmest welcome to each and every one of you. Christ the King is a vibrant, high spirited parish FULL of parishioners, staff, and volunteers who are devoted to Serving God, and Caring for His People, in fact that’s our mission statement! We serve with blazing conviction and reviving bravery, and we love with relentless endurance and unceasing devotion. Come be a part of this beautiful mission by getting involved in our unique ministries and events found right here on our website!

Here’s the latest happenings around Christ the King:

CTK

Fr. Len

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

Easter Vigil Part 2

Congratulations to our Catechumen who entered the Church today at the Easter Vigil by receiving their Sacraments of Initiation!! 🙏🏼 May God Bless your beautiful journey of Faith

Easter Vigil Part 1

Jesus Christ is risen and very much alive, burning brightly! Lumen Christi, Deo Gratias (the Light of Christ, Thanks be to God)

Tenebrae

“He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death, His death on the cross.”

Good Friday

“It is finished” John 19:30

Holy Thursday

“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13

Lenten Wheel of Sacrifice

Check out our 7th Grade RE class committing to a sacrifice on the Lenten Wheel, now that’s what we call Courageously Living the Gospel! They also reflected on the Stations of the Cross to prepare for Holy Week. Let’s go all in for the Lord during this last week of Lenten penance.

HOSANNA TO THE KING OF KINGS

Happy Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. Let’s tune our hearts towards Jesus, direct our gaze towards Heaven, and enter even deeper to the liturgy this week.

“They took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” John 12:13

Congratulations Max!

Congratulations to Max Jeffrey for receiving the Altar Server of the Year Award! You are a shining star and a gift to our community, thank you for your steadfast yes!

Welcome Little One!

“You are sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ’s own forever.”

Warmest wishes to the Knudsen family, whose little one received the Sacrament of Baptism this past month!

Living Stations of the Cross

Our CKS Liturgy Committee put on a reflective and powerful Living Stations of the Cross this past week! Thank you to all who came out, and to our wonderful students for serving God with fervent devotion.

159 Confirmandi!

It was a full house tonight for confirmation! Please join us in congratulating our 159 Confirmandi! We are so proud of all of their hard work, please keep them in your prayers! Come Holy Spirit, Come!

Family Fun Night

Wow! Last night was a blast at Family Fun Night! Hundreds of smiling faces filled the pavilion and field with laughter, love, and excitement- our community is truly one of a kind. Thank you to all the families that joined us!

Steward of the Month

Steward of the Month of February: Clara Berryman

Ever wonder who that sweet woman is who greets you with a smile and opens the door for you when you arrive at mass? Here name is Clara! She has been a member of Christ the King since 1956. Clara spent her career as an Orthoptist (experts in treating defects with eye movements) and just recently retired last spring.

She has served our parish as an Eucharistic Minister and for many years as a Sacristan. She says, “It is an honor to help in God’s Church.” Clara states it brings her so much joy to help others and gets much more out of donating her time than she gives. She would love to encourage more people to do the same.

Clara, thank you for radiating Christ’s love to all the people of Christ the King! We appreciate you! 🦋

Society of St. Joseph

The Society of St. Joseph gathered together for fellowship and prayer! Be sure to join them next time- Tuesdays at 6:00am in the MLC.

SSJ is a ministry where 100+ men come together for fellowship, engage in course material and discussion, deepen their faith, and strengthen their roles as leaders in their community.

Opening Your Heart

These fierce women of God gathered together for Walking with a Purpose’s Bible study: Opening Your Heart. Join us for the next meeting on February 21 at 6:00 PM in MLC A. 🌷 What part of your heart can be opened to the Lord?

Courageously Living the Gospel

Congratulations to our newest Stephen Ministers who participated in a Saturday retreat, where we focused on the heart of this caring ministry, and were commissioned at the 5:30pm Mass. If you are going through a difficult time and would like to meet with a Stephen minister please contact Mary Ann Edgar at Stephenministry@ctk-tampa.org.

Christmas Joy!

We hope everyone had a glorious Christmas season! We are so thankful for our wonderful parishioners, staff, and volunteers that continue to make Christ the King a vibrant and faith-filled community! We are starting the new year strong with opportunities for prayer, community, outreach, and fun!

Lovely Roses

Fr. Andrew and some of our wonderful parishioners were styling this beautiful Rose for Gaudete Sunday last week! Don’t they look lovely? On Gaudete Sunday, having passed the midpoint of Advent, the Church lightens the mood a little, and the priest may wear rose vestments. The change in color provides worshippers with encouragement to continue their spiritual preparation — especially prayer and fasting — for Christmas!

In Her Mantle

Thank you to all of our wonderful women for coming to our “In Her Mantle” retreat honoring our Blessed Mother! We loved praying alongside each of you.

CTK Parish Toy Drive

We had such a successful toy drive this year! Thank you for all of the donations that will be distributed to the needy children of our community.

St. Jude Award 2021

Congratulations to Dr. Hector and Claire Vila, this year’s recipients of the St. Jude the Apostle Award from ⁦Bishop Parkes. Thank you, Hector & Claire for all you have done and continue to do for ⁦our parish!

Organ Recital 2021

A remarkable performance from each of these outstanding organists from around the Diocese!! Bravo!! Thank you for coming to our Second Annual Organ Recital for the feast of Christ the King, stay tuned for the next one!

Gulf Coast Catholic Feature!

Did you know that the Diocese of St. Petersburg has a brand new website with relatable articles to help us on our faith journey? It’s called Gulf Coast Catholic! We are so grateful to be featured on gulfcoastcatholic.org with our one of a kind Organ and fabulous musicians! Read the article HERE!

Pizza & Praise!

It was a wonderful night of praise and worship for our families! Thank you to all who attended our first Pizza & Praise event!! Keep watching for the next one that we host!

Cornhole for Life

Cornhole for Life was one of our favorite events this year! Families gathered together to raise money and awareness for the Pro-life movement.

40 Hours Devotion

Religious Education students took precious time to sit with our good Lord during our 40 Hours Devotion last week.

40 Rosaries for 40 Days!

40 Days for Life does not end on day 40…During 40 Days for Life that took place September 22nd to October 31st, we asked families and Ministries to pray one rosary each day for an end to abortion and for the protection of all unborn children. So many gave their Yes! Thank you to all of our families & Ministries that participated in our 40 Rosaries for 40 Days. You are making a difference through prayer!

Music Ministry

The AGO kicked-off their season with a visit to Christ the King to see and play our newly remodeled organ. Pictured here are more than 30 organists from across Tampa Bay, including five student organists from Jesuit High School.

Women’s retreat 2021

Thank you to all the fabulous women who came out to our 2021 Women’s Retreat at the Bethany Center, it was truly lovely. Another huge thank you to all of our volunteers and the Sisters of the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ who put on such a wonderful weekend.

Oktoberfest is Coming!

All are welcome to Christ the King’s New Orleans style Oktoberfest!!! OCTOBER 23rd from 6-10pm

DEADLINE FOR TICKET SALES IS OCTOBER 14th!!

It’s been almost 2 years, and boy have we missed the excitement of gathering together for the best Bratwrust, Gumbo shrimp, chocolate cake, music, and dancing in town!! You won’t want to miss this comeback, it will be a night to remember!

Space is limited so grab some friends and buy your tickets now! See link for full details https://ctkoktoberfest2021.rsvpify.com

Blessing of the Animals

All things are PAWssible with God… which is why we love having our St. Francis of Assisi blessing for these special members of Christ the King! St. Francis’ Love for animals reminds us to have a reverence for all of creation and to take good care of all God graces us with! Thank you God, for our fuzzy, quirky, and innocent friends. A special thanks to Bosco, Siena, and Zoe for having fabulous poses for these pics! Have a PAWsome week!!

Ministries Dinner 2021

To all of our volunteers, Christ the King would not be the same without each and every one of you, THANK YOU! Thank you for your unceasing devotion to God. Thank you for your contagious conviction in loving God’s people well. Thank you for the reviving bravery with which you give your YES. Thank you for your servant’s heart. Thank you for your relentless endurance in fighting the good fight, no matter what your life may look like. We love you, we appreciate you, and know that you are SO LOVED!! It was an honor to serve you at our Ministries Appreciation Dinner on Friday, October 1st! We had a blast and we can’t wait for the next one!!

Service Saturday!

Last week during Service Saturday, High schoolers helped out around campus cleaning tables, preparing mailers, stuffing folders, and rolling silverware for our ministries dinner. Every month our Youth Ministry dedicates a service day to serve God. How wonderful is that? Next Service day is October 16th!

Artists in the Classroom

Our Wednesday Religious Education students had a blast in class yesterday! We love seeing the many activities they’re working on to grow closer to God. We may have some future artists in the bunch!

40 Hours Devotion

FORTY HOURS IS COMING BACK, October 26th-28th! The Forty Hours Devotion provides a wonderful opportunity for the spiritual growth of each person and the parish as a whole. In a world where temptation and evil abound, where devotion to the Mass and our Lord in the Holy Eucharist have declined, where the practice of penance and confession have been forgotten, we need the Forty Hours Devotion more than ever. Learn more & sign up today: https://ctk-tampa.org/40-hours/

College Dorm Drawing

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO LAWTON BRINKMAN AND IAN CURRAN!! These are our 2021 College Dorm Drawing winners! First place goes to Lawton, who will be receiving $100 from CTK, and Ian is our runner up who will be receiving $75, thanks to a generous donation from the Scanlan Family.

Sunday Café is Back!

Sundays full of Jesus , Community, and Donuts, what could be better? SUNDAY CAFÉ RETURNS THIS WEEKEND, August 22nd. Be sure to grab a donut on your way out of Mass this weekend • Sunday Café is held after all the morning Masses in St. Michael’s Courtyard.

A Beautiful Baptism

God is good, all the time! What a blessing it was to be able to witness these wonderful babies entering into their first sacrament. Congratulations families, know that we are praying for you.

CTK’s Got Talent

Presenting: CTK’s Got Talent Private auditions! Do you have a gift of singing and have always wanted to serve in our vibrant choir? Now is your chance! CTK is holding private auditions on the evenings of August 23, 25 & 26th. Click HERE for more information!

Camp Covecrest!

Come, Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, we praise your almighty name. A name that is above every name and a name that has won every battle. Jesus, your name is powerful and victorious. We praise you for the time of fellowship, prayer, and growth during our time at Covecrest. We ask that you keep our fire aflame for you, for all of eternity. Grant us the grace to serve you well. We love you. We ask Mother Mary to wrap us in her mantle, and pour out her graces upon us always. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Good Samaritan Project

The Good Samaritan Project was a success! Thank you teens, for loving God well by serving Him with true devotion.

Great Job, 6th Graders!

Our 6th grade VBS students are serving our Lord with so much goodness and strength! Yesterday, they learned about the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and then assembled toiletry bags to hand out to Outreach Recipients in our community. Today, they did a PHENOMAL job sorting food at Feeding Tampa Bay. Thank you 6th graders, for all the love you are putting into serving our Lord!

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

VBS DAY 1

Day 1 of VBS complete!! Our students had a blast in worship, prayer, and community. We can’t wait for tomorrow!!

Music Choir

What was your favorite song at Mass this season? Thank you to our parish choirs for leading our wonderful music at Mass this past season! Three of our four groups have now begun their customary summer recess and will re-group in August. If you sing well, watch the bulletin for info on choir try-outs.

For more information on joining our choir ministry, please contact Stephen Banyra at sbanyra@ctk-tampa.org.

Pentecost

We saw you working those RED outfits!! You looked absolutely amazing at Mass this weekend and we really enjoyed celebrating Mass with you! Here are some of our most favorite and tender moments from Pentecost.

Here’s a prayer we’ve been praying with this season that fits right in for today: Come, Holy Spirit. We offer this day and this life to you, place us where you need us. Surprise us, guide us, and reignite in us the flame of zeal to serve God with blazing conviction, reviving bravery, relentless endurance, and unceasing devotion. Come, Holy Spirit, and bring to life the gifts of our baptism. Through Jesus Christ, our beloved Lord, Amen.

Welcome, New Parishioners

We had a blast welcoming some of our newest parishioners at our New Parishioner Reception on May 20th! Thank you to everyone who came out!! Stay tuned for the next one: June 24th at 6:00pm

30 Years!

Happy 30th Anniversary of your Ordination Day Fr.Len! Thank you for your relentless devotion and selfless love that you continuously give to our community. We are so grateful for you!!!

Vespers

We shared a beautiful evening of night prayer on the Vigil for Ordination of (now) Fr. Izzie Hernandez this past Friday. Congratulations!! Please keep Fr. Izzie Hernandez in your prayers

Our Lady of Fatima,

O’ Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of the most holy Rosary, you were pleased to appear to the children of Fatima and reveal a glorious message. We implore you, inspire in our hearts a fervent love for the recitation of the Rosary. By meditating on the mysteries of the redemption that are recalled therein may we obtain the graces and virtues that we ask, through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

Liturgy Committee

We’re sure the CKS Liturgy Committee would like s’more afternoons under the sun, burning old palms, learning about our fire pit and hanging with good company! Thanks for all that you guys do.

Marian Crowning in May

One of our sweet first communicants crowned our Holy Mother Mary and baby Jesus for our May crowning, just in time for Mother’s Day! Mother Mary, pray for us and crown us with your grace. Tune our gazes toward Jesus and direct our focus on Heaven. Amen

Happy Mother’s Day!

To all Mothers, godmothers, aunts, spiritual mothers, mentors, and all those who live out motherhood in your daily lives- with our deepest love, THANK YOU. Thank you for living out the gifts of morality and strength. Thank you for aiding humanity in the virtue of love with the gifts of receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and maternity. With just one look, we are loved. Happy Mother’s Day!

Newlyweds at Carnival?

Fun Fact: Carnival at CTK is so fun that we had some newlyweds stop in before leaving for their reception!

Congratulations to Brady Walsh and Madelyn Carey and may God Bless your wonderful journey ahead.

First Holy Communion!

Please join us in congratulating our wonderful group of 145 First Holy Communicants! We are so proud of all of their hard work and dedication to growing closer to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Many thanks to the Priests, teachers, Catechists and parents for all of their support and encouragement during this special time of sacramental preparation.

Care Club

Care Club gathered together for a powerful Healing Mass and delicious luncheon full of community and prayer.

Carnival Fun!

Thank you to all our families and sponsors for making Carnival 2021 unforgettable.

Glory Story

Here I am in Nicaragua. We added 100 more children to school this year what makes a total of 258 children. Glory to God! It gives me the more joyful feelings in my heart when I can serve my God this way. This is the result of the Campaign that you generously let us had at church. My gratitude to you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you all! – Amanda Vallepeters

Donor Wall Unveiling

On Sunday, we dedicated our new Donor Wall which memorializes so many of our donors who made our church expansion possible. The centerpiece is a stunning Christ the King Crucifix. Take a look at it next time you’re near Our Lady’s Rose Garden. Thank you to all of our generous donors and volunteers who continue to make our church a very special home of worship! ??

Welcome, Seminarian Tyler!

We are thrilled to announce our new seminarian for Christ the King: Tyler Gates. Tyler is a vibrant and enthusiastic individual who is pleased to serve the Lord here at CTK. Welcome Tyler, we are excited to have you a part of our community!!

Best Place of Worship 2021!

Join us in celebrating the honor of being named Tampa Bay’s Best place of Worship for 2021! Thank you to all of those a part of our music ministry and to all who help make our church the home of worship that it is, Glory be to God!

Instagram Launch!

We here at Christ the King are your family. We are devoted to Serving God, and Caring for His people- and that means you- every last one of you, our brother and sister in Christ. Read More Here…

Easter Sunday!!

HE IS RISEN! Happy Easter to all of you, Thank you for celebrating an unforgettable day here at CTK!

Easter Vigil

We celebrated the Easter Vigil and welcomed our Catechumens into the Church! Congratulations, know that we are praying for each of you!

Good Friday

After a day entering into Christ’s Passion, we ended Good Friday with the Tenebrae service of the Lord’s Entombment.

Holy Thursday

We celebrated the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, ending with a procession to the Chapel that held adoration until midnight.

Handmaidens of the Lord

Congratulations to Handmaiden of the Lord winners Geri Callaghan & Elizabeth Ripkey for their outstanding service to our parish and community!

Thank You, Ethan!

Congratulations to Ethan Tiejema who was named as Altar Server of the Year from CtK by Bishop Parkes on Sunday, March 21 at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg. Thank you for your unceasing devotion to CtK this year!

Congratulations, Adam!

Adam Finley (who is going into the United States Air Force) was baptized, confirmed & received Holy Communion on Sunday! Praise be to God! May your journey be filled with blessings, Adam!

Men of God, Rise Up!

On Friday, March 19th, many of the CTK men involved with the Society of St. Joseph consecrated themselves to St. Joseph at the end of a 33-day consecration preparation book by Fr. Donald Calloway. The morning started with 6:00am Adoration, quarterbacked by Fr. Padilla, followed by a consecration recitation led by George Fisher (leader of SSJ), and concluding with Mass.

“This was a powerful testament to the men’s faith here at CTK and the culture fostered by Fr. Len, the community, and George’s leadership. Fr. Padilla is also incredible with his involvement with the society and we are grateful that he’s been hearing our confessions weekly!

CTK should be very proud.”

~Robert Reynolds

Thank You, Liturgy Committee!

Thank you to the Liturgy Committee for putting on a beautiful Living Stations of the Cross on Friday March 5, 2021.!

Congratulations Confirmandi!

Please join us in congratulating the Confirmands who have received the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, February 28, 2021. We are very blessed to have had 156 Confirmands who worked so hard to prepare their hearts for the Holy Spirit. We celebrated two Confirmation Masses led by Bishop Toups!

Many thanks to all of the Priests, teachers, Catechists and families for helping prepare their hearts. Let us keep them in prayer as they continue their faith journey, COME HOLY SPIRIT, COME!

Way to Go, Lawton!

Congratulations to Christ the King’s newest Eagle Scout, Lawton Brinkman! Pictured with his parents, Alan & Julie Brinkman and brothers Jake, Hudson, & Walker. We are so proud of you, Lawton!

Would you like to be featured on our community page?

Please contact Pati Planzo by email at pplanzo@ctk-tampa.org to be considered.