Sacred Heart Parish
Founding Families

Spotlight on Founding Families
Sacred Heart Parish will celebrate its 150th anniversary throughout 2010, including a special Mass on February 14 at 10:30 a.m. Our first church was a small frame building with a capacity of about 75 to 100. It was named St. Louis in honor of King Louis IX of France and in memory of Fr. Luis Cancer, a missionary traveling with Spanish explorers, who was martyred on the shores of Tampa Bay in 1549.

Our archives include names of the first parishioners, which are listed
below. 
Please note that the spelling of some of the names may be incorrect due to the French pastor’s unfamiliarity with the English, or because families have changed the spelling over the years. Are any of these first parishioners your ancestors, or do you know of people whose lineage goes back to our earliest worshipers? If so, please contact the parish office at (813) 229-1595, or Patrick Cimino at (813) 253-0612. We are interested in talking or corresponding with descendants of the original families and obtaining pictures of them where possible. We also would like to invite them to the anniversary Mass.

Our Founding Families
  • John Andrew (Andreu)
  • Louis Bell (father)
  • Louis Bell (son)
  • Mrs. Haager’s children
  • Remond Belesta
  • Constant Bourguardy
  • Capt. T. Bishop
  • Roberts Canning
  • Mrs. Collier (Coller)
  • Louis Covacevich
  • Mrs. Delaunay
  • Dominic Ghira
  • Mrs. Grillon
  • Frank Gerard
  • William Griffin
  • J. J. Jackson
  • W. Haskins
  • James Haskins
  • Florens Andrew (Andreu)
  • Mr. Delaney
  • Pierre Laurency
  • Vincenti Leonardy (Leonardi)
  • Bartholo Leonardy (Leonardi)
  • L. A. Masters
  • Mrs. Murphy
  • Henry Murphy
  • Lorenzo Pons
  • Josephine Prudent
  • Joe Sylvan
  • Mrs. Watkins & children
  • Jose Vigil
  • James Williams
  • Capt. Jones Monte de Oca
  • Mrs. Kelly (Alice Washington) and baptized children
  • Mrs. Dick Turner’s baptized children
  • Mr. Joe Atzoth
  • Mrs. Dickens
  • Miguel Gerrero
  • Mrs. Worth (Jeanette Carroll)
  • Mrs. Black
  • Mr. Ch. Hoey
  • Mr. & Mrs. O’Neil
  • Mrs. E. Stanley
  • Mrs. Whitehurst (Petronilla Masters)