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Before the summer of 1948, the few Catholic families living in Marathon traveled the two-lane Overseas Highway 50 miles to Key West to attend Mass at St. Mary Star of the Sea. The hazardous round-trip included passage over many bridges, including the old Bahia Honda and Seven Mile railroad bridges (the latter affectionately tagged "old shaky.")

On January 2, 1949 Father Mairing celebrated Sunday Mass
at the home of Mr. & Mrs. A.E. Woodburn for 15 pioneer parishioners. Throughout 1949 and 1950, the ever-faithful Father Mairing would
travel from Key West to Marathon. He would hear confessions in the kitchen before Mass at the homes of Louis Fenton and Woodburns.

In June 1949, Louis Fenton offered one of his stores to accommodate
the growing Catholic community. The first baptisms in the Fenton store (still in existence) in July 1949 were: Charles Funk, Carol Fenton and Joseph Aldocosta. The Fenton store continued to be used until the beginning of Advent 1949, when Mr. Brantner's "old fishin' hole"
theater (now Kennedy Art & Framing Gallery) was used. The first Christmas Mass was celebrated by Father Mairing at 9:30 A.M. 1949.
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By the Spring of 1950, with the ever-increasing number of worshippers, Mass was celebrated
at Mr. Struck's lumber yard (now Scotty's.) There the first Christmas Eve Midnight Mass was
celebrated by the ever-loving and faithful Father Mairing in 1950. Complete with a nativity
scene, a beautiful clear night, lights and Christmas trees, the small choir and congregation
sang traditional carols, ending with Silent Night.

In August 1950, since there was no Catholic Church between Key West and Homestead,
150 miles to the east, Louis Fenton, Charley Toppino and A.E. Woodburn presented
Bishop Hurley of St. Augustine a deed to the land on the corner of 50th and
51st Streets, Gulf (now Wendy's.) Ground was broken in September 1950.
A small group of professional and amatuer builders, plumbers and electricians
donated their time and expertise to build the Church.

In December 1950, Bishop Hurley rewarded these valiant missionaries by naming the Church "Mission of the Holy Cross" and Father Mairing its first shepherd. The first Holy Mass in the Chapel was celebrated on the first Sunday in February, 1951. Father Mairing and his associates
continued for four years to serve the little Mission of the Holy Cross.
By 1954, the Catholic population outgrew the small church. A building fund
was established for a church and school.

On January 8, 1956, Bishop Hurley appointed Father James Connatughton as the first pastor
of the Mission of the Holy Cross with parish boundaries covering an area of 93 miles
along 23 island communities from Jewfish Creek to Ramrod Key, 18 miles from Key West.
Father Connnaughton appointed his assistant, Father John O'Day, as administrator to
San Pedro Church in Tavernier, then a Mission of Sacred Heart Church in Homestead.

The good "sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary" came from St. Mary's Star of the Sea
each Saturday morning to instruct the young people in the fundamentals of Catholic faith.
On May 13, 1956, 24 children made their First Holy Communion.

In 1956, Father Connaughton organized the Ladies Altar Society, a Catholic Youth Organization, Summer Camps, and the Men's Booster Club.

In the fall of 1957, a small chapel, called St. Mary of the Pines, was opened on Big Pine Key
(now St. Peter's.) Father Malumphy, a retired Army chaplain, helped Father Connaughton
to organize this chapel.

In October 1957, the original mission site was deemed to be too small.
Mr. F. Philip Sadowski, the father of Mrs. Sylvia Puto and a long time parishoner,
donated a large parcel of land at 122nd Street, Ocean. In February 1958, Bishop Hurley
re-named the Mission of the Holy Cross as the Church and Parish of San Pablo.
Construction began on the new church in September 1958 and was completed in time
for midnight Mass on Christmas Eve 1958.

The classrooms, arranged by Alan Schmitt, were two pre-fabricated buildings
from Miami Beach. They were floated by barge 125 miles from Miami to Marathon.
The classrooms arrived at 10am on August 18 at Yacht Harbor Island. Four sisters
of the Holy Name from Albany, New York, arrived on the same day:
they were Sister Frances Alice, Sister Mary Georgette, Sister Olive Denise
and Sister Cecilia Rose. On September 2, 1958, San Pablo Catholic School
opened its doors to 102 children, a full 3 months before the church was completed.

On April 16, 1959, Bishop Coleman Carroll, newly appointed Bishop of Miami,
along with Monsignor Barry, dedicated San Pablo Church in a Solemn High Mass.
It was the first dedication of a church in the Florida Keys in 103 years.
It was a happy day and a high watermark in establishing
the Faith of Jesus Christ in the Middle Keys.

Since those early days, 13 shepherds have guided the flock:
Father Joseph Mairing
Father James Connaughton
Father John C. Vann
Father Bernard Hickey
Father Charles Stadalnikas
Father Christopher Konkol
Father Jan Janusewski
Father Michael Licari
Father Charles Clements
Father Gilberto Fernandez
Father John Glorie
Father Eugene Quinlan
Father Gerald R. Morris
 1949-1956
1956-1960
1960
1960-1963
1963-1966
1966-1967
1967-1972
1972-1983
1983-1987
1987-1989
1989-1990
1990-1994
1994-Present

Only God knows all the sacrifices of the priests, sisters and laity
whose dedicated labors for Christ continue to this day.
550 122nd Street, Oceanside - Mile Marker 53.5
Marathon, Florida 33050 - In the heart of the Florida Keys
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