Christ The King

A Brief History of Christ the King Parish

Our Parish began in September of 1954 when Bishop W. Thomas Larkin was sent to organize a new parish in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, FL.  The land which we now call the Church grounds was a jungle.  He celebrated our first Mass with a congregation of 125 people on the campus of Jacksonville University and he initiated First Friday's Nocturnal Adoration.

Ground breaking for the first combination church and school was in June of 1955.  Classes for Christ the King School began at Immaculate Conception (IC) that same year because the CK school building had not been completed.  But, in January, 1956, classes were transferred from IC to the second floor of the church building.  The first floor was converted from the church to classrooms in September, 1957, when the original church (currently the John XXIII Parish Hall and Shirley David Hall) was erected. 

The one story school building, where we have since added a second floor, was completed in 1959.  It was because of Bishop Larkin's farsightedness that we were able to dedicate this new addition which included adding six classrooms on the second floor, as well as renovations to the first floor, adding storage rooms and bathrooms for each of the pre-K, 3, 4, and kindergarten classes.

After Bishop Larkin left for Clearwater, FL in 1967, where he ultimately became Bishop of St. Petersburg, Christ the King (then a parish of 3,000+ people) was without a pastor for nearly six months. 

The Bishop appointed Monsignor John Lenihan as our second pastor.  At the time of his appointment, he was pastor of St. Patrick's on the Northside of Jacksonville, as well as serving as the Director of Catholic Charities, Inc. (which at the time covered all of the dioceses in Florida except Miami's).  Since the physical plant was adequate for the size of the parish at that time, Monsignor Lenihan implemented the liturgical changes mandated by the Second Vatican Council. 

In 1975 Monsignor Lenihan selected three women and nine men to be the first Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist at Christ the King.  During the nine years he was our pastor, Monsignor also concentrated on maintaining the school enrollment.  In 1977 he was transferred to San Jose Catholic.

Monsignor Mortimer Danaher was appointed as the third pastor of Christ the King on June 15, 1977.  During his 20 year tenure he set up a total Stewardship Program which allowed our children to attend our school as well as gong on to Bishop Kenny High School tuition-free.  He began a child care program, and began to build and remodel such places as the new church, the Gathering Area, St. Mary's Room, the Saint Vincent d Paul Pantry, the Crucifixion Fountain, The Blessed Mother Kingdome, and the John XXIII Parish Hall. 

Monsignor Danaher retired in 1997 and serves the diocese in a volunteer capacity.

Father Robert J. Baker became the fourth pastor of Christ the King coming to us from the Cathedral Basilica after Monsignor Danaher retired. 

During his short time here he set up a room for St. Vincent de Paul to receive those in need inside the parish rectory.  He began the Sister Therese Horan Library and Media Center, added a second floor to the school building completed in 1959, and started several other renovation projects within the same building.  Father Baker also started the Christ the King Courier, and the LIFE TEEN program.  He purchased the House of Prayer and grounds for parishioners to use for small retreats, days of reflection, and prayer groups.

When Father Baker left Christ the King to become the Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, Bishop John J. Snyder appointed Father Robert J. McDermott to be our fifth pastor.  He continued and completed the school renovations of Phase I that Bishop Baker had initiated during his time here as pastor.  His enthusiasm for renovating the campus drew tremendous volunteer response and the school was once again ready for business on opening day. 

Father McDermott was granted a sabbatical and currently serves the diocese in Gainesville, FL.

Father Thanh Thai Nguyen, who had been an associate pastor at Christ the King for several years, was appointed the sixth pastor on September 14, 2001 (The Feast of the Holy Cross) by Bishop Victor B. Galeone. 

Phase II of the school renovation project was completed in the same year.

During Father Thanh's tenure at Christ the King, the Vietnamese Community Center has become a reality, the Church has undergone major renovation work, and The Mortimer Danaher Celebration of Life Garden has been dedicated. 

As the parish looks to the future, the parish community celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Christ the King Child Care Learning Center in December.  The new facility will be located on what is currently St. Mary's Field along Arlington Road.  When it opens in 2009, it will provide a state-of-the-art child learning center that is worthy of the five star rating that has become the standard. 

We have been blessed at Christ the King to have had six wonderful, truly dedicated leaders.  Each priest came to us with special talents and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  They shared those unique gifts and helped Christ the King to grow into what it is today...a spirit-filled parish of more than 1500 families from diverse cultural backgrounds.  What a magnificent legacy!

This brief history of our parish, school, and its leaders is not complete without mentioning the numerous associate pastors, parochial vicars, deacons, trained lay people, and parishioners who have helped to make Christ the King more than just a Catholic church...more than just buildings.  Throughout Christ the King's rich history it has been the parish family which has made it renowned as a loving, sharing, vibrant, caring community.  Our church and its history is something of which we can all be proud!

Today, the parish is home to more than fifty ministries and affiliated organizations, Christ the King School, and the Christ the King Child Care center.  Parishioners actively live their faith through stewardship and community spirit, allowing Christ the King Catholic Church to continue to be one of the most active parish communities in the diocese.

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