My dear friends, 

A century ago, Catholics started settling in what would become this beautiful city of Coral Gables. They needed a place to educate their children, and the Sisters of St. Joseph opened up a school. They needed a house of worship, and the new pastor built a temporary church that soon after could not accommodate the growing number of people coming to Sunday Mass. Our founding parishioners overcame generational obstacles like the Great Hurricane of 1926, the Great Depression, and the Second World War. Yet, despite these herculean challenges that affected an entire nation, they were steadfast in building the magnificent church we have today and expanding our school to meet the need for Catholic education. They left us the legacy of the most majestic church in the Archdiocese of Miami and the timeless school where our children have gathered to be students of St. Theresa or receive formation in our Religious Education program.  

Now the time has come for us to build on our legacy to maintain and expand for future generations. As we approach the Centennial of our Parish and School, we look to the future and what we will leave to our children and grandchildren. The time has come to expand our school and erect the first building in 70 years by constructing a Multi-Purpose Center that will house a gymnasium, a stage, athletic offices, and more classrooms to house our students. In our church, it is time to install a pipe organ befitting this magnificent temple where so many have received their sacraments. It is time to prepare the church for the next generation by installing new solid wood pews, restoring our glorious reredos and sanctuary to their original splendor, and repainting the inside of our church. It is time to build on our legacy! 

We need to embrace the evangelical ambition of our founders in order to accomplish these grand projects for our Centennial. We need to sacrifice our time, talent, and treasure as they did. As you browse through these pages and find inspiration in these projects, I invite you to make a sacrificial gift to our Centennial Campaign. Please pray about and consider making a three-year pledge so that we can leave the next generation of Church of the Little Flower parishioners and St. Theresa students the same gift our founders left us. Join us in building on our legacy as we celebrate our past and now look forward to our future! 

May God bless your generosity, 

O Lord God Almighty, by sending Your only Son to establish
the One True Church through the power of the Holy Spirit,
you gave humanity a sanctuary from the world.

We humbly implore your blessing upon
the Church of the Little Flower and St. Theresa Catholic School
as we observe our Centennial.

Through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Saint Joseph, and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux,
bestow perpetual growth on our parish family
as we take refuge in your infinite grace.

Enlighten us to learn from our past
as we build on the legacy of our founding parishioners,
and help us to look to the future so that we may persist
in the work of spreading the Gospel.

Fill us with gratitude in this Year of Jubilee as we live secure
in the certain hope that you will be with us forever.

We ask this through Christ the Lord. Amen.

As we prepare to celebrate the Centennial of our beloved parish church and school, it’s important to first honor our past, recognizing the firm foundation upon which we stand today. The legacy of our founding parishioners is one we are deeply proud of and as we look ahead ready to build upon it, let’s take a look back to how it all began!

1925: St. Joseph’s Academy, which will later become St. Theresa Catholic School, is founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, FL.

Pictured: The original school building as it appeared in 1925, which still stands intact today despite suffering considerable damage during the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926.

1926-1927: Church of the Little Flower parish is established and a temporary church is built and dedicated.

But that’s not our church! Pictured is an excerpt from the December 7, 1927 issue of Miami Daily News and Metropolis, showing Comber Hall as it appeared when it was erected. First built as a temporary church in 1926, Comber Hall was actually our parish’s primary place of worship for 25 years, until the proper church which we enjoy today was built in 1951, following the original plans and design laid out by Msgr. Comber.

Fun Facts:

• St. Joseph Academy was built at a total cost of $150,000 and construction was completed in the fall of 1925.
• St. Joseph Academy first opened its doors on Sept 15, 1925.
• St. Joseph Academy jointly graduated its first class of 8th graders and high school seniors in May,1926.
• At Msgr. Comber’s arrival to COTLF in October 1926, the parish consisted of 220 Catholic men and women.
• Comber Hall was built at a total cost of $75,000 and was completed in 7 months, from June to December, 1927.
• COTLF’s first Confirmation was celebrated at the church’s formal dedication, presided by Bishop Barry in Jan, 1928.
• St. Joseph Academy was renamed St. Theresa School in 1932, when it become the parochial school of COTLF.

1951: As the parish celebrated its Silver Jubilee, construction of the permanent church began.

Pictured: Pre-construction rendering of the “new” Church of the Little Flower, which was built according to the original design envisioned by Msgr. Comber 25 years earlier. Construction began in April of 1951  and was completed at a total cost of $628,000. The church was officially dedicated on December 8, 1952, at a Solemn High Mass presided by Bishop Joseph P. Hurley of St. Augustine.

1960s: Responding to the rapid growth of the parish brought on by the influx of Cuban refugees, a balcony was added to the church to increase seating capacity. The “new” building was also constructed at Saint Theresa School, adding 10 new classrooms on campus.

1977: Adjusting to the liturgical requirements created by the Second Vatican Council, a new marble altar was commissioned (at left). It is the same altar that still adorns our sanctuary today.

1989: The last major work was done to the church with the addition of new marble floors, new pews, new doors, and opaque windows to highlight the decorative grills. Comber Hall was also renovated as the parish hall/reception venue that it is today.

These years also saw major changes at Saint Theresa School, with the construction of a new library, the acquisition and renovation of the Carmelite Sister’s new convent at the McShane House, and the conversion of the former convent into the parish office center, still presently in use.

Fun Facts:

• Fr. Ronald Beaton was COTLF’s first priestly vocation, ordained in 1942.
• The first black priest from the State of Florida also hailed from COTLF: Fr. Curtis Washington, ordained in June 1949 in Mississippi.
• The explosive growth of the parish and region led to the creation of several new parishes: St. Michael (1947), St. Brendan (1953), Immaculata Academy & Columbus High (1958), St. Hugh & St. Thomas (1959), and St Augustine & St. Raymond (1969).

Though the past 30 years have seen much less prominent repairs and renovations to our physical spaces as we care for near-100-year-old buildings, they have been marked by an interior renewal and the flourishing of the ministerial, spiritual, and sacramental life of the church and school. Though difficult to capture in photos and brief snippets, these faith formation and ministry initiatives have led to some notable projects that have been recently completed around our campus:

2015: A new St. Therese Prayer Garden/Grotto is completed with a hidden “easter egg” nod to the past.

As the original St. Joseph Prayer Garden had fallen into disrepair and become inaccessible and overgrown with weeds, plans were drawn up for a new outdoor prayer garden dedicated to St. Therese. The existing statue of St. Joseph from old garden was salvaged and placed on the rear side of the new prayer space as a nod to the school’s founding under his patronage.

2019: St. Theresa School Alumni Plaza is completed.

As part of the school’s celebration of 95 years of service, the area surrounding the statue of our Blessed Mother in the “blacktop” outdoor gathering space was re-imagined at the St. Theresa School Alumni Plaza, a place to gather and share memories, friendship, and community, featuring personalized bricks and benches honoring STS alums and alumni families.

2021: St. Joseph Adoration Chapel becomes available 24-7.

Inspired by the overwhelmingly positive response to the October 2021 special presentation on Blessed Carlo Acutis and Eucharistic Miracles from around the world, the parish moved up the timeline to make the Adoration Chapel available 24/7. With a new private entrance and automated controls, parishioners can — and do — spend time with our Lord, present in the Blessed Sacrament, at all times of the day. The last 2-3 years have seen a major renewal in parish efforts to cultivate a love for the Eucharist and it is not uncommon to see the chapel lights turned on at 2:00am or 3:00am on a regular basis, as a steady stream of adorers passes by all day!

Fun Facts:

• Since the virtual Adoration Chapel Visitor Log went live in April 2021, over 2,000 individual entries have been submitted with special prayer requests and messages and notes of praise and thanksgiving.
• In 2022, COTLF celebrated 308 Baptisms, 178 First Communions, 164 Confirmations, and 114 weddings, highlighting the rich sacramental life of the parish. Additionally, almost 1,200 regularly scheduled Masses are celebrated each year, hundreds of hours of confessions are heard, and countless pre-scheduled or emergency sick calls are made to parishioner’s homes or local hospitals for anointing of the sick.
• Last year, our beloved STS Musketeer was finally given a name: Louis! He is named in honor of St. Therese’s father, St. Louis Martin. Louis also came to life at the 2023 Parish Fair, as the school was gifted a Musketeer mascot costume.

One of the oldest buildings on the property, Comber Hall has served as a church, school gymnasium, retreat space, and reception hall since its construction in 1926. Though well maintained, the almost-100-year-old building is still in need of regular attention. For our centennial celebration, Comber Hall will receive a fresh coat of exterior paint, matching it to the rest of our campus buildings, which were all re-painted within the past decade.

The Plan

After 75 years of regular worship and maintenance, the interior of the church is beginning to show signs of wear and tear. From wall repair patches and faded or chipping paint to the accumulation of dust, incense residue, and old candle soot, the church interior is in need of a subtle touch-up as we prepare to celebrate our Centennial.

As we honor the vision of our founding parishioners and the legacy that has been entrusted to our care, we have 3 major goals for our interior restoration:

1 – A minor adjustment of interior paint colors.

• Without significantly departing from the current look of our beautiful church, a contrasting color palette between the walls and the major columns will better highlight and accentuate the historic art and architecture of the church, particularly our signature reredos behind the altar, our stained-glass windows, and the images of the saints around our church.
• A new decorative band along the ceiling joint of the transept, as well as minor painted accents at the base of the dome, will more naturally draw the worshipper’s eyes up to our magnificent dome and then back down to the reredos and specifically to the tabernacle and Christ’s presence inside our church.

2 – The restoration of the Reredos.

• A combination of deep cleaning and paint/accent touch-ups will restore the richness and beauty of the reredos which towers behind and above the entire sanctuary. Our most iconic architectural and artistic element has been mostly affected by the decades of incense and candle soot and many of the finer details have become faded or covered.

3 – The Holy Spirit Dome

• Thanks to the generosity of one of our campaign’s first donors, the entire interior of the dome will be painted gold and a large symbol of the Holy Spirit will be prominently placed at its center, a powerful visual reminder that everything we celebrate here at the the Parish is thanks to the grace of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

Phase 1 Complete

On October 30, 2025, the City of Coral Gables issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, marking the completion of Phase 1 and allowing us to return to the church for all Masses and services. Learn more about all the work performed on the church interior from June-October 2025:

As you walk into the church, you may look around and initially think to yourself, “What changed? Something is different, but I’m not sure what it is.” Nothing would make us happier! As we set out to renovate and restore the church, our guiding principle was always ensuring that whatever we did to the church, make it seem like it had always been that way. Over these next few pages, we’ll highlight some of the work that was performed this summer, along with some “before” photos so you can compare. Having been away for 5 months, you may not remember exactly what it looked like originally!

Colors

Among the more obvious or evident aspects of the projects is the fresh coat of paint throughout the interior of the church. The new color scheme of the walls was selected to better complement the decorative reredos above the altar. The natural hues of tan and yellow help to foster a warmer ambiance in the church, reflecting not only the light of Christ, but the warmth of our welcoming community. The accent colors also work to naturally draw your attention forward towards the sanctuary and up towards heaven. Looking from the main entrance at the west end and working your way east, you’ll notice the capitals at the tops of the columns grow in scale, decoration, and weight of colors, moving from a simple gold detail to a more ornate capital with golds, reds, and more intricate shading. Your eyes will be naturally drawn next to the new decorative friezes at the top of the transept walls, ultimately leading you to the beautiful reredos and the new Holy Spirit Dome. This natural movement toward the Divine is an essential aspect of good church architecture!

Reredos and Side Altars

The main reredos above the altar may look like it was freshly painted, but in reality, the bulk of the work on it was a deep cleaning to remove years of incense, candle soot, and dust. Once cleaned, small areas of the plaster were repaired and repainted and the more detailed paint lines and shading accents were crisped up, giving it a “new” appearance. What you see today is nearly identical to what you last saw on June 8th, with a lot less dust! The side altars of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Therese and St. Anthony are a different story! With 75 years of flower and candle offerings, the altars and statues alike were badly in need of repair. All 4 statues were professionally touched up by a local artist and the 4 altars had major plaster work done. The two altars in the vestibule had to be dropped 11 inches to avoid the ceiling, which previously cut off the top outside corner of the decorative molding. All 4 side altars were repainted from scratch, with colors selected to match the main reredos in the sanctuary. The gold accents connect the side altars to the overall scheme of the church and the brighter bases and rear panels really make the statues stand out, helping us to appreciate the fine details and craftsmanship of each one.

Dome

Internally, one of our favorite aspects of the whole project is the new Holy Spirit dome. As you look up into the glorious new dome, you may have a hard time remembering what was there previously: nothing! The blank canvas of the original dome was begging for something beautiful and the artists at John Canning Liturgical Arts certainly delivered. The new oculus at the base of the dome provides a natural transition from the heavily decorated reredos and upper capitals to the shimmering metallic gold of the dome itself. The cream vertical tiles are original to the dome and were left unpainted, providing both a nod to our history and a sense of connection between heaven above and earth below. The jewel of the dome, of course, is the new mosaic of the Holy Spirit, a reminder that everything we celebrate in church is an outpouring of Grace through the movement of Spirit, which will now be flying overhead for the next century and beyond!

Ceilings, Windows, and Acoustical Work

Looking up around the dome, you may notice something else strikingly new and different, the solid-painted ceilings. The material of the original ceilings, tectum board, is sound-absorbing and was originally installed to dampen the acoustics of the building. After professional acoustical testing of the space, though, it was determined that the new organ and choir loft would need much livelier acoustics in the room. All the tectum board in the central nave was encapsulated and the entire ceiling was then painted to match the beautiful pre-existing rafters. The treated ceilings throughout the building now serve to not only enhance the acoustics, but also to help keep your vision from wandering, allowing you to appreciate the finer architectural details overhead. The stained-glass windows were all cleaned and the mullions and muntins were all reglazed and repainted black, which both accentuate the rich colors of the stained glass and also highlight the iconic window shapes that are now memorialized on each of our new pew ends. Additionally, special acoustical panels were applied to the new facing of the choir loft and a new stone cap and wrought-iron railing will soon be installed atop that loft wall.

The Hidden Gems

For all the visible work performed that will be enjoyed by parishioners for generations to come, there is probably twice as much hidden work known only to staff, contractors, engineers, architects – and now you! Though not nearly as glamorous as the beautiful finished details, these hidden parts of the project were some of the most essential. If you sit underneath the choir loft or stand at the vestibule and look up, you may notice a newly finished ceiling. Just beyond that surface is a major steel reinforcement package that had to be carefully hoisted into place in order to support the 39,000-pound pipe organ which will arrive in February. The 48-foot span of the primary steel beam at the face of the balcony required the careful coordination of 3 forklifts and a team of laborers to carefully guide it and secure it in place. The two new columns by the main iron gate, pending their decorative covers (coming soon!), provide additional support while another 10 steel cross-beams create the reinforcing footprint, perfectly in line with the steel framing of the organ and choir loft flooring above. Astute observers may be able to find some new floor tiles spread throughout the building. Upon removal of the old pews, hundreds of tiny holes needed to be refilled. Decades of wear and tear had also resulted in broken or pitted marble tiles, all of which were filled in, repaired, or completely replaced, in the nave and sanctuary alike. All the marble was then finely polished before our beautiful new solid wood pews arrived and were installed.

Remaining Work

The sprint to November 1st was a massive undertaking and we are incredibly appreciative of our entire team for rising to the challenge. The work highlighted in these pages is only a small sample of all the incredibly detailed work that was performed throughout this past summer. As you enjoy our beautiful church again today, please note that we are not entirely finished. Work will continue with some finishing details downstairs and ongoing preparatory work upstairs in the choir loft, ahead of the arrival of the new pipe organ on February 1st, 2026.

Thank You!

We can’t finish without properly thanking everyone who made this project possible, from parishioners, benefactors, and friends of COTLF to our parish staff and team of contractors. Special thanks to LuxMundi Consulting, Gurrimatute Architects, PMM Consulting Engineers, Threshold Acoustics, Vilar-Hoynak Construction, Louis J. Aguirre & Associates Engineers, Real Masters Construction, United Rentals, JZ Demolition, Dade Made Steel, Classic Air, K&Z Ductwork, O&R Construction, Santa Rosa Insulation, Ruiz Electric, FPL, Dash Door, RETC Flooring, Imperial Flooring, Pro Painting, John Canning Liturgical Arts and New Holland Church Furniture.

A grateful parish thanks you all!

The New STS Multipurpose Center will feature multiple classrooms, a full performing arts stage, a smaller practice stage/black box theater, a full indoor basketball court, and new athletic offices.

To make a gift for one of our naming rights opportunities,
please contact Ashley Dominguez, Director of Development, at ADominguez@cotlf.org

Check back for the latest project updates as we keep a running timeline of the overall Centennial Campaign!

October 30, 2025: The City of Coral Gables formally issues a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, marking the completion of Phase 1 of the church renovation and beautification project and allowing us to resume Masses and services in the main sanctuary. Click the “Church Interior” tab above to learn all about the work performed over the summer!

June 10, 2025: Interior demolition begins, starting with the clearing out of the entire choir loft and the removal of the ceiling underneath the balcony and in the vestibule. Portions of the wrought-iron gate are removed for the laying of the foundation for two new support columns, but don’t worry, they’ll be going back up later on in the project!

June 9, 2025: All pews are removed from the interior of the church. A number of the solid wooden pews from the balcony are salvaged to be sent to other places of need in coordination with a number of parishioners. Concurrently, the process of safing-off the remainder of the church begins, with protective boxes built around the Baptismal Font and Altar Rails, the Sanctuary completely cleared, and the floors covered with protective plywood. The saint statues and devotional candles are carefully moved to the old church (and they receive a much-needed cleaning!), the tabernacle is carefully removed to be refinished, and all other liturgical furnishings are stored away safely.

June 9, 2025: Masses are celebrated for the first time in the old church, our original home where our founding parishioners celebrated Mass for the first 25 years of our parish’s history. Though the main church will be closed through October, the old church will be open daily, as is our custom here at COTLF.

June 8, 2025: Pentecost Masses are celebrated in the main church, marking the final liturgies to take place in the main sanctuary before the summer construction projects begin. Over the next 5 months, Masses and other liturgies will be celebrated in the old church right next door, which was beautifully prepared and decorated as a place of prayer and worship.

June 7, 2025: The Opus 166 Legacy Pipes Campaign is announced, giving parishioners, visitors and friends the unique opportunity to memorialize one of the pipe organ’s 3,000 pipes. Learn more here!

May 28-29, 2025: Jorge Santibáñez, Luis Cuza, and Darryl Podunavac visit the CB Fisk Workshop to see the latest progress on the construction of the new organ. At the time of the visit, approximately 50% of the organ has already been manufactured, including about 85% of the individual hand-made pipes. Shortly after the visit, the structural steel frame begins to be erected at the workshop, where the full organ will be put together. Initial plans for an Open House at the workshop are discussed, so stay tuned for details!

March 1, 2025: Cork & Fork – A Centennial Culinary Celebration, proudly presented by John Bell Construction, the first of many Centennial celebrations, is held on the school campus, just feet away from the site of the future MPC. With 400 attendees, and over 40 local restaurants and culinary partners on hand, the event meets and surpasses the ambitious goal of raising $100,000 for the Parish Centennial Fund.

February 25, 2025: The Coral Gables Board of County Commissioners unanimously approves the STS Multi-Purpose Center.

February 11, 2025: The Coral Gables Board of County Commissioners approves the first-read of the Ordinance allowing for the construction of a new multi-purpose center on campus.

February 2025: The project to reinforce the church balcony and subsequently restore the church interior is submitted for permitting to Miami-Dade County. The project remains on track to commence in June 2025, extending throughout the summer. During summer construction, the parish will return to its roots, celebrating Mass in the “original” church building, Comber Hall.

January 15, 2025: Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board approves the STS Multi-Purpose Center, moving the project on to the Board of County Commissioners for final approval.

December 19, 2024: The Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board approves the STS Multi-Purpose Center.

November 21, 2024: Dating back to July of 2023, the STS Multi-Purpose Center project is reviewed by the Coral Gables Board of Architects and, following multiple revisions, receives approval in November 2024. The Project is cleared to proceed on to Historic Preservation Board for review.

October 31, 2024: After reviewing multiple bids, Vilar-Hoynak Construction Company is awarded the project to reinforce the existing choir loft ahead of the February 2026 arrival of the new Pipe Organ.

April 12, 2024: The organ building contract with CB Fisk is formally signed.

February 28, 2024: The sample pew manufactured by New Holland Church Furniture is delivered on site and put on display in the church vestibule. A full-scale model of the new pews, the sample depicts the decorative pew end with the same design as the stained-glass window and the wood stain matches the grills and wall panels found throughout the church. Feel free to sit in the sample pew next time you go to the church!

January 25, 2024: Church staff meets with Darryl Podunavac of Lux Mundi Consulting, who will serve as the Owner’s Rep for the organ and church projects. Timelines for the projects in the church narrow into focus.

January 18, 2024: Zyscovich Architects joins the team to further the work on the schematic design for the STS Multi-Purpose Center.

January 15 – 25, 2024: As the existing organ continues to deteriorate, the timeline to move the music ministry up to the balcony is bumped up. Thanks to the generosity of Belen Jesuit High School, a temporary organ is added to the balcony and seating is re-arranged upstairs to accommodate the choir and all musical equipment. The choir loft in the nave is demolished to make space for additional pew seating on the floor level of the church.

December 15, 2023: The STS Multipurpose Center project is presented to the City of Coral Gables Development Review Committee.

December 2023: The stop list for the new organ is finalized with CB Fisk. The COTLF organ will not only be the first mechanical action pipe organ in South Florida but will also feature a first-of-its-kind organ engineering in order to make the instrument work in our available balcony space.

December 6, 2023: The wood and stain selection for the new pews is finalized. New Holland Church Furniture begins work on a small sample pew which, once delivered, will be displayed in the vestibule/entrance of the church.

November 26, 2023: The Centennial Campaign welcomes its first Rose Circle donor, who pledges a $1 Million dollar gift to push the overall total past the 50% pledge mark!

November 14, 2023: PF Management & Construction is selected as the project management firm to lead the STS Multipurpose Center project and immediately begins assisting with the ongoing approvals process with the City of Coral Gables.

October 24-25, 2023: In a major collaborative effort, CB Fisk (Organ) and PMM Consulting Engineers meet on-site to investigate the existing church balcony and the structural support needs of the proposed new organ. Later, Canning Liturgical Arts (Church Interior), Threshold Acoustics, and New Holland Church Furniture (Pews) all convene at Church of the Little Flower for a team-wide project update and acoustical testing inside the church. Results of this testing will provide a better understanding of what preparatory work may be needed inside the church for the new organ and key insight into the final specifications of the organ itself. Collaboration is needed among all elements of the church project, as the end goal is for the organ and new pews to be reflective of, and in coordination with, the existing design of the church and the new elements that are being considered.

October 1, 2023: The public phase of the Centennial Campaign is launched at all Sunday Masses as Church of the Little Flower and St. Theresa School celebrates its parish Feast Day.

September 14-16, 2023: Fr Manny, Jorge Santibáñez, and Luis Cuza visit the CB Fisk Workshop in Gloucester, MA. In addition to a tour of the workshop, where they see first-hand how the Fisk Organs are designed and built by hand, they also visit the Fisk Organs installed at All Saints Church and Harvard Memorial Chapel. The highlight of the trip is the unveiling of the early-phase scale model of the COTLF Pipe Organ (Opus 166) placed in the rear gallery of the church. The scale model will continue to change as different elements of the project are confirmed. Once finalized, the scale model will be an exact replica of the church and the new organ, down to even the smallest of details!

Spring 2023: CB Fisk, out of Gloucester, MA, is selected as the organ builder for the Centennial organ project.

August 2022: The silent fundraising phase begins and the first $1 Million is pledged.

March 30, 2022: St. Theresa School is re-accredited with the condition that a gym is planned for and built within the accreditation period of 7 years. Planning for the STS Multipurpose Center immediately kicks off in earnest, adapting the initial renderings and ideas drawn up by Eddy Llano.

March 17, 2022: Fr Manny, Sr Rosalie, Jorge Santibáñez (Parish Life Coordinator), Ashley Sacks (Parish Development Director) and Luis Cuza (Parish Director of Music Ministries) meet with Archbishop Thomas Wenski to present the initial plans for the Centennial Campaign. On March 18, 2022, the Archbishop grants approval for the overall plan and the parish is given permission to proceed.

February 2022: Eddy Llano, Architect draws up initial renderings for a potential School Gymnasium, to include administrative office space and additional classrooms.

November 2021: Canning Liturgical Arts and New Holland Church Furniture meet on-site with parish staff to review project goals and formulate initial concept drawings for the restoration of the church interior and design of the new pews.

March 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic brings all plans to a full stop and all Centennial projects are tabled for future consideration.

January 2020: Fr Manny and Sr Rosalie meet with the City of Coral Gables Vice Mayor and preliminary research is done on the feasibility of constructing a gym on the school campus.

July 2019: Fr. Manny Alvarez becomes the 9th Pastor of Church of the Little Flower and St. Theresa School. As part of the transition in, he is updated on the proposed Centennial projects and an initial plan is set in place for 5-Year Centennial Campaign to be launched in 2021.

December 2018: Then-Pastor Fr Michael Davis formally presents a Centennial Plan to the Parish Council for consideration and feedback. Though never publicly launched, this sets the basic framework for what will eventually become the Building on Our Legacy Centennial Campaign.

2017: COTLF Staff begins to formulate a list of projects that can be undertaken within 10 years in anticipation of the parish centennial celebration in 2026. With the existing electric organ beginning to break down and fail, the installation of a new pipe organ is identified as the “crown jewel” project for the parish centennial.

Fundraising Progress

Campaign Goal: $13 Million
Total Pledged: $10,251,020,53 (78.85%)
Total Collected: $5,905,782.68 (45.43%)
As of August 6, 2025

Giving Circles

Rose – $1 Million and Up
Diamond – $500,000 – $999,999
Gold – $300,000 – $499,999
Silver – $100,000 – $299,999
Bronze – $50,000 – $99,999
The Little Way – All gifts up to $49,999

For more information about the Centennial Campaign or how to make a pledge or gift,
contact Ashley Dominguez, Director of Development, at ADominguez@cotlf.org

Pipe Organs are Forever…
And now your legacy can be, too!

With our centennial celebrations now underway, we are pleased to announce a new, once-in-a-lifetime legacy gift opportunity.

Our new pipe organ will contain 3,000 pipes and each one of those pipes is now available to be dedicated in memory of a loved one, to commemorate major milestones like baptisms, first communions, confirmations, graduations, birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries, or simply to add your family’s name to the legacy of our parish in this milestone year.

Fisk Opus 166, which will be arriving here early next year, is now over 50% constructed, with over 85% of our pipes already made. Each of the tin pipes is meticulously hand-crafted, from the melting of the metals and the creation of large tin sheets to the precise measuring, cutting, rolling, soldering, and detailed finishing of each individual pipe’s various parts.

Pipe Memorializations will be recorded in a specially printed booklet which will be provided to each donor at no additional cost early next year. A copy of the booklet will also remain inside the organ in perpetuity, ensuring the lasting legacy of both the instrument itself and of all those who helped to make it possible.

The 2,940 interior pipes are now available for dedication for $300 each. The 60 facade pipes, forever visible on the front of each of the organ’s three major cases, are available for $1,000 each. Please fill out the form below to secure your legacy pipe today!