St. Anastasia Mission celebrated its first Sunday Mass at 9 a.m. on October 6, 1985. This Mass was held at the Sheraton-Anastasia Inn at St. Augustine Beach with Monsignor Joseph Dawson as pastor.

St. Anastasia Catholic Church, A1A South and Weff Road, was blessed at 10 a.m. on Sunday, October 9, 1988 by Bishop John J. Snyder. Monsignor Dawson had overseen the planning, building and completion of the mission church. The number of registered parishioners had not yet reached 100, but visitors to the beach area increased the attendance each weekend. Masses were held at 4 p.m.. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

In August 1991, Monsignor Dawson retired and Father Seamus O'Flynn was appointed as our second pastor. Father O'Flynn was no stranger to St. Augustine as he had been holding the position of President of our local Diocesan Catholic High School, St. Joseph Academy, since May of 1983.

Building on the solid spiritual and financial foundations laid down by Monsignor Dawson, the parish experienced a rapid expansion with the arrival of Father O'Flynn. We had 300 registered families by the end of 1992, and that number was rapidly increasing. Because of this unprecedented increase in our congregation, extending our facilities became essential. By the spring of 1992, with the assistance of our architect, Walter O'Kon, a plan to extend the church to the capacity of 550 seats was developed. The new extension included St. Anthony's Hall, a fully equipped kitchen, a suite of offices for the pastor, and ancillary services. The cost of the building was approximately $350,000. It was completed at the beginning of 1993 and ready to accommodate our winter visitors of that year. The pews, installed in the fall of 1991, were a gift to us from the parish of San Pedro, North Port, on the west coast of Florida.

As the numbers in our parish continued to increase, so did our activities. Our large group of Eucharistic Ministers visit the sick and shut-ins on a weekly basis. St. Anthony's Hall serves as the parish social center offering hospitality after the Sunday Masses, fish-frys during Lent, St. Patrick's Day parties, and many other exciting activities to be enjoyed by all ages. Since St. Anastasia is a parish that facilitates a great number of visitors during the first four months of the year, the virtue of hospitality is considered most important.

In the fall of 1996, a building committee was formed to plan the new church. They engaged Richard San Giovanni as Architect and the beautiful complex we see is the result of a great community effort. Volunteers provide all the functions in our parish, including hospitality events, maintenance of the church and grounds, the Christian Formation Program, and Youth and Music Ministry. The depth of talent among our parishioners is boundless and their generosity in donating time, talent and treasure has played a significant part in the rapid growth of our community. With the number of registered parishioners over 1200, attendance at Mass is edifying and the possibilities for our parish are limitless.

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