History:

In 1973, Father Killion, Pastor of St. Paul's Church in Leesburg, Florida called a meeting in Wildwood to explore the possibility of celebrating Mass in Catholic homes in the area.

The attendance at these Masses was so great that Father Andrew, Pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Bushnell, announced in a letter to Wildwood Catholics that a trial Mass would be held at the Page-Theus Funeral Home Chapel in December 1981.

Because of the overwhelming response, Sunday and Holy Day Masses were celebrated there for the next 13 years.

In 1988, at the urging of parishioners, and due to overcrowding at the Chapel, the Diocese of Orlando purchased 19 acres of land north of Wildwood as the site of the future church.

A successful building fundraising drive, begun in 1990, resulted in groundbreaking on June 27, 1993. Then, on June 5, 1994, an opening ceremony and Mass were held in the completed church.

A special Mass with Rite of Blessing was offered for St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Mission by Bishop Norbert Dorsey on November 16, 1995.

For the next ten years St. Vincent de Paul church was a mission of St. Lawrence parish in Bushnell. It wasn't until September 15, 2005 that our current bishop, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski, established St. Vincent de Paul as a separate parish covering the northern half of Sumter County. The bishop then assigned Father Peter Sagorski, formerly the pastor of St. Lawrence, as first pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

On Sunday, October 30, 2005, Bishop Wenski visited the parish to celebrate both the 10th anniversary of our church building and the recent establishment of the parish. The bishop celebrated two Masses and joined the parish at a reception held at the Wildwood Millennium Center.