Roman Catholic Gesù Church is a historic piece of architecture located in Miami that came about as a result of the city’s rich Catholic community. Fun fact: the church is older than any other church in Miami. When the church initially opened its doors during the late 1800s, its construction consisted of wood and the land it was built upon was a donation by American industrialist Henry Flagler, perhaps best known for being the father of Miami and Palm Beach. It wasn’t until 1921 that The Gesù Church began to switch to a concrete and steel structure.
Throughout its several decades of existence, Gesù Church remains South Florida’s spiritual ambassador for its vibrant Catholic community. In addition to being a church, the Sisters of St. Joseph oversaw the Gesù Church’s Gesù School which opened in 1905 and was once called The Academy of the Sisters of St. Joseph St. Catherine’s Convent. The school remained in operation for several years until it was demolished in 1984.
Today, Gesù Church is still one of the three downtown churches and ts parish has been staffed by the Jesuits of Antilles province for over ten years. As the oldest church in South Florida, Gesù welcomes everyone to visit the landmark that has served the community for over 100 years.
This foundation featured on The Jills Giving is one of the many unique foundations supported by The Jills team which includes Jill Eber, Jill Hertzberg, Hillary Hertzberg, Danny Hertzberg, and Felise Eber. The Jills team strongly believes in giving back and we encourage you to visit The Jills Giving website to learn more about the various foundations we support as well as a little bit about the team.