Gesu Catholic Church
Gesu Catholic Church
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
The area
Address
How to get there
- First St • 3 min walk
- College/Bayside • 4 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,655 within 5 kms
Attractions
640 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
139 reviews
Excellent
89
Very good
41
Average
8
Poor
1
Terrible
0
BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia19,450 contributions
Jan 2020
The Gesu Church is the oldest parish Church in Miami, dating back to 19c situated in downtown, two blocks from the Bayfront park.
The pink Moorish style exterior is rather plain, nothing extraordinary specially for European visitors, but interior is very beautiful: very nice stained glass windows, big decorated vaulted roof and two remarkable pipe organs.
Therefore, don't judge by it's exterior, but do go in.
The pink Moorish style exterior is rather plain, nothing extraordinary specially for European visitors, but interior is very beautiful: very nice stained glass windows, big decorated vaulted roof and two remarkable pipe organs.
Therefore, don't judge by it's exterior, but do go in.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamieRoss
San Diego, CA190 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
Gesu (means "Jesus") Catholic Church is the oldest church in Miami, and in 1974, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We were welcomed in this venerable place at Sunday Mass; four are scheduled each Sunday - two in Spanish and two in English. The beautifully appointed church is worth a trip to see. A visit can be particularly enriching if it is timed to include a Mass, wedding, or baptism. A $200k restoration was completed in 2012.
The church is staffed by Jesuits of the Antilles. Two collections were made during the service that we attended, one for the general fund and one for reconstruction. The pragmatic call from the pulpit cited $10k per month insurance bills alone. Music fills the sanctuary and a refurbished organ (with a sticking foot peddle or two) is gorgeous. Artfully designed songbooks are distributed along the pews to encourage singing. Statuary of life-sized saints inhabit a large alcove behind a wrought iron enclosure; The devout stop to pray and to offer dollars along with lit candles to speed their pleas. Outside, church ladies sell rosaries, jewelry, and books to support ongoing renovations. Downstairs, a cafeteria routinely feeds people. 1920s crystal leaded stained glass windows were created in Munich,Germany by Franz Mayer artisans.
Parking is available in a paid, manned lot right next to the church. Or, there is plenty of free street parking too. The Jesuit leaders here oversee a tuition free elementary school off-site, and are ongoing advocates for social justice.
We learned that about 120 years ago, the church was built of wood until the first concrete foundation was laid on the same land, donated by Henry Flagler about 1920.. For 75 years, it housed both an elementary and high school run by the Sisters of St Joseph. In 1952, it was headquarters for Operation Pedro Pan, facilitating exile of 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban refugee children. In 1961, Balen Jesuit Prep was founded. Its faculty had been expelled from Cuba by Fidel Castro, a Balen alumnus.
The church is staffed by Jesuits of the Antilles. Two collections were made during the service that we attended, one for the general fund and one for reconstruction. The pragmatic call from the pulpit cited $10k per month insurance bills alone. Music fills the sanctuary and a refurbished organ (with a sticking foot peddle or two) is gorgeous. Artfully designed songbooks are distributed along the pews to encourage singing. Statuary of life-sized saints inhabit a large alcove behind a wrought iron enclosure; The devout stop to pray and to offer dollars along with lit candles to speed their pleas. Outside, church ladies sell rosaries, jewelry, and books to support ongoing renovations. Downstairs, a cafeteria routinely feeds people. 1920s crystal leaded stained glass windows were created in Munich,Germany by Franz Mayer artisans.
Parking is available in a paid, manned lot right next to the church. Or, there is plenty of free street parking too. The Jesuit leaders here oversee a tuition free elementary school off-site, and are ongoing advocates for social justice.
We learned that about 120 years ago, the church was built of wood until the first concrete foundation was laid on the same land, donated by Henry Flagler about 1920.. For 75 years, it housed both an elementary and high school run by the Sisters of St Joseph. In 1952, it was headquarters for Operation Pedro Pan, facilitating exile of 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban refugee children. In 1961, Balen Jesuit Prep was founded. Its faculty had been expelled from Cuba by Fidel Castro, a Balen alumnus.
Written June 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OneSaucyTrini
Trinidad104 contributions
Apr 2014 • Solo
I love that mass is said so many times during the day. This is my oasis in the middle of down town and whenever I am in Miami I love to attend the midday mass (in English) and stay to recite the rosary. The interior is beautiful and breakfast in the basement after Sunday morning mass is quite the social event and worth the experience.
Written August 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
415Cyclist
San Anselmo, CA125 contributions
Jan 2020
Beautiful church. Nice quiet respite in the downtown area. Loved the stain glassed windows. A must see if you're in the area and enjoy visiting churches.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SergioR2013
Miami, FL72 contributions
Apr 2019
Many people coming to Miami just see the flashy things that tourists tend to visit ( most worth enjoying), but people might miss this historical and architectural jewel in downtown Miami. This a place of beauty and contemplation in the middle of all the activities. It has been beautifully restored under the Pastor Alvarez. There are relatively few great, preserved buildings in Miami, being so relatively young as a city. This is one of them.
Written August 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amalia D
Sweetwater, FL93 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
Situated in downtown Miami, it is a historical Roman Catholic Church, with full service. Great for residents and workers in the downtown area
Written January 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sneal09
Chillicothe, OH114 contributions
Nov 2017 • Friends
Attended this church for mass. The church is incredibly beautiful and there is so much history. Would visit again if I’m in the area. It can be hard to find mass times online, many times it showed up in Spanish when I search. Sunday 8:30/11:30 are the English masses.
Written November 18, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John K
Berlin, Germany692 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
I am a practicing Catholic and had been all my life. I normally gravitate towards the Jesuit churches due to their out of the box thinking and intelligent discourse. After a few Sundays at Gesu, I left and will not be coming back. This happened after the priest giving the sermon talked about how Yoga was the work of the devil. This was the last of several sermons I had heard there and could not take it anymore.
Written March 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David P
Dallas, TX18 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
My spouse and I visited the ''Gesu Catholic Church'' and it was a little different then expected. The priest was kind of disrepectful and talked about other people in a wrong way. I would not come again
Written October 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Taylor B
Chicago, IL8,491 contributions
Feb 2023
Gesu Catholic Church in Miami, Florida, is significant for its important role in the religious history of the city and as a reflection of the city's growth and development. In addition, the buildings are excellent examples of religious architecture and noteworthy for the excellence of its design, craftsmanship and detailing. Located at 118 Northeast 2nd Street, at the corner of Northeast 1st Avenue and 2nd Street, it is the second sanctuary to serve the parish and the oldest Catholic church in South Florida, south of Tampa. The first church was built of wood in 1896 at a total cost of $3,600. By 1922, the wooden structure proved too small and the larger church we see today, which seats 800, was constructed with polychromed crystal leaded windows made in Germany and altars made of Italian marble. For over 100 years, the Jesuits have been much more than just sacramental. They welcomed soldiers and sailors returning from the Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II and exiles from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti. For the last 42 years, the Gesu Senior Citizen Center has offered breakfast and lunch to the many seniors who come from all over Miami-Dade County. Many take advantage of the church's computer classroom with weekly classes and 26 computer places. The center also sponsors a flea market where donated clothing is sold at very low prices. Gesu Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Written February 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
English Mass M/Sat 12:10 and
Sunday 8:30 am 11:30 am
Suggest you call in case there is change due
To Hurricane Irma.
This is a very special sanctuary. There is
Parking in the back.
Written September 18, 2017
Hay misa todos los dias a las 11 de la mañana y los domigos a las 10 y 1pm .Estos horarios son en español, hay en ingles en otros horarios
Written May 9, 2016
Does this Church acept Dogs?
Written April 10, 2016
No. it is an older, beautiful church with no accommodations for pets.
Written April 10, 2016
Buenos días quería saber si ahí preparan niños para hacer su primera comunión y si en cuanto tiempo gracias
Written February 5, 2016
Showing results 1-10 of 13
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing