Pastor Fr. Michael Lydon

       Fr. Michael Lydon was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on August 28, 1947. Father was the oldest of the six children of Ray and Virginia Lydon. He attended St. Jude's Elementary School and graduated from Bishop Barry High School (now St. Petersburg Catholic) in June of 1965.

       Fr. Mike entered St. John Vianney Seminary the following September. For the first two years of college, he took a leave to study at St. Petersburg Junior College, and then finished college at St. Mary's Seminary in Kentucky. He then entered St. Vincent de Paul Major Seminary in Boynton Beach and was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop McLaughlin on May 18, 1974.

       Fr. Mike was the first native born priest ordained from the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Fr. Mike's first assignment as associate pastor was at St. Patrick's Church in Tampa with Father Earner as Pastor. From there he served at St. Pauls in St. Petersburg and St. John Vianney in St. Petersburg Beach. During these assignments Fr. Mike also served for eight years as Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry. He served as Pastoral Administrator at St. Cecelia's Parish in Fort Myers for eight months until the Diocese was split and then moved to Temple Terrace and became pastor of Corpus Christi Church.

       His next assignment was to start a parish in Largo. He established St. Justin Martyr and for eleven years he shaped its growth until his most recent assignment to St. Thomas Aquinas in New Port Richey where he celebrated his 25th anniversary of Priesthood.

       Fr. Mike enjoys singing and playing the guitar, camping, travel and kayaking. Fr. Earner had a little prayer attached to the mirror in the sacristy at St. Patrick's which read "Remember priest, to say this Mass as if it were your first for it may be your last. This little prayer guides him still.