St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud celebrated Monsignor Fabian Gimeno’s 50th anniversary in the priesthood on Sunday, June 20.  

The event began with a celebratory 6 p.m. Mass on Sunday evening, followed by a parish-wide reception in the church’s social hall. It concluded with dinner at the Royal Crest Room at St. Cloud Golf Course.

More than 400 people attended Sunday’s Mass to witness the special ceremony, entirely dedicated to the monsignor, showing appreciation for his hard work in the Catholic community.

Gimeno has dedicated his entire life to the priesthood and the Catholic church.  He was ordained on June 19, 1960, in Madrid, Spain, before coming to the United States. He has served at other churches in Central Florida as well, including St. James Cathedral in downtown Orlando, St. Peter’s in DeLand and Blessed Sacrament in Clermont.  Monsignor was appointed the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Cloud on July 1, 1982.