The Pastors at St. Rita Catholic Church
Rev. Dayan Machado was born in San Antonio de los Baños, Province of La Habana, Cuba. His school years in the Island exposed him to Marxist philosophy and to experience Communist political and educational systems. He came to the USA in April of 1999 where he graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida. He then entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami to discern the call to the Catholic priesthood. He attended St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida and was ordained priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg by his Excellency Most Rev. Robert N. Lynch on May 15th 2010. His previous pastoral assignments have been: Parochial Vicar at St. Lawrence Church, Tampa; Parochial Vicar at St. Clement Church, Plant City.