Top schools, parishes honored for ‘acts of mercy’
ST. PETERSBURG — The Diocese of St. Petersburg has honored its top schools, parishes and ministries for performing nearly 2 million “Acts of Mercy” in 2025, a challenge inspired by the faith’s Jubilee Year of Hope.
The challenge invited Catholics across the diocese to intentionally live out the “Corporal” and “Spiritual Works of Mercy” and record their acts of service on Mercy2025.org, with the collective goal of reaching 1 million “Acts of Mercy” in one year.
That goal was surpassed ahead of schedule. In September — three months early — Bishop Gregory Parkes announced that the diocese had reached 1 million Acts of Mercy. By the close of the Jubilee Year on Jan. 6, the total had grown to nearly 2 million acts of service.
The following schools, parishes, and ministries were recognized as top contributors:
• Top Elementary Schools
Cathedral School of Saint Jude — 16,829 Acts of Mercy
Guardian Angels Catholic School — 14,687 Acts of Mercy
• Top High School
St. Petersburg Catholic High School — 21,125 Acts of Mercy
• Parish with Top Youth Participation
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church — 50,726 Acts of Mercy
• Top Diocesan Entity
WBVM Spirit FM 90.5 — 74,902 Acts of Mercy
• Top “Small” Parishes
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church — 59,556 Acts of Mercy
St. Patrick Catholic Church (Largo) — 36,176 Acts of Mercy
• Top “Medium” Parishes
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church — 345,954 Acts of Mercy
St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church — 309,201 Acts of Mercy
• Top “Large” Parishes
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church — 305,954 Acts of Mercy
St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church — 181,296 Acts of Mercy
• Top Overall Parish
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church — 345,954 Acts of Mercy
Janovsky Group links with Sotheby’s International Realty
TAMPA — A new signature luxury real estate team has emerged across Tampa Bay with the official launch of The Nick Janovsky Group, backed by luxury real estate brokerage Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.
The Nick Janovsky Group is intentionally structured to operate across South Tampa, St. Petersburg and the Gulf Beaches, a reflection of the way today’s luxury buyers and sellers move throughout the region, the firm said in a press release. Core markets include Old Northeast, Snell Isle, Downtown St. Petersburg, Treasure Island, Pass-a-Grille, St. Pete Beach, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park and the Keystone/Odessa corridor.
The Nick Janovsky Group is comprised of four seasoned Premier Sotheby’s International Realty advisors, each living and working within their respective territory to provide true hyper-local expertise. This structure is supported by centralized leadership, elevated marketing and consistent execution under the direction of Nick Janovsky, whose record-setting sales and notable transactions have helped shape the region’s luxury market.
Collectively, the group’s advisors represent nearly $500 million in lifetime sales, delivering institutional-level expertise to buyers, sellers and global relocation customers. Through Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s national and international reach, the group provides sophisticated advisory services and best-in-class marketing for luxury, waterfront and complex transactions.
Janovsky is the No. 1 volume producer at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty’s St. Petersburg office for the fifth consecutive year and has closed more than $200 million in personal sales in his first nine years in real estate. His career includes the highest sale in Pinellas County, the highest sale ever recorded in St. Pete Beach and Pass-a-Grille, and multiple neighborhood price records throughout Tampa Bay.
The team of global real estate advisors includes Lisa Farmer, specializing in Pasadena Yacht & Country Club, the beaches and Downtown St. Petersburg, Jessica Denig, focused on Pinellas Point and St. Petersburg’s luxury waterfront and condominium markets, and Jen Dunn, serving South Tampa, Palma Ceia, Hyde Park and surrounding communities.
Duke foundation launches grant opportunity for Florida nonprofits
ST. PETERSBURG — In honor of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, the Duke Energy Foundation is inviting qualified nonprofits in Florida to apply for America250 grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. The enterprise request for proposals (RFP) opened Jan. 12 and will fund projects that demonstrate local impact and alignment with spirit of the Foundation’s America250 core themes, including:
• Careers for veterans: Workforce development programs that help veterans transition to civilian careers.
• Sharing the American story: Local history projects, public exhibits, preservation of historic sites, educational programming, or field trips that celebrate America’s founding and ideals.
• Care for our country: Community cleanups, park revitalizations, public landscaping, or improvements to shared green spaces.
Eligible applicants are qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving Duke Energy Florida communities.
Deadline to apply is Feb. 20. Interested nonprofits should title their application “America250: [Insert description of the request].”
Visit the Duke Foundation website to learn more or apply.
USF speeds past peers in new research rankings
TAMPA — A newly released research ranking is reinforcing the University of South Florida’s standing as one of the country’s top institutions, while also showing research at USF is growing at a faster rate than most peers in higher education.
According to a new National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey, USF ranks No. 47 among the nation’s 422 reporting public universities based on research activity, up two spots from the previous year. USF is No. 69 out of more than 900 public and private institutions — up from No. 75 in fiscal year 2023. USF ranks No. 2 among Florida’s public universities.
USF’s $522 million spent on research in fiscal year 2024 is a $61 million increase over the previous year. More than half of those expenditures came from dollars awarded by federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense and National Science Foundation. USF’s 13% year-over-year growth rate is higher than 90% of members of the Association of American Universities. Over the past two years, USF’s research spending has increased by nearly 29%.
HERD rankings are based on research expenditures — the amount of funding universities spend — rather than the total value of grants awarded. Awards reflect the most recently completed fiscal year, while expenditures come from the prior cycle.
Research that falls under the category of Computer and Information Sciences experienced the greatest gains among all disciplines, climbing 26 spots since the 2022 HERD survey to No. 25 among public universities, with $25.3 million in research expenditures. The growth reflects the rapid trajectory of faculty research in the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.
Single-day tickets available for Firestone Grand Prix
ST. PETERSBURG — Single-day tickets to the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased online at gpstpete.com for the 22nd annual running of the iconic event Feb. 27-March 1.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will bring fans three full days of family fun and nonstop racing action with seven total races from five different racing series. Daily general admission tickets are $30 for Friday, $55 for Saturday and $70 for Sunday. Single Day Grandstand tickets are $135 for Silver and $110 for Bronze seating. Junior pricing is available for attendees ages 12 and under.
Multi-day tickets can still be purchased at gpstpete.com for those wanting to attend all three days of the action-packed weekend. A three-day general admission ticket is $80, and three-day Grandstand seats are priced at $185, $170 and $140 for Gold, Silver and Bronze, respectively.
Fans looking to enhance their experience can also purchase Pit Passes and Firestone IndyCar Paddock Passes in order to get up-close to the action. Additionally, the Rookie Racers program returns for the youngest fans attending on a Junior ticket. For an additional $35, while supplies last, children ages 5 to 12 will be immersed in behind-the-scenes experiences with activities scheduled all three days and receive a special membership kit.
For additional ticket prices, the event schedule and festival information, visit gpstpete.com. Follow Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on social media using @gpstpete and #FirestoneGP for the latest updates.