The parish operates St. James Cathedral School on nearby Robinson Street which offers classes from pre-school through eighth grade.

St. James Parish traces its roots to May 20, 1881, when Bishop John Moore of the Diocese of St. Augustine, which then covered the entire state of Florida, purchased land to establish the first Catholic Church in the Orlando area.

[3] The two-story Mediterranean Revival school building, which was completed the same year, is a contributing property in the Lake Eola Heights Historic District.

[6] Work included restoration of stonework on the facade that was covered during the previous renovation, interior decoration,[7] lighting, and installation of windows to comply with current hurricane-codes.

A marble altar, tabernacle throne and baptismal font were created in Carrara, Italy to complement new pews.