Who We Are
At St. Raphael’s, we are a community rooted in healing, hope, and hospitality, serving both residents and visitors of Fort Myers Beach. While we are an Episcopal congregation, our identity extends beyond denominational boundaries. Our church family includes people from diverse religious backgrounds—as well as those exploring faith for the first time.
We believe that God is always calling us into something new. Our worship reflects this conviction, gathering us in grace, fueling our spirits, and sending us forth in love and service to our community. At St. Raphael’s, ALL are truly welcome.
Our Mission and Values
Our Mission
Rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we exist to be a beacon of Healing, Hope, and Hospitality on Fort Myers Beach
Our Vision
Rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we are committed to nurturing spiritual growth, fostering a sense of belonging, and serving our community with compassion.
Our Staff and Lay Leadership
Rev. Michael Rowe
Rev. Michael Rowe is a Canadian native, educated at McGill, Oxford and Sewanee. He has served as parish priest within the Anglican and Episcopal communities across North America and the Caribbean, includes positions in Montreal, Bermuda, Maine, and Southwest Florida.
In 2005, Fr. Rowe accepted the call to become the rector of St. Mary & #39;s Episcopal Church in Bonita Springs, Florida and served there until retiring in 2020. Inheriting a parish with strong outreach, he emphasized glorifying God in worship and growth in spiritual engagement and depth. After his retirement from St. Mary’s, Fr. Rowe served as interim at St. Luke’s, Fort Myers for a year and then accepted a call from St. Raphael’s Church to serve as our priest-in-charge in 2024.
Kathleen Pignato
Kathleen Pignato is our music director. She has been with us for over a year and has provided wonderful music in whatever venue we may be in at the time. Here she is playing the harp outside when we were in the tent. She has also played the keyboard for us at the shrimp docks under a tent or on a dock.
Charles A. White
We have a small congregation and we do not sing well without assistance. That is where Charles white comes in. Charles lends us his beautiful voice and leads us through the service hymns.
The Bishop’s Council is responsible, with the Priest in Charge, for the overall governance of the parish. Members act as representatives of the congregation, making decisions that support the church's spiritual and operational health. It plays a role in setting goals that guide the parish’s future direction.
Members of the Bishop’s Council for 2025
· Ellie Bunting
· Ross Miller
· Kathy Leson
· Mary Ann Gee
· Joanne Semmer
· Jim Davis
· Jackie Sarullo
Joanne Bertuch
JoAnne is our new office assistant with a background in office management, IT project management, finance, and executive assistant. JoAnne has over 30 years’ experience in working for large corporations such as Philip Morris and one of the largest marketing firms in New York McCann Erickson. She has also worked at a church in Ft. Myers for 9 years. JoAnne enjoys spending her spare time with her 2 daughters and 9 grandchildren and she loves to travel. She also enjoys meeting new people and spending time on the beach.
Mary Koenig
"Mary Koenig is Such a Gem! Gorgeous inside and out, this beautiful woman has been a ballerina (do you have Any Idea how demanding that is?) and a recording artist vocalist (God's Gifts are so unfair!) a marvelous wife of many years to dear Howie Koenig, and the Best of Friends. And now Mary has joined Charles White's cantor team, leading songs at our worship services."
HOW WE WORSHIP
Our Beliefs
As Episcopalians, we believe in and follow Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world
The Bible
The Bible is the foundation of our church, containing everything one needs for salvation. About 70 percent of the Book of Common Prayer comes directly from the Bible.
Book of Common Prayer
We have a liturgical style of worship using the Book of Common Prayer as a guide that offers prayers, responses, and forms of worship that are consistent across the Episcopal Church. The prayer book is the primary symbol of our unity. Although we may come from different places, we come together in Christ through our worship and common prayer. The Book of Common Prayer includes An Outline of Faith (or Catechism) on page 845. This provides a basic introduction to the Christian faith in a simple question and answer form.
Baptism
Baptism is how we are united to Christ and become members of his church. Infants and young children may be baptized when sponsored by their parents and/or other baptized Christians.
The Creeds
The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed are two foundational statements of faith that are
important to our church. Repeating these creeds during our services allows us to join Christians
around the world in affirming our faith in God.
The Sacraments
Besides baptism and the Eucharist (Holy Communion), the church recognizes other spiritual
markers in our journey of faith including confirmation, reconciliation, marriage, ordination, and
unction.
These are in the Book of Common Prayer
Confirmation (the adult affirmation of our baptismal vows), pp. 413-419
Reconciliation of a Penitent (private confession), pp. 447-452
Matrimony (Christian marriage), pp. 422-438
Orders (ordination to deacon, priest, or bishop), pp. 510-555
Unction (anointing with oil those who are sick or dying) pp. 453-467
Sunday: We meet each Sunday at 10:00 for Holy Communion. We are presently holding services in our parish hall. Hopefully, we will be returning to the church soon.
Other Services
- Blue Christmas
- Blessing of the Fleet
- Blessing of the Animals
- Tenebrae
- Ash Wednesday
- Maundy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Easter Sunday
- Christmas Eve
Live Streaming on You Tube and Facebook
Videos - YouTube CLICK HERE to view videos of recent services.
Facebook
CLICK HERE
We record our services on Sunday so you can view them if you cannot attend in person.
This Week’s Sermon
Sermon Archive
MINISTRIES
Bible Study— Our weekly Bible Study will be held on Wednesdays at 4:00 P.M. We will gather via zoom for Lent. Hopefully in-person gatherings can start after Lent, when season traffic has subsided and we have a fully refurbished Comfort Hall to meet in. All are welcome. The study follows the lectionary and can be found on the Episcopal Church Website link https://www.episcopalchurch.org/bible-study/lent-c/.
Prayer Ministry- Several parishioners have been trained for the restoration of our prayer ministry. How does this work? Before or after you have received Holy Communion, you may go to the prayer ministers (who work in teams of two) and share briefly what you want prayer for. It might be for healing for yourself or another, guidance in a decision you face, strength to actually do something you know you need to do – or anything else. You might even be coming back to say thank you to God for an answer to prayer previously offered. (See Luke 17:17-18)
Columbarium (Memorial Garden)-Our Memorial Gardens are located at the rear of the church building. We have a columbarium for our parishioners and friends of St. Raphael’s. Our Memorial Gardens include plaques for those who have been buried at sea as well as those who perished during Hurricane Ian.
Neighborhood Conversations-We are located in a neighborhood and make an effort each year to reach out to our neighbors to join us in an informal get together where we can learn from and about each other.