About St. Isabel · Sanibel, Florida
St. Isabel Catholic Church is a welcoming parish on Sanibel Island, Florida, in the Diocese of Venice. Founded originally as a mission in 1963 and established as a full parish in the 1970s, it serves a vibrant mix of year-round island residents and seasonal visitors. The parish is known for its beautiful waterfront setting along Sanibel-Captiva Road, its prayer garden, and a close-knit community that gathers for Mass, faith formation, and traditional devotions like the daily Rosary.
- Established
- 1973
- Patron
- St. Isabel (Elizabeth of Hungary)
- Rector
- Rev. Edward Martin
- Diocese
- Diocese of Venice
Why belong here
St. Isabel offers the rhythms of a smaller, neighborly parish — daily Mass several mornings a week, a Saturday Vigil and Sunday morning Mass, the Rosary prayed together on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays after the 8:30 AM Mass, and a children's faith formation program that partners with parents in the home. It's a faith community where island residents and seasonal visitors worship side-by-side, supported by a dedicated pastor, a parish cantor, and an active lay leadership — and the rebuilt church and prayer garden make it one of the more striking worship spaces on Sanibel.
Mass times at St. Isabel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00 PM
Adoration times
- Adoration will resume in October
Parish Identity and Diocese
St. Isabel Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Venice, in the Central Deanery, located at 3559 Sanibel-Captiva Road on Sanibel Island, Florida. Originally a mission of Ascension Parish on Fort Myers Beach, it was transferred to the Diocese of St. Petersburg in 1968 and then to the newly created Diocese of Venice in the 1980s. The diocese lists the parish's founding year as 1973, while parish records document a mission beginning in 1963, a chapel dedication on June 19, 1965, and elevation to parish status in 1974.
- Diocese: Diocese of Venice
- Deanery: Central
- Year Founded: 1973
- Address: 3559 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL 33957
- Phone: (239) 472-2763
- Email: [email protected]
History of Saint Isabel Parish
The parish's story begins on January 16, 1956, when Bishop Joseph P. Hurley purchased a twenty-acre tract on Sanibel that would become the parish campus. Through the pioneering ministry of Fr. Miguel Goni, who said Mass by boat in private homes, and the generosity of local families and the Extension Society, the first chapel was dedicated in 1965. The arrival of the Sanibel Causeway in 1963 and the steady stream of new residents and winter visitors transformed the small mission into a thriving community, culminating in its elevation to parish status in 1974 under Fr. Beauregard, Sanibel's first resident priest. Subsequent decades brought the 1998 dedication of the parish hall by Bishop John J. Nevins and the 2008 rebuilding of the church on its original footprint after Hurricane Charley.
- 1956: Bishop Hurley purchases twenty acres on Sanibel
- 1963: Sanibel Causeway completed; first chapel built; $11,000 Extension Society grant
- 1965 (June 19): Bishop Coleman F. Carroll dedicates the new chapel
- 1968: Transferred to new Diocese of St. Petersburg under Bishop Charles B. McLaughlin
- 1973 (Oct. 10): Fr. Beauregard arrives as first resident priest
- 1974 (Jan. 11): Mission promoted to parish; Blessed Sacrament reservation permitted
- 1983: Fr. Joseph Beaumont succeeds Fr. Beauregard
- 1997 (March): New Parish Hall completed
- 1998 (Feb. 27): Bishop Nevins dedicates St. Isabel Hall
- 2008 (March 19, Holy Wednesday): First Mass in the newly rebuilt 790-seat church
Worship and Liturgy
St. Isabel offers a full weekly schedule of Masses plus traditional devotions. Weekday Masses are celebrated Wednesday through Friday mornings, with the Friday Mass at 9:00 AM and the Saturday Vigil at 5:00 PM leading into the principal Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM. The Liturgy of the Hours style of the parish is reinforced by the daily Rosary, prayed together on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays after the 8:30 AM Mass, and by periodic Adoration (which the parish website notes will resume in October). A Parish Cantor/Music Coordinator (Maria Zoltek) leads the music ministry.
- Wednesday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Thursday Mass: 8:30 AM
- Friday Mass: 9:00 AM
- Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 AM
- Confession: Saturday 4:00 PM
- Rosary: Wed/Thu/Fri after the 8:30 AM Mass
- Adoration: resumes in October
- Music Ministry: Parish Cantor/Music Coordinator Maria Zoltek
Faith Formation
The parish runs a Children's Christian Formation (catechism) program that partners with parents in the religious instruction of their children. New and returning students register through the parish office, and a baptismal certificate is required for all new students. Tuition for 2022–2023 was tiered from $65 for one child to $140 for four children. The parish office is the registration point of contact at (239) 472-2763 or [email protected].
- Children's Faith Formation / catechism program
- Registration via parish office (239-472-2763)
- Baptismal certificate required for new students
- Tuition tiers: $65 (1) / $90 (2) / $115 (3) / $140 (4)
Parish Communications and Giving
Registered parishioners are encouraged to sign up for Flocknote, an email messaging app used by St. Isabel to communicate with active members. A weekly Parish Bulletin is published, and parishioners may subscribe to publications by submitting their name and email through the parish website. Online Giving is handled through the WeShare platform (wesharegiving.org/app/giving/stisabel).
- Flocknote messaging for registered parishioners
- Weekly Parish Bulletin
- Online giving via WeShare
- Subscribe to parish publications
Architecture and Campus
The current church was rebuilt on the footprint of the original structure after Hurricane Charley damaged the property, with the first Mass in the new space celebrated on March 19, 2008. The 790-seat worship area features tile floors, marble accents, wooden ceiling beams, curved pews, an altar and prominent cross, and tall glass window panes at the entrance, with an integrated sound system. The complex also includes a dedicated prayer garden and the Parish Hall (dedicated by Bishop Nevins in 1998), which serves both liturgical and social functions.
- Rebuilt 2008 on the original footprint after Hurricane Charley
- Tile floors, marble, wooden ceiling beams, curved pews
- Glass window panes at the entrance and an integrated sound system
- Prayer garden
- Parish Hall (dedicated Feb. 27, 1998 by Bishop John J. Nevins)
- Additional parking lot added at Sanibel-Captiva Road and Rabbit Road (1992)
Visiting and Getting Involved
A dedicated 'What to Expect' page on the parish website welcomes newcomers and visitors, outlining the worship schedule and helping first-time attendees feel at home. Parish life centers on the parish hall, weekend Masses, daily Rosary, and seasonal Adoration, with the music ministry, faith formation program, and Flocknote communications providing the main ways for parishioners — visitors and full-time residents alike — to participate in parish life.
- Weekend Mass: Saturday 5:00 PM, Sunday 10:00 AM
- Confession before Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
- Get involved: Music Ministry, Children's Faith Formation, Flocknote, Ministry Schedules
- Parish Office hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (closed Saturdays and Sundays)
Practical Information
- Address: 3559 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL 33957
- Phone: (239) 472-2763
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://www.saintisabel.org/
- Office Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed weekends)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Miguel Goni1950s–1967
Administrator of Ascension Parish on Fort Myers Beach; began celebrating Sunday Mass on Sanibel by boat in private homes; oversaw construction and 1965 dedication of the first chapel.
- Fr. Claude Brubaker1967–1968
Appointed pastor of Ascension Parish with St. Isabel as filial mission; remained only about one year before moving to St. Mary's in St. Petersburg.
- Fr. Normand Hardy1968–1971
Pastor of Ascension and St. Isabel Mission.
- Fr. Conrad Lebel1968
First Associate Pastor assigned to Ascension Parish and St. Isabel Mission.
- Fr. Eugene McCarthy1971+
Succeeded Fr. Hardy as pastor of Ascension parish and St. Isabel Mission; worked with Bishop McLaughlin on development plans.
- Fr. Beauregard1973–1983
First resident priest and first Pastor of St. Isabel; promoted the mission to parish status (1974), oversaw rectory and church addition; resigned in June 1983.
- Fr. Joseph Beaumont1983+
Succeeded Fr. Beauregard; welcomed by the parish after the 10 AM Mass on July 3.
- Monsignor Robert Schiefen
Served as pastor and retired on June 5, 1998, after decades of involvement with the parish from its earliest days.
- Father Anthony Pastucci1998–2000
Assigned July 3, 1998; relocated sacristy and parish offices, gave the rectory a new roof; relieved of his position at his own request on March 12, 2000.
- Fr. Jacek Kowalik2000
From the Diocese of Venice; covered the parish after Fr. Pastucci's departure.
- Fr. George Ratzmann2000–2003
Assigned June 27, 2000 from St. Anne Parish in Naples; named Pastor on the anniversary of his arrival.
- Fr. Christopher Senk2003–2016
Oversaw rebuilding of the church after Hurricane Charley; placed on administrative leave in October 2016.
- Rev. Edward Martinpresent
Current Pastor.