About St. Raphael · Pine Bluff, Arkansas
St. Raphael Church is a small Catholic mission church located south of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in Jefferson County, on a rural stretch of Saint Raphael Road off Highway 63. It is one of three Catholic parishes serving Pine Bluff (alongside St. Peter Church and St. Joseph Church) and is administered by the Diocese of Little Rock. Pastored by Fr. Andreas Kedati, SVD, of the Society of the Divine Word — the same religious order that has staffed the mission for much of its history — St. Raphael draws about 25 faithful to its Saturday Vigil Mass each week from multiple parishes in the surrounding area. Though tiny in number, the parish has a deep and unusual history as a 1930s-era mission orphanage for African-American children.
- Established
- 1932
- Patron
- Saint Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Fr. Andreas Kedati, SVD
- Diocese
- Diocese of Little Rock
Why belong here
St. Raphael is a rare kind of parish: a small, rural mission church where nearly everyone knows everyone else, and where Mass is celebrated as a multi-parish gathering of Catholics from St. Raphael, St. Peter, and St. Joseph. Worshipping here is a chance to join a deeply rooted community descended from the original founding families — including the Martin family, who have served as caretakers for more than 40 years — and to support a piece of Arkansas Black Catholic heritage that has been lovingly renewed by over $100,000 in parishioner-driven renovations since 2022. The pastor, Fr. Andreas Kedati, SVD, is also envisioning the parish grounds as a future retreat site for youth and young adults.
Mass times at St. Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Before Mass
History & Heritage of St. Raphael Mission
St. Raphael's story is inseparable from the history of Black Catholicism in Arkansas. In 1931, Bishop John B. Morris of the Diocese of Little Rock purchased the Begley Place, a roughly 600-acre plantation on Bayou Bartholomew south of Pine Bluff. The mission officially began in 1932 as an orphanage for African-American children — one of several Catholic institutions the diocese built to serve Black communities during the segregation era. The original multi-purpose building housed dormitories, classrooms, and a convent for sisters from St. Scholastica in Fort Smith, and was overseen by Father Bruno Drescher, SVD, who was concurrently pastor of St. Peter Church in Pine Bluff. The orphanage closed in 1938 and the Poor Brothers of St. Francis took over, transforming St. Raphael into a school and community center. The Brothers ran a dairy, hen house, and farm, and helped local families through cooperative farming — providing land, irrigation, and training in trades and advanced agriculture. In 1953 administration returned to the Society of the Divine Word under Fr. Joseph Kempinski, SVD, who became the mission's only resident pastor. Tragedy struck on April 14, 1958, when lightning hit the bell tower and fire destroyed the original building. Father Kempinski saved the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel — the only thing that survived. The current modest church was rebuilt and dedicated around 1960, along with a rectory and the caretaker's residence. St. Raphael School never reopened; its students transferred to St. Peter School, which continued serving the Black Catholic community until 2012.
- 1931 – Bishop John B. Morris purchases the Begley Place (c. 600 acres) on Bayou Bartholomew south of Pine Bluff
- 1932 – St. Raphael Mission opens as an orphanage for African-American children; sisters from St. Scholastica in Fort Smith serve as caregivers
- 1938 – Orphanage closes; Poor Brothers of St. Francis take over, converting the mission to a school and community center
- 1953 – Administration returns to the SVD; Fr. Joseph Kempinski, SVD becomes the mission's only resident pastor
- April 14, 1958 – Lightning strikes the bell tower; fire destroys the original mission building
- c. 1960 – New small church, rectory, and caretaker's residence built and dedicated; St. Raphael School closes permanently
- 2012 – Sister school St. Peter closes, ending Black Catholic K-12 education in Pine Bluff
- 2022–2025 – Parishioner-driven $100,000+ interior and exterior renovations under Fr. Andreas Kedati, SVD
The 1958 Fire and the Surviving Calvary Monument
The 1958 fire consumed virtually all of the original mission complex. All that remained was the Calvary monument that had stood in front of the church — a memorial honoring veterans of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. The monument originally included the crucifix and its base, statues of Mary, Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and angels, and 450 outdoor candle-lit lanterns. Over the years, the statues were dragged off by vandals and the lanterns had to be taken down for the same reason. The crucifix, however, still stands on the parish grounds as the lone physical witness to the mission's 1930s origins.
- Calvary monument (crucifix) — the only surviving element of the original 1932 mission building
- Originally part of a veterans' memorial with statues and 450 candle-lit lanterns
- Father Kempinski saved the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel during the fire
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
St. Raphael is pastored by Father Andreas Kedati, SVD, of the Society of the Divine Word, who was appointed to the Diocese of Little Rock on April 21, 2022, and arrived in Pine Bluff in late April of that year. Father Kedati also serves as pastor of nearby St. Peter Church in Pine Bluff and St. Justin Church in Star City, and is supported at St. Raphael by Deacon Moises Guadarrama. Brenda Baker serves as the parish's Coordinator of Religious Education / Director of Religious Education (C/DRE). The SVD presence at St. Raphael dates back to the mission's earliest years: Fr. Bruno Drescher, SVD oversaw the orphanage in the 1930s, and the Society returned in 1953 under Fr. Joseph Kempinski, SVD — the mission's only resident pastor. The phone line for St. Raphael rings through to St. Peter Church, and Mass at St. Raphael is attended from St. Peter as well.
- Fr. Andreas Kedati, SVD — Pastor (appointed April 21, 2022)
- Deacon Moises Guadarrama
- Brenda Baker — C/DRE (Coordinator/Director of Religious Education)
- Fr. Bruno Drescher, SVD — original supervising priest of the 1932 orphanage
- Fr. Joseph Kempinski, SVD — only resident pastor (1953–c.1958); saved the Blessed Sacrament during the 1958 fire
Parish Life, Ministries & Community
St. Raphael's identity as a small, family-oriented mission shapes its ministries: pastoral care, religious education for children and families, stewardship of the historic buildings and grounds, and outreach to neighboring Catholic parishes. Brenda Baker coordinates religious education, and Deacon Moises Guadarrama assists the pastor with liturgical and pastoral ministry. The parish is closely intertwined with St. Peter Church, where the office phone rings and from which Mass at St. Raphael is attended. The community has a remarkable tradition of hands-on stewardship — most visibly through the Martin family, which has provided the church's caretakers for over four decades. Parishioners organized and funded more than $100,000 in renovations across three years, and Father Kedati has begun exploring new ways to use the parish grounds, including the possible construction of retreat cabins for youth and young adults.
- Religious Education (C/DRE: Brenda Baker)
- Pastoral support by Deacon Moises Guadarrama
- Building & grounds stewardship (caretaker ministry)
- Joint fellowship with St. Peter and St. Joseph parishes
- Future youth / young-adult retreat cabins (proposed by Fr. Kedati)
The Renovation of St. Raphael (2022–2025)
When Father Andreas Kedati arrived in late April 2022, the very first project already underway was raising money for a new roof — not only for the church itself, but also for the caretaker's residence on the parish grounds and for the gym at St. Peter Church, all completed by one contractor. That roof work finished within about a month. More extensive interior renovations came in February 2025. With Mass temporarily relocated to St. Peter during the work, the parish received a new floor, a fresh layer of paint, an improved ceiling, new sanctuary carpet, and repaired windows in the church proper. In the rear fellowship area, ceiling and window repairs were completed, a new vestment closet was built for the priest, a mirror was installed, and a new sink was added. The cost of the interior work alone was about $95,000, with more than $100,000 raised overall from donors across St. Raphael, St. Peter, and St. Joseph parishes. The 1940s-era caretaker's house — where longtime caretaker Arthur Martin Sr. lived and worked for over 40 years — is now being redone and modernized, with parishioners searching for the next resident caretaker to continue the tradition.
- New roof on church, caretaker's residence, and St. Peter gym (2022)
- Interior renovation February 2025: new floor, ceiling, paint, sanctuary carpet, windows, lighting, ceiling fans
- New priest's vestment closet, mirror, and sink in rear fellowship area
- Updates to the 1940s caretaker's residence ongoing
- Total funds raised: $100,000+ from across the Pine Bluff Catholic community
Remembering Arthur Martin Sr.
Longtime St. Raphael parishioner and caretaker Arthur Martin Sr. died in February 2025 at the age of 77, just as the major interior renovations he had championed were beginning. He was recognized by the Diocese of Little Rock with the Daniel Rudd Award in 2023 for maintaining St. Peter School from 1989 to 2009, for three years of work at St. Joseph Church, and for his continued service as a devoted parishioner and caretaker of St. Raphael — more than 40 years in all. The parishioners honored his memory by dedicating the renovations he had long dreamed of seeing.
- Daniel Rudd Award recipient (2023)
- Caretaker of St. Raphael for over 40 years
- Maintained St. Peter School 1989–2009
- Died February 2025, age 77
Plan a Visit
St. Raphael is best suited to visitors who want a quiet, rural Catholic Mass experience and a chance to step into a deeply rooted piece of Arkansas Black Catholic history. Because Mass is celebrated only once a week and confessions are heard immediately before it, arriving a little early is a good idea. The parish shares its phone line and its mailing address with St. Peter Church in central Pine Bluff, which is the operational hub for Father Kedati's three-parish cluster (St. Raphael, St. Peter, and St. Justin in Star City).
- Mass: Saturday Vigil, 5:00 p.m. (April–Oct) / 4:00 p.m. (Oct–March)
- Confession: Before Mass
- Address (physical): Saint Raphael Road, Pine Bluff, AR 71601
- Address (mailing): 207 E. 16th Ave., Pine Bluff, AR 71601
- Phone: (870) 619-2210 (attended from St. Peter Church)
- Located off Highway 63, south of Pine Bluff in Jefferson County
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bruno Drescher, SVD
Original supervising priest of the St. Raphael orphanage; also pastor of St. Peter Church, Pine Bluff.
- Poor Brothers of St. Francis1938–1953
Administered the mission after the orphanage closed; ran the dairy, hen house, farm, and community programs.
- Fr. Joseph Kempinski, SVD1953–c.1958
Returned administration of the mission to the SVD in 1953; only resident pastor in St. Raphael's history; saved the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel during the 1958 fire.