About St. Raphael · Rockville, Maryland
St. Raphael Catholic Church is a large, bilingual (English/Spanish) parish in Rockville, Maryland, canonically established in 1966 and served by the Archdiocese of Washington. Worshiping around the Eucharist and serving roughly 3,000 families across zip codes 20854 and 20850, the parish offers an extensive Mass schedule (six Sunday Masses including a Spanish Mass and a Youth Mass), weekly Confession, daily Eucharistic Adoration, novenas, a parish school (K-8), a Nursery School dating to 1969, and a long list of lay ministries serving the vulnerable. The community is led by Fr. Mike Salah, with Parochial Vicar Fr. Joe Gonzalez, three permanent deacons, and a broad parish staff.
- Established
- 1966
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Michael 'Fr. Mike' Salah
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
St. Raphael offers an unusually full sacramental and devotional life for a suburban parish: six Sunday Masses (including a Spanish Mass and a Youth Mass), daily Mass, weekday Eucharistic Adoration three days a week, bilingual Confession twice a week, the Miraculous Medal Novena and Divine Mercy Chaplet, and a livestreamed Mass program. Faith formation runs from Nursery School through 8th grade and into Youth Ministry, with strong programs for sacramental preparation, marriage and family life, and adult discipleship. A deeply-rooted outreach network — St. Vincent de Paul Conference, Respect for Life, Gabriel Network/Angel Friends, Prison Ministry, and a 20-year Advent Giving Tree tradition with sister parish St. Martin of Tours in DC — gives parishioners concrete ways to live the Gospel locally.
Mass times at St. Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM (bilingual; during Lent begins at 6:30 PM)
- Saturday 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM (bilingual)
- By appointment with a parish priest (call 301-762-2143); homebound visits available
Adoration times
- Tuesday 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM
- Thursday 9:30 AM – 7:15 PM
- First Friday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Family Holy Hour)
- First Friday 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Spanish)
About St. Raphael Catholic Church
St. Raphael Catholic Church is a worshiping community of faith centered on the Eucharist, in the Archdiocese of Washington, canonically established in 1966. The parish describes itself as a community that fosters a personal and communal relationship with God by reflecting the Gospel mandates to love God and neighbor, and to educate and evangelize. Now serving roughly 3,000 families across the 20854 and 20850 zip codes, St. Raphael is bilingual (English and Spanish), offers an unusually rich sacramental schedule, and runs both a parish school and a long-established Nursery School.
Parish History
Founded in 1966 under Monsignor Thomas Duffy — who opened the original church and the building now known as the Duffy Community Center — St. Raphael has grown from about 900 families to roughly 3,000 today. Successive pastors have guided that growth: Monsignors Paul Gozaloff, Richard Burton, and Michael Wilson, then Fr. William 'Bill' Finch, Fr. James Meyers, and the current pastor, Fr. Mike Salah.
Founding and Early Growth
In the parish's 'short but busy history,' the Duffy community building from the original 1966 campus still anchors parish life, and the founding pastor remains memorialized in its name. The community grew steadily through the 1970s–90s and continued expanding as Rockville developed.
Fr. Bill Finch and the New School
Pastor Fr. Bill Finch championed the dream of adding an elementary and middle school to the parish. St. Raphael School was dedicated in June 2006 as the newest school in the Archdiocese of Washington, opening with 31 kindergartners and first graders under founding principal Teri Dwyer. Fr. Finch died of a heart attack on Holy Thursday 2009 before the new school building was complete; his successor Fr. Jim Meyers carried the project to groundbreaking in April 2010, and the building was dedicated in October 2011.
- Parish honors Fr. Bill each autumn with the Fr. Bill Finch Memorial St. Raphael Golf Classic
St. Raphael Nursery School — Five Decades
The Nursery School traces back to 1969, when it began in rented space at the parish as a non-sectarian program for 3- and 4-year-olds, initially run as a parent cooperative. It came under the parish umbrella in 1989 and grew so popular that parents reportedly slept overnight to secure spots. Director Teri Dwyer has led the program since 1990; in 2018 she was honored as the Archdiocese's Distinguished Principal of the Year.
Clergy and Staff
Parish leadership includes Pastor Fr. Mike Salah, Parochial Vicar Fr. Joe (Joseph A.) Gonzalez, retired priest in residence Fr. Thomas Morrow, and three permanent deacons — Deacon Richard Meyer (Marriage & Family), Deacon Jose R. Carbonell (Marriage / Project Rachel), and retired Deacon Frank J. Salatto (Prison Ministry). Parish staff include a Parish Manager (Karen Watson), Director of Music (Vince Natali), Director of Religious Education (Mary Beaudoin), Faith Formation Director (Suzanne Nelson), Hispanic Coordinator (Luisa Duarte), Youth Ministry Director (Annie McHugh), School Principal (Taylor Cotting) and Main Supervisor (Jorge Henriquez), with publications/welcoming support from Elaine Salatto.
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious Education at St. Raphael prepares children for First Penance and First Eucharist (a two-year process typically begun in first grade) and supports older children and teens who begin preparation at any grade. The parish also runs sacramental preparation through both Religious Education classes and at-home materials, and supports RCIA-style adult initiation through the Faith Formation office led by Suzanne Nelson and Director of Religious Education Mary Beaudoin. The Hispanic Coordinator (Luisa Duarte) coordinates the Spanish-language formation track that parallels the parish's 1:00 PM Spanish Sunday Mass.
St. Raphael School (K–8)
St. Raphael School is the parish's elementary and middle school, opened in August 2006 under founding principal Teri Dwyer (who still serves) and dedicated as the newest school in the Archdiocese of Washington. After operating out of the Duffy Center for its first five years, the school moved into its purpose-built educational building, which was dedicated in October 2011. The school has been recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry is led by Director Annie McHugh and centers on the parish's 6:00 PM Sunday 'Youth Mass.' Programs typically gather middle- and high-school-age parishioners for formation, fellowship, service, and sacramental preparation, with text-message-friendly contact via 240-426-5589.
Music and Liturgy
Music Ministry is directed by Vince Natali and supports the parish's broad liturgical schedule, including livestreamed daily and Sunday Masses. The parish offers a downloadable Bilingual Mass Aid from the Mass Schedule page to help congregants follow the liturgy in English and Spanish.
Serving the Vulnerable — Outreach Ministries
St. Raphael describes itself as a 'socially conscious' parish that puts Catholic ideals into practice. The Serving the Vulnerable subcommittee coordinates assistance, advocacy, education, and prayer for groups needing special attention, with the goal of promoting human dignity. The parish's outreach network is unusually wide for a suburban parish and has been a hallmark of its identity for decades.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul / St. Raphael Conference — meets 2nd and 4th Monday at 6:30 PM in the Parish Library; Interim President Tom O'Neill; assists with rent, utilities, food, prescriptions, and legal referrals; no meetings in July.
- Respect for Life Committee — meets the third Tuesday, September–June; Chair Maria Elena Crespo.
- Gabriel Network / Angel Friends — crisis-pregnancy support pairing expectant mothers with parish mentors; Coordinator Carol DeGraba.
- Prison Ministry — Sunday Masses, Communion services, catechesis, and Scripture sharing at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility (Clarksburg, MD); Coordinator Deacon Frank Salatto.
- Advent Giving Tree — 20+ year tradition benefiting 20+ organizations and the parish's twin parish, St. Martin of Tours, in Washington, D.C.
Marriage, Family, and Project Rachel
Marriage preparation and family-life support are coordinated through Deacon Richard Meyer (Marriage & Family Ministry). Deacon Jose Carbonell supports Project Rachel, the Church's post-abortion healing ministry, alongside his work on marriage. The parish publishes a 'Contact List of Ministry Leaders' updated annually to connect parishioners with specific ministries.
Hispanic Ministry
Hispanic Ministry is coordinated by Luisa Duarte and includes the 1:00 PM Sunday Spanish Mass, Spanish-language reconciliation during the bilingual Tuesday and Saturday slots, Spanish-speaking outreach through Prison Ministry, and a First-Friday 7:30 PM Spanish Holy Hour. The parish's Bilingual Mass Aid is available to help congregants participate in either language.
Facilities and Campus
The parish campus at 1513 Dunster Road includes the church, the older Duffy Community Center (originally the parish school, now home to Religious Education and St. Raphael Nursery School), the newer St. Raphael School building, and the Upper Room and Youth Center at 1513-b Dunster Road. Three fax lines — parish, school, and youth center — correspond to the three buildings. The complex is wheelchair accessible per the Archdiocese of Washington listing.
Getting Involved
Parishioners are encouraged to share time and talent through the parish's many ministries; the 'Contact List of Ministry Leaders' (updated annually) lists who to reach for each group, and a parish registration form is available for newcomers. The parish also operates a Support Our Parish giving page and an information/text-message opt-in for parish-wide updates.
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Thomas Duffyfounding pastor, 1966
Founded the parish; the original community building is named the Duffy Community Center in his honor.
- Monsignor Paul Gozaloff
Succeeded Msgr. Duffy as pastor.
- Monsignor Richard Burton
Served as pastor.
- Monsignor Michael Wilson
Served as pastor.
- Rev. William 'Bill' Finchdied April 2009
Champion of expanding the school to K-8; died of a heart attack on Holy Thursday 2009 before the new school building was completed. Honored annually with the Fr. Bill Finch Memorial Golf Classic.
- Rev. James Meyers
Continued and completed the new school building project; building was dedicated in October 2011.
- Rev. Michael 'Fr. Mike' Salahcurrent
Current pastor.