About St. Raphael · Saint Petersburg, Florida
St. Raphael Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, located at 1376 Snell Isle Blvd NE in the historic Snell Isle neighborhood of St. Petersburg, Florida. Founded in 1960, the parish serves as a place of worship, an elementary Catholic school (St. Raphael Catholic School, PK–8), and a community center offering formation programs for children, youth, and adults. Under its current pastor, Very Rev. Curtis V. Carro V.F. — who also serves as Dean/Vicar Forane of the St. Petersburg Deanery and Director of the Diocese's Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs — St. Raphael runs a full sacramental life including weekday Masses, multiple Sunday Masses, Saturday confessions, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a wide range of lay ministries.
- Established
- 1960
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Very Rev. Curtis V. Carro V.F.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saint Petersburg
Why belong here
St. Raphael offers a complete Catholic sacramental life on one Snell Isle campus: daily 8:00 a.m. Mass Monday–Saturday, four Sunday Masses, Saturday confessions, and weekly Eucharistic Adoration each Wednesday (September through May). Families can send children to St. Raphael Catholic School (PK–8) right on the parish grounds, while younger parishioners are formed through Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, EDGE (middle school), and LIFETEEN (high school). Adults find meaningful service through the Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women, St. Vincent de Paul, Respect Life, Healing Prayer, and Nursing Home Visits ministries, in a parish whose pastor is also a diocesan dean and ecumenical affairs director — bringing real institutional connections to a close-knit neighborhood community.
Mass times at St. Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
Adoration times
- Wednesday 8:30 AM – 7:30 PM (September through May)
Parish History
St. Raphael was founded in 1960 in the Snell Isle neighborhood of northeast St. Petersburg and has grown alongside its surrounding community for more than six decades. Parishioners marked the community's origins with a 50th Anniversary Gala held at The Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg, followed by a Bishop's Mass and Reception on February 10, 2013, honoring the early-1960s founding era. The parish's physical campus was significantly expanded in 2004–2005, when the Diocese of Saint Petersburg commissioned a new 28,000-square-foot facility designed by Aude Architects and constructed by Hawkins Construction. The new building was completed on schedule and dedicated in June 2005, despite the active 2004 hurricane season, and was deliberately designed to blend into the Snell Isle residential character of the neighborhood.
- Founded 1960, Diocese of Saint Petersburg
- 50th Anniversary celebrated in early 2013 (Gala at The Coliseum + Bishop's Mass Feb. 10, 2013)
- New 28,000 sq ft facility designed by Aude Architects, built by Hawkins Construction; dedicated June 2005
- St. Raphael Catholic School established on the same Snell Isle campus in 1964
Clergy & Pastoral Leadership
The parish is led by Very Rev. Curtis V. Carro V.F., who serves as Pastor and additionally as Dean/Vicar Forane of the St. Petersburg Deanery and as Director of the Office of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs for the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. Fr. Carro was ordained on May 16, 2015. He is assisted by Rev. Claudius M. Mganga as Parochial Vicar/Associate Pastor, and by Deacon Jim Grevenites (James Grevenites), who is assigned to the parish.
- Very Rev. Curtis V. Carro V.F. — Pastor (ordained May 16, 2015); also Dean, St. Petersburg Deanery, and Director of Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs for the Diocese
- Rev. Claudius M. Mganga — Parochial Vicar / Associate Pastor
- Deacon Jim Grevenites — Assigned Deacon
Parish Staff
Beyond the clergy, St. Raphael maintains a full lay staff supporting parish operations, worship, formation, and facilities. The parish office is staffed Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and on Friday from 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
- Brian Harvey — Business Manager
- Loretta Soulnier Pheeny — Director of Parish Life
- Wanda Antunez — Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Coordinator
- Andrew Johnson — Music Ministry Director
- Vincent Sclafani — Youth Ministry Director
- Jesse Broadus — Associate Pastor (role per staff listing)
- Luca Tizzano — Administrative Assistant
- Chris Koch — Administrative Assistant
- Jeff Fehr — Maintenance and Custodial Services Manager
- Christan Aisenbrey — St. Raphael School Principal
Faith Formation & Religious Education
St. Raphael is one of only 15 parishes (out of 74) in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg that offers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-inspired, Scripture- and liturgy-rooted formation for children ages 3.5 through 5th grade. CGS sessions are offered on Sundays (10:45 AM–12:15 PM), Wednesdays (4:00–5:30 PM), and Thursdays (4:00–5:30 PM). First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are prepared through CGS plus four monthly parent-and-child prep sessions (Tuesday or Wednesday 6:00–7:30 PM); First Holy Communion Mass for the 2025–2026 year is scheduled for May 2 at 9:30 AM. Older youth are served through EDGE (middle school) and LIFETEEN (high school), with additional 4th–5th grade faith formation.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) — ages 3.5 through 5th grade
- CGS Levels 1, 2, and 3 offered; Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday sessions
- EDGE — Middle School Ministry
- LIFETEEN — High School Ministry
- 4th–5th Grade Faith Formation
- First Reconciliation / First Holy Communion Prep (monthly parent-child sessions; First Communion Mass 2025–2026: May 2 at 9:30 AM)
St. Raphael Catholic School
St. Raphael Catholic School is a parish PK–8 elementary school sharing the Snell Isle campus at 1376 Snell Isle Blvd NE. The school is fully accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference (FCC) and is a member of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA); it is also VPK Certified and licensed by the Pinellas County Licensing Board and Coordinated Child Care. Its mission: "Christ is the cornerstone of St. Raphael Catholic School, where we empower all to strive for academic excellence, provide faith-filled service to others, reflect Catholic values, and become responsible leaders of the Church and community." Approximately 183 students are enrolled across PK through 8th grade, with an 11:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The school was founded in 1964.
- Grades: Prekindergarten–8
- Enrollment: ~183 students; 11:1 student-teacher ratio
- Accredited by Florida Catholic Conference; member of NCEA
- VPK Certified; licensed by Pinellas County
- Founded 1964
- Phone: (727) 821-9663
- Website: straphaelschool.net
Parish Ministries & Service
St. Raphael's lay ministries span youth, family, charitable, and devotional work. Knights of Columbus and the Council of Catholic Women anchor parish-wide fellowship and service, while St. Vincent de Paul leads charitable outreach. Other groups include Respect Life, Healing Prayer Ministry, Nursing Home Visits, Divorced & Blended Families, Young Adults, Scouts BSA & Cub Scouts, Mustard Seed Ministry, and a Welcome Weekend hospitality team. Governance is supported by the Parish Pastoral Council and the Finance Council.
- Knights of Columbus
- Council of Catholic Women
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Respect Life
- Healing Prayer Ministry
- Nursing Home Visits
- Divorced & Blended Families
- Young Adults
- Scouts BSA & Cub Scouts
- Mustard Seed Ministry
- Welcome Weekend
- Parish Pastoral Council
- Finance Council
Plan Your Visit
St. Raphael welcomes visitors and newcomers at 1376 Snell Isle Blvd NE in St. Petersburg's Snell Isle neighborhood. The parish office can be reached at (727) 821-7989 (fax 727-896-9619) or [email protected]. Parish Office Hours are Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM–4:00 PM and Friday 8:30 AM–1:00 PM. The church is equipped with a LOOP Hearing Assistance system for the hearing impaired. A campus map is available on the parish website.
- Address: 1376 Snell Isle Blvd NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
- Phone: (727) 821-7989 — Fax: (727) 896-9619
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:30 AM–1:00 PM
- LOOP Hearing Assistance available