About St. Raphael the Archangel · Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Raphael the Archangel is a Roman Catholic parish in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, belonging to the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Founded in June 1950 at the request of Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter, it is one of the last parishes established within the city limits of St. Louis. The parish community worships at 6047 Bishops Place and is supported by St. Raphael the Archangel School (founded the same year), with weekend Masses in both Roman-rite English celebrated by the pastor and associate pastor.
- Established
- 1950
- Patron
- St. Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Molini
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Raphael the Archangel offers a classic parish-and-school community in St. Louis Hills, where the Eucharist really is the center of life. Worship is supported by weekday Mass, Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass, regular Reconciliation on Saturdays, and First Friday Eucharistic Adoration. Members can grow through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults), adult religious education, Bible studies, men's and women's faith-sharing groups, the school and preschool (PSRs through 8th grade), and serve through more than two dozen ministries including the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, Ladies' and Men's Clubs, choir, lectors, ushers, pro-life committee, Scouts, and a Quilters group — making it a true family parish.
Mass times at St. Raphael the Archangel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 pm
Adoration times
- First Friday 8:30 am
- Monday–Friday 7:30 am (per Archdiocese schedule)
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Raphael the Archangel describes itself as a parish family that 'celebrates Jesus as the center of our life.' Through active participation in the Eucharist, parishioners strive to recognize Christ in their daily lives and in the lives of others, witnessing to faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through religious, educational, social, and civic involvements. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and serves the St. Louis Hills neighborhood on the south side of the city.
- Mission: celebrate Jesus as the center of parish life through the Eucharist.
- Witness to faith through religious, educational, social, and civic involvement.
- Part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
History of the Parish
Founded in June 1950 by Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter and entrusted to Father Arthur Behrman, St. Raphael the Archangel is one of the last parishes established within the city limits of St. Louis. Groundbreaking came on January 21, 1951, with Father Behrman laying the cornerstone of a combination church-and-school on Jamieson Avenue on August 15, 1951. The permanent church and rectory on Bishops Place followed in October 1966. The school added a science and computer lab in 2003, and the Saint Raphael Preschool opened in 2010.
- Founded June 1950 by Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter
- First pastor: Father Arthur Behrman
- Cornerstone of combination church/school laid August 15, 1951 (at 6000 Jamieson Avenue)
- First graduating class: 1952
- Cornerstone for permanent church and rectory (Bishops Place): October 1966
- School science lab & computer lab addition: 2003
- Saint Raphael Preschool opened: 2010
Church Architecture & Campus
The present church is a Colonial Revival-style building — an unusual choice in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, which was concurrently producing some of its greatest Modernist churches. The sanctuary seats roughly 600 worshippers and was originally built for about $375,000. The parish campus also includes the school (6000 Jamieson Avenue), the preschool, and the rectory on Bishops Place.
- Architectural style: Colonial Revival
- Sanctuary seating: ~600
- Original build cost: ~$375,000
- Temporary structure first used for worship: 1952
- Permanent church opened after 1966 cornerstone
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently led by Reverend Thomas Molini as Pastor, with Reverend Robert Lawson serving as Associate Pastor. Deacon Robert Leake is listed by the Archdiocese as being on a Leave of Absence. The parish also maintains a wider Parish Staff and uses a 'myParish' mobile app for parishioner communication.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Molini
- Associate Pastor: Rev. Robert Lawson
- Deacon: Robert Leake (Leave of Absence)
- myParish app available for iPhone and Android (text 'App' to 88202)
Mass & Worship Schedule
According to the Archdiocese of St. Louis parish page, St. Raphael the Archangel offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Sunday morning Mass, a daily Saturday 7:00 am Mass, and weekday Masses Monday through Friday at 8:00 am. Reconciliation is heard Saturday afternoons, and Eucharistic Adoration is offered on First Fridays.
- Saturday Vigil: 4:30 pm
- Sunday: 9:00 am
- Saturday: 7:00 am
- Monday–Friday: 8:00 am
- Reconciliation: Saturday 3:30 pm
- Eucharistic Adoration: First Friday 8:30 am
Sacraments
The parish website lists all seven sacraments in its Worship/Sacraments menu, including Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist (First Communion), Reconciliation, Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick, plus Funeral Planning resources for families.
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy Eucharist (First Communion)
- Reconciliation
- Holy Matrimony
- Holy Orders
- Anointing of the Sick
- Funeral Planning
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Raphael spans children, teens, and adults. The parish school itself is on site, with a parish preschool that opened in 2010. Children who do not attend the parish school can be catechized through the South City PSR (Parish School of Religion). Adults can join OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults), Adult Religious Education, Bible Studies, Women's Faith Sharing, or the Men's Prayer Group, and may also take part in Just Faith Ministries.
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults)
- Adult Religious Education
- Bible Studies
- Women's Faith Sharing
- Men's Prayer Group
- Just Faith Ministries
- South City PSR
- Returning to the Church resources
Ministries & Organizations
St. Raphael has an unusually broad roster of lay ministries and parish organizations, ranging from liturgical roles (altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, music/choir) to service organizations (St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Relief Services, Knights of Columbus, pro-life committee), fellowship groups (Ladies' Club, Men's Club, Fifty Plus Club), craft and heritage groups (Quilters, SRA Historical Society), youth ministry (St. Louis Life Teen), scouting, and practical service like the Handyman Ministry and NEXT Ministry.
- Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, Music Ministry / Choir
- St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Relief Services, Knights of Columbus
- Prolife Committee, Pastoral Care Ministry
- Ladies' Club, Men's Club, Fifty Plus Club, Quilters, SRA Historical Society
- St. Louis Life Teen, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
- Handyman Ministry, NEXT Ministry, Advent Wreath Making
Devotions & Prayer Life
Beyond Mass and Reconciliation, the parish nurtures devotion through First Friday Eucharistic Adoration, Perpetual Help Devotions, daily Rosary prayer, Sunday Mass for the Homebound, and faith-sharing communities for men and women. The myParish app also provides daily Mass readings and Catholic prayers on phones.
- First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
- Perpetual Help Devotions
- Pray the Rosary ministry
- Sunday Mass for the Homebound
- Daily readings and prayers via myParish app
School & Preschool
St. Raphael the Archangel School grew up alongside the parish — the first graduating class was 1952, just a year after the cornerstone of the combination church-and-school. The school expanded in 2003 with a new science lab and computer lab, and in 2010 the Saint Raphael Preschool opened to serve younger children of parish families. The school shares the campus on Jamieson Avenue with the church.
- First graduating class: 1952
- 2003 addition: science lab and computer lab
- Saint Raphael Preschool opened: 2010
- National Blue Ribbon Award recognized school (per school's About Us page)
Visiting & Getting Involved
Newcomers can register through the 'Join Our Parish' page, and returning Catholics have a dedicated 'Returning to the Church' resource. The parish publishes a weekly bulletin (available online), maintains a 'Parish Calendar,' and offers an Annual Angel Appeal for stewardship giving. The myParish app (iPhone and Android) keeps parishioners connected with news, bulletins, Mass times, and prayer reminders.
- Join Our Parish registration page
- Returning to the Church resource
- Weekly online bulletin
- Parish Calendar
- Annual Angel Appeal stewardship drive
- Online Giving available
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Arthur Behrman1950–
Founding pastor; entrusted with the new parish by Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter in June 1950; laid the cornerstone of the first combination church/school on August 15, 1951.