St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic Jesuit church located in Raleigh, North Carolina
, United States
. Out of the Roman Catholic parishes in Raleigh, Saint Raphael's has the largest Hispanic
population within its congregation. St. Raphael's is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
, whose bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral
. The church is also the host of Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic School. The church is members of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, the US Jesuit Portal, and Jesuits Worldwide.
, a finger, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The altar in the church's mary chapel contains relics of Blessed Miguel Pro and of St. Katherine Drexel.
, purchased thirty-five acres of land for the future St. Raphael Church. The original plan was for a Saint Joseph Chapel to be built and the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes would send over a priest every Sunday for a Mass
. In the spring of 1965 International Business Machines built a development and manufacturing site in the Research Triangle, bringing enough Roman Catholics to require a church instead of the small chapel. The Catholic Church Extension Society
awarded a $20,000 (US) grant to the mission endeavor and asked that the parish be named in honor of Saint Raphael the Archangel, the patron saint
of healing and happy meetings. Our Lady of Lourdes parish paid for the purchase of the property and for renovation of the 1810 Beddingfield farmhouse for use as the priest’s home and parish office.
In 1966 Most Reverend Vincent S. Waters, 3rd Bishop of Raleigh
, formally dedicated St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, located on a two lane road then dotted with farms. It was to serve the rapidly expanding Roman Catholic population in Wake County.
.
for private prayer, as well as the Blessed Sacrament
Chapel, used to honor the Eucharist
.
.
, then Bishop of Raleigh. Space for the Early Childhood Center, as well as religious education and parish organizations was now available. ECC moved into the new Parish Center and a half day kindergarten class was added.
In 1989, Reverend J. Paul Byron was named the fourth pastor of the parish. Because the demands of the kindergarten curriculum were difficult to meet in a half day program, and because Our Lady of Lourdes had established two kindergarten classes, the decision was made to drop the ECC kindergarten program and focus on 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds and their needs. The parish continued to grow rapidly, and by 1992 plans were made and finalized for the establishment of an elementary school to serve children in Kindergarten through third grade. In 1994, St. Raphael Catholic School opened its doors to the first Kindergarten class, serving 26 children of the parish and neighboring community. Each year thereafter, another grade was added to the school, and by 1998, the school expanded to include a second kindergarten and first grade, and the vision of eventually growing into a full kindergarten through eighth grade school was embraced.
Reverend Robert Curry SJ assumed the position of fifth pastor when the Maryland Jesuit Province agreed to staff the parish. In 2001, during his tenure, construction on a new school building was begun, and the new SRCS building opened in 2002 as Reverend Francis Gillespie SJ became the sixth pastor of the parish. SRCS graduated its first eighth grade class in 2003. In 2005, SRCS opened with two of every grade from kindergarten through eight for the first time.
The year 2008 saw a change in pastoral leadership as Reverend Robert Hussey SJ became the seventh pastor of the parish, and Mr. Barry Thomas assumed leadership of the school. Today SRCS serves over 400 students in grades kindergarten through eighth.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Out of the Roman Catholic parishes in Raleigh, Saint Raphael's has the largest Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
population within its congregation. St. Raphael's is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Roman Catholic diocese that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina.- Establishment :...
, whose bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Sacred Heart Cathedral, sometimes referred to as Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh. The current bishop seated at the cathedral is the Most Reverend Michael Francis Burbidge. North Carolina, until 1924, was the only state in the United States of...
. The church is also the host of Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic School. The church is members of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, the US Jesuit Portal, and Jesuits Worldwide.
Church
The current priests at Saint Raphael's Catholic Church are Reverend Bob Hussey SJ (Pastor), Reverend Michael Proterra SJ, and Reverend Bruce Bavinger SJ. The main altar of St. Raphael's contains a relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
, a finger, of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. The altar in the church's mary chapel contains relics of Blessed Miguel Pro and of St. Katherine Drexel.
Church history
In 1964 Monsignor Michael A. Carey, the pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic ChurchOur Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church & School is a Roman Catholic church and lower school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Our Lady of Lourdes parish is a member of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh.-History of church and school:...
, purchased thirty-five acres of land for the future St. Raphael Church. The original plan was for a Saint Joseph Chapel to be built and the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes would send over a priest every Sunday for a Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
. In the spring of 1965 International Business Machines built a development and manufacturing site in the Research Triangle, bringing enough Roman Catholics to require a church instead of the small chapel. The Catholic Church Extension Society
Catholic Church Extension Society
The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...
awarded a $20,000 (US) grant to the mission endeavor and asked that the parish be named in honor of Saint Raphael the Archangel, the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of healing and happy meetings. Our Lady of Lourdes parish paid for the purchase of the property and for renovation of the 1810 Beddingfield farmhouse for use as the priest’s home and parish office.
In 1966 Most Reverend Vincent S. Waters, 3rd Bishop of Raleigh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Roman Catholic diocese that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina.- Establishment :...
, formally dedicated St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, located on a two lane road then dotted with farms. It was to serve the rapidly expanding Roman Catholic population in Wake County.
Angel fountain
The Masini family, parish members of St. Raphael's, dedicated a stone statue and fountain of an angel playing a flute in 1996 in honor of their daughter, Toni Christine Masini, who died in 1992. The fountain was designed by two graduate students from North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
.
Chapels
The church has a Marian ChapelLady chapel
A Lady chapel, also called Mary chapel or Marian chapel, is a traditional English term for a chapel inside a cathedral, basilica, or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary...
for private prayer, as well as the Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
Chapel, used to honor the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
School
Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic School, which is hosted on the grounds of the church, offers preschool as well as grades kindergarten through eight. The school feeds into Cardinal Gibbons Catholic High SchoolCardinal Gibbons High School (Raleigh, North Carolina)
Cardinal Gibbons High School is a private coeducational college-preparatory Catholic high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cardinal Gibbons and St. Thomas More Academy are the only Catholic high schools in Raleigh, and two of three high schools in the Diocese.Cardinal Gibbons was founded in 1909...
.
School history
In 1979 the Early Childhood Center opened its doors under the direction of Sister Francis Clare Ugast, due to catholic families wanting a catholic education provided for their children. Classes were held in trailers. During the priesthood of Father Gerald L. Lewis, the third pastor of Saint Raphael, construction of the Parish Center was initiated and, in 1980, the new building was dedicated by Most Reverend F. Joseph GossmanF. Joseph Gossman
Francis Joseph Gossman is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh from 1975 to 2006.-Biography:...
, then Bishop of Raleigh. Space for the Early Childhood Center, as well as religious education and parish organizations was now available. ECC moved into the new Parish Center and a half day kindergarten class was added.
In 1989, Reverend J. Paul Byron was named the fourth pastor of the parish. Because the demands of the kindergarten curriculum were difficult to meet in a half day program, and because Our Lady of Lourdes had established two kindergarten classes, the decision was made to drop the ECC kindergarten program and focus on 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds and their needs. The parish continued to grow rapidly, and by 1992 plans were made and finalized for the establishment of an elementary school to serve children in Kindergarten through third grade. In 1994, St. Raphael Catholic School opened its doors to the first Kindergarten class, serving 26 children of the parish and neighboring community. Each year thereafter, another grade was added to the school, and by 1998, the school expanded to include a second kindergarten and first grade, and the vision of eventually growing into a full kindergarten through eighth grade school was embraced.
Reverend Robert Curry SJ assumed the position of fifth pastor when the Maryland Jesuit Province agreed to staff the parish. In 2001, during his tenure, construction on a new school building was begun, and the new SRCS building opened in 2002 as Reverend Francis Gillespie SJ became the sixth pastor of the parish. SRCS graduated its first eighth grade class in 2003. In 2005, SRCS opened with two of every grade from kindergarten through eight for the first time.
The year 2008 saw a change in pastoral leadership as Reverend Robert Hussey SJ became the seventh pastor of the parish, and Mr. Barry Thomas assumed leadership of the school. Today SRCS serves over 400 students in grades kindergarten through eighth.
Scholarships
Saint Raphael Catholic School offers the Ryan O’Connell Memorial Scholarship to assist families who come under unexpected distress or have financial issues. The scholarship was named in honor of Ryan O'Connell, a third grader at the school who died in the year 2000.Sports department
Saint Raphael Catholic School has the following sports teams:- Boys Soccer
- Girls Volleyball
- Boys Varsity and JV Basketball
- Girls Varsity and JV Basketball
- Boys Lacrosse
- Girls Soccer
- Boys Varsity Baseball
- Cheerleading