St. Raphael The Archangel Catholic Parish - St. Louis, Missouri

Anyone interested in participating or learning more about any of the following Parish organizations should call the Rectory office at 352-8100 to receive contact information for a particular group.

After School Program
An after school program from 3:00pm to 6:00pm is offered for children who attend St. Raphael School. This is a completely supervised program.

Athletic Association
The Athletic Association provides athletic programs in the Southwest District of the Catholic Youth Council to promote the educational and recreational aspects of each particular sport. St. Raphael Parish offers baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, and volleyball for all parish youth.

Beautification of Church Grounds
A volunteer group of parishioners meet yearly in the early Spring to decide on a project for the year to enhance the appearance of our parish grounds. The parishioners, along with our maintenance person, tend to the upkeep of these projects. Volunteers are always welcome to help.

Boy Scouts
St. Raphael has an excellent Boy Scout program covering four levels of scouting. A boy may join at any level. The levels are: Tiger Cubs - 1st grade; Cub Scouts - 2nd and 3rd grade; Webelos - 4th and 5th grade; Boy Scouts - 6th, 7th and 8th grades. St. Raphael Pack #500 meets once a month on a Thursday night. The various levels have their own meeting times. Summertime activities are also planned.

Cheer Committee
This committee greets parishioners with birthday cards on their 80th birthday and yearly thereafter. Follow-up calls are made about a week later.

Choir
The choir serves as a means to encourage congregational participation in singing at Mass as well as to enhance the liturgies of the feasts of the church year. The choir is composed of men and women of varied musical backgrounds and singing ability. Any interested person who enjoys singing or has the ability to play a musical instrument is invited to participate. Rehearsals are held weekly in preparation for the Mass at 10:00am on Sundays. Rehearsals are in church on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm.

Extraordinary Ministers of Communion
These ministers assist in the distribution of Holy Communion at all parish Masses. Ministers work in teams on a rotating schedule of every two or three months. In addition, some ministers take Holy Communion to the homebound. If you are interested in becoming an Extraordinary Minister, please contact the pastor.

50 Plus Club
This enthusiastic group of men and women over 50 meet on the first Tuesday afternoon of each month at 1:30pm in the school cafeteria. Many planned activities including trips and parties are sponsored by this group.

Family Mass
The second Sunday of each month, between September and May, we celebrate the family at the 10:00am mass. All parish families are encouraged to take a turn being lectors, gift bearers, ushers, and those who are commissioned may be Extraordinary Ministers.

Parish Finance Committee
Composed of five parishioners who advise the pastor on financial matters pertaining to the parish.

Gift Bearers
All members of the parish are encouraged to take a turn being Gift Bearers. When you come to church, please let one of the ushers know that you would like to volunteer for that particular Mass. If you are celebrating a special occasion such as an anniversary or milestone birthday, please let the rectory know ahead of time so we can notify the ushers of your willingness to serve as gift bearers at a particular Mass.

Girl Scouts
St. Raphael has an excellent Girl Scout program covering four levels of scouting. A girl may join at any level. The levels are: Daisies - Kindergarten; Brownies - 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade; Juniors - 4th, 5th and 6th grade; Cadettes - 7th and 8th grade. Registration is held in the Spring of the year. The various levels have their own meeting times and places.

High School Youth Ministry
The purpose of this ministry is to provide St. Raphael high school youth experiences that foster faith growth and Christian friendship. As a group, they gather for fun get-togethers, outings, fund-raisers, and small group faith sharing. Any parish teenager is encouraged to join. Announcements of activities are in the bulletin. You may also call and ask to be put on the mailing list.

Honor Guard
The Honor Guard is a group of parishioners who have assisted at funerals for about 13 years. Holding lit candles, they meet and escort the casket into church. They process up the aisle behind the priest and stand on each side of the front of church. As Mass is ending, the Honor Guard stands at the communion rail and sings the Song of Farewell and then recess behind the casket to the back of church. This is a wonderful sign of respect at the farewell for one of their parish family members.

Hospitality Sunday
The first Sunday of each month is Hospitality Sunday. Coffee and doughnuts are served in the school cafeteria after the 8:00am and 10:00am Masses. Those who attend the Saturday evening 4:30pm Mass are encouraged to come back and join their fellow parishioners for great conversation and fellowship. Each month, between September and May, one of the parish organizations takes charge of the event.

Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus are Catholic men, 18 years of age and older, who are committed to making their community a better place, while supporting their Church. Being a Knight is more than camaraderie; it is being involved with your community; it is supporting your local Catholic church, while enhancing your own faith; it is about protecting and enhancing your family life.

Ladies Club
This active group of women of the Parish meets the third Thursday of each month from September until May, at 7:00pm in the school cafeteria. All women of the parish are invited to attend and enjoy the social and spiritual activities planned by the various circles.

Lectors
One lector is needed at each Mass to read the readings. Lectors are scheduled on a rotating basis. If you would like to lector at one of the weekend Masses, please call the rectory.

Legion of Mary
Newly formed group meets in the lower level Rectory every Saturday morning at 10:15am.

Liturgy Committee
The Liturgy Sub-Committee of the Parish Pastoral Council works to enhance the liturgy. The committee strives to ensure that tradition is preserved and contemporary ideas are incorporated in our liturgies throughout the year. The committee is comprised of member representation from the various ministries that serve the Liturgy. One member of the committee is designated as the liaison to the Parish Advisory Council.

Little Angels
This is a social organization for parents and their young children. Our goal is to provide activities that bring families of young children together. It is a wonderful opportunity for your children to meet their future classmates and for parents to enjoy some adult conversation and hopefully form some friendships. Our play group meets weekly and our planning meeting is monthly. Everything is optional and there are no dues.

Maintenance
Our maintenance committee is comprised of a group of parishioners interested in actively helping maintain the physical aspects of our parish such as minor repairs.

Market Day
This is a fund-raiser for our school. Once a month, a brochure of products is sent home with the students and also placed in the back of church. When you order from Market Day, you will have your products delivered to school. Many months there are specials.

Men's Club
St. Raphael Men's Club promotes fellowship within the parish. They support many of our parish and school activities. They also hold several fund-raisers. The men meet on the 3rd Tuesday evening of each month at 8:00pm in the school cafeteria.

M.O.M.S. (Ministry of Mothers Sharing)
A peer ministry developed by the Sisters of St. Benedict designed to strengthen the spirituality of mothers of all ages. This eight week process of personal and spiritual growth teaches mothers new ways to inspire and affirm each other, their spouses and children. Join us and learn to celebrate "ordinary holiness" and "everyday spirituality". New sessions begin in the spring or fall.

Parish Council
The Parish Council is advisory to the Pastor. It consists of 16 members, representative of all parish members and serves as a forum for discussions of parish issues and proposals. The council's five commissions: Worship, Education, Christian Service, Youth, and Administration, encompass all parish organizations and activities. The commissions help those organizations in working toward parish goals.

Parish Ecumenical Group
The purpose is to promote unity by placing before our Catholic parishioners the aims of ecumenism, aidng them to respond to this urgent vocation which they should see as integral to their baptismal calling. These aims include: prayer, education and dialogue, and community actions.

Parish Historical Society
This group researches and collects information about St. Raphael's Parish, past and present. The information is retained in archives. Each year, newsletters are sent to all St. Raphael Parishes across the country to share information with them.

PTA
The St. Raphael PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) has for its membership the teachers in the parish grade school and the parents of the children in school. The PTA sponsors and organizes many of the school's annual fund-raising activities. The PTA generally holds two regular meetings a year at the beginning and end of the school year.

Parish Picnic Committee
This committee works to make the Parish Picnic not only a fund raiser, but a time of fun and enjoyment for the entire parish. They gather groups of volunteers to work various booths, serve food, set-up, clean-up, publicity, organize raffles, and a number of other activities that make the picnic a success.

Peregrine Society
This group meets in the school cafeteria on the second Thursday of each month at 9:30am from September through May. Duties consist of making surgical dressings for cancer patients living at home. These dressings are made according to instructions given by the St. Louis Peregrine Society.

Prayer Network
This group is composed of parish members who offer prayers for special intentions as requested. All are invited to join this group.

Protecting God's Children
Anyone who is planning on working with or near children must take the Protecting God's Children Workshop given by the Archdiocese. This includes teacher assistants, recess duty helpers, cafeteria workers, field trip drivers, scout leaders, coaches, umpires and referees, etc. This is a free workshop that you only need to take once.

Quilters
This group meets in the rectory lower level each Thursday after the 8:00am Mass. Each quilter brings lunch. Coffee is furnished. Quilting is done for a fee and many quilts are completed each year. Thursdays are a good time for prayer, quilting and fun. All interested are invited.

Respect Life
This committee works in cooperation with the Archdiocesan Pro-Life Committee with the goal of keeping their parishioners informed of social events, political changes in the Pro-Life movement and other support organizations.

Resurrection Choir
Volunteers from the parish assemble to sing for funerals, if requested.

St. Vincent de Paul Conference
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides comfort and emergency relief to those in distress in the parish through assistance with rent, payment of utilities, and purchases of food. Meetings are held the first and third Mondays at 9:00am in the Rectory.

School Board
The purpose of the School Board is to advise the pastor and principal in making policy for the parish school and to foster a harmonious relationship among the priests, teachers, school administrators, students, parents and other parishioners. The School Board meets the third Monday of each month (except July and December) at 7:00pm in the school conference room and is open to the public.

Servers
Any boy or girl of the parish, in grades 5 through 8, is eligible to serve at weekday and weekend Masses as well as weddings, funerals and other special liturgies.

Share Your Gifts
The first weekend of each month we have the opportunity to reach out to those in need by bringing canned goods and other non-perishable items to church to be distributed to food pantries throughout the city by the St. Vincent de Paul Society members.

Sunday Pre-School of Religion
During the school year, this group meets during the 10:00am Mass to share God's word.

Ushers
Usher's duties consist of greeting and seating parishioners entering church, making sure Offertory gifts are in place, ensuring gift bearers are available, taking up the collections, controlling Communion lines, having Sunday Visitors available for those leaving church and bidding them a good day. Additionally, the ushers will handle any emergency situation.

Vacation Bible School
St. Raphael the Archangel hosts Vacation Bible School for one week each summer. Children, three years old through 5th grade, both parishioners and non-parishioners, are invited to participate in a week filled with Bible stories, crafts, games, songs, and activities that are intended to teach them more about faith in Jesus and God's love for them. Vacation Bible School is entirely staffed by volunteer adults and teens and funded by the registration fees of the participants.

Welcoming Committee
When a new parishioner comes to St. Raphael, the parish office notifies this committee. The committee then calls and visits each new parishioner to acquaint and encourage participation in parish life and the organizations of the parish. They answer questions the new parishioners may have and offer them a Parish Directory where they can read about all the activities offered here.