St. Andrew Catholic Church has stood on Del Prado Boulevard South in Cape Coral since 1983, when the present building opened and the original 1965 church was repurposed as a parish hall. Part of the Diocese of Venice in southwest Florida, St. Andrew carries more than six decades of parish history into every Mass it offers. The parish now serves Catholics across Cape Coral and a limited area of North Fort Myers with six weekend Masses (including one entirely in Spanish), a Catholic school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade, an active Society of St. Vincent de Paul Conference with its own thrift store, a full-time bilingual clergy team, and faith formation that reaches every age.
Sixty Years on Del Prado Boulevard
The story of St. Andrew begins on August 19, 1962, when Monsignor Joseph DeVaney said the first public Mass at the Yacht Club Teen Center for Catholics in Cape Coral. Two years later, on June 4, 1964, the community was formally organized as St. Andrew Mission under Fr. Esteban Soy. On August 21, 1965, the Mission was raised to parish status, a small church was dedicated, and Fr. Soy was appointed the first pastor.
Fr. Timothy Murphy arrived in 1976. The parish grew again in 1983, when a new church was constructed and the first Mass was celebrated in the present building on July 24 of that year; the original church was converted into a parish hall. An office addition to the rectory followed in 1986. Fr. Neil Flemming took over in 1997, oversaw a renovation of the parish hall, and broke ground on a new rectory. Fr. James Flemming was appointed pastor in 2000 when the new rectory was completed. Fr. Mark L. Heuberger arrived in 2003, and the parish marked its 40th anniversary on November 11, 2004, with a Mass at the Lee County Sports Complex.
The 2005 "2010 Plan" set off a wave of physical improvement. The chapel was restored in 2006, with stained glass installed between the church and chapel depicting the saints. Glass doors were added so the chapel could be closed off for smaller weekday gatherings. A new roof was finished in 2007, along with a new organ. A feasibility study that year launched a Capital Campaign that formally began in March 2008.
Fr. Richard York took over in 2013. Fr. Gordon served as Administrator beginning in 2015. Fr. Eduardo was named Administrator in 2019 and formally appointed pastor in 2021. The campus weathered Hurricane Ian in 2022, with the parish's Pieta statue standing through the storm.
Mass Times Across the Week
St. Andrew offers six Masses each weekend and three daily Masses Monday through Saturday.
Saturday begins at 9:00 AM with a morning Mass. On the second Saturday of each month the 9:00 AM Mass includes the Anointing of the Sick. The Saturday vigil Mass is celebrated at 3:30 PM; a 5:00 PM vigil is also offered from September through May, suspended during June, July, and August.
Sunday brings four celebrations. The earliest is at 7:30 AM, followed by 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM. A 12:00 noon Mass is celebrated entirely in Spanish.
Monday through Friday offer two weekday Masses, at 7:30 AM and 9:00 AM. National Holidays are marked with a single 9:00 AM Mass. On First Fridays, an additional 7:00 PM Mass is offered in Spanish.
A live video feed of Mass is available through the parish's online player, and a weekly bulletin is posted online in both English and Spanish. A parish-wide calendar keeps track of special Masses, feast days, and devotions.
A Bilingual Parish on the Cape
About half of St. Andrew's ministry runs in Spanish alongside its English programming. The cornerstone is the 12:00 noon Sunday Mass, fully in Spanish. Every printed bulletin, registration form, parent handbook, and sacramental form on the parish's materials is mirrored in Spanish, and the navigation menu is fully translated into Español.
The pastoral staff includes members who coordinate Spanish-language outreach directly. Antonio Pineda, an Assistant for Faith Formation, leads advanced theological study entirely in Spanish, a 13-week program held Wednesday evenings in the San Michael room. He also handles baptism paperwork on the Spanish side, while Anne Spears handles English baptism administration.
A First Friday Mass in Spanish at 7:00 PM carries on the tradition of perpetual Eucharistic devotion across the diocese. Several prayer groups gather specifically for Spanish-language devotion: Cursillo, Grupo de Oración, Cenáculo de la Virgen María, Padres y Madres Orantes, and the Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros. The Caballeros de Colón mirror the English-language Knights of Columbus.
Reconciliation, Adoration, and the Daily Rosary
The parish follows a regular confessional schedule as part of its weekend rhythm. On Saturdays two sessions are offered, 9:30 to 10:30 AM and 7:00 to 8:00 PM, with appointments available outside those hours.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament fills four different windows during the week. Monday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM are set aside for open adoration. Friday afternoons from 2:30 to 4:30 PM include the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 PM. First Fridays extend the Friday slot through 6:30 PM. Saturday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, adoration runs simultaneously with confessions, with a special invitation to families.
The rosary is prayed in two daily patterns. Monday through Friday at 8:00 AM, parishioners gather for the daily rosary. Saturday mornings bring a Holy Hour with the Fatima Prayers at 8:00 AM. Marian devotion continues with Prayer for Priests each Thursday at 9:30 AM in the Marian Chapel, coordinated by Carol McGarry's Daily Rosary group.
Faith Formation: K-8, Confirmation, and OCIA
Religious education at St. Andrew runs from kindergarten through high school and into adulthood.
The Youth Faith Formation program serves families with children in grades K through 8 and is open to all children, including those preparing for First Holy Communion. According to the Diocese of Venice, the two-year preparation process for First Communion means many children spend both years in the program before receiving the sacrament, typically in May of the second year. Classes meet in the school classrooms on the first and third Sundays of each month, from 10:15 to 11:45 AM. The timing is set so families can attend the 9:00 AM Mass together and then walk the children over to class, while parents at the noon Spanish Mass can drop children in class and pick them up at 11:45 AM in time for the Spanish Mass. Catechesis is delivered in English by diocesan rule, although handbooks and calendars are published in Spanish and English. Parents commit to a "50/50 Pledge" that promises weekly Mass attendance and faith support at home in exchange for catechists trained and vetted by the diocese.
Confirmation preparation is also a two-year process. Students begin Confirmation studies in ninth grade and receive the sacrament in tenth grade, with exceptions considered individually for teens who have missed the milestone.
A separate youth ministry, Andrews Youth, gathers teens in grades 5 through 8 every first and third Saturday from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in the St. Andrew Room for food, fun, faith, and fellowship. The youth group is bilingual, with English and Spanish descriptions of every event.
Adults who have not been fully initiated into the Catholic Church can enter through OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. Adults who are baptized and have made their First Communion but have not yet been confirmed can prepare through the Pentecost Confirmation program. Catholics Coming Home offers a path for those returning to the practice of the faith after time away.
Bible Studies and Small Groups for Adults
Walking with Purpose, a Catholic women's ministry, offers studies at St. Andrew that vary from six to twenty-two weeks depending on the book, all carrying the imprimatur of Most Reverend William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore. The fall study, Keeping in Balance, meets Thursday evenings at 7:00 to 8:00 PM and Friday mornings at 10:00 to 11:00 AM, with bilingual registration. The coordinator can be reached at wwpatsacc@gmail.com.
The Men's Gospel Forum meets in the St. Andrew Room immediately after the 9:00 AM Saturday Mass, led by Dr. Roland Giardetti. The group discusses the upcoming Sunday Gospel and how it applies to Catholic men in their families and in the Church.
Additional offerings include a Virtual Bible Study, a Young Adults group for adults over 18 led by Cristian Rogato and Anthony Corrado, and Advanced Theology in Spanish, which studies the doctrinal foundations of the Catholic faith from the perspective of the Church Fathers.
Prayer groups include the Chaplet of Divine Mercy under Josefa Damisch, the Legion of Mary under Joyce Conroy, the Divine Will group under Frauke Micklisch, and Divinia Misericordia Hispano under Belinda Moreno.
Three Sunday Choirs, Three Musical Traditions
Music Director Dr. Thomas E. James oversees three choirs that, together, span every Sunday Mass.
The 9:00 AM Sunday choir sings a more contemporary repertoire with guitar, drums, flute, clarinet, violin, and bass guitar. Practice is Thursday evening at 7:00 PM.
The 10:30 AM Sunday choir sings a more formal and choral repertoire with an emphasis on traditional sacred works. Practice is Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM.
The Coro Hispano sings at the noon Spanish Mass under Ingrid Olivarez. The instruments include bass guitar, conga, a cuatro similar to a banjo, acoustic guitars, piano, and additional percussion, drawing on the musical traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean. The Coro rehearses Tuesday evenings at 7:30 PM.
St. Vincent de Paul: Help Line and Thrift Store on Del Prado
St. Andrew's local Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was established in 1970, several years before the current church building was finished. The Conference serves the parish community of Cape Coral and a limited area of North Fort Myers. Today, about 30 Vincentians, many of whom live in the area part-time, conduct home visits to families in need. A dedicated Help Line, 239-772-3543, fields requests for assistance.
The Conference operates a thrift store at 2023 Del Prado Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33990, accepting donations of household items and clothing. Donations are accepted online, through poor boxes at the church entrances, in pew envelopes during certain seasons of the church year, and at the thrift store itself.
The work follows the Vincentian tradition of person-to-person service founded in Paris in 1833 by Blessed Frédéric Ozanam and inspired by St. Vincent de Paul. Vincentians describe their service through the words of the patron: "Go to the poor: you will find God." St. Andrew's Conference is a 501(c)(3) non-profit; donations to the local Conference or to the National Council are tax-deductible.
A separate Food Donation ministry, led by Robin Green, gathers food contributions. Other service and social ministries include the Council of Catholic Women under Mary Lou Weiler and Melva Martin, the Respect Life group, the Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree under John Pawlak and 4th Degree under Robert Homa, the Spanish Caballeros de Colón under Ramon Batista, and the Men's Fellowship under Bill Eggers.
Saint Andrew Catholic School Since 1989
Since 1989, Saint Andrew Catholic School has shared the parish campus, providing a Catholic education from prekindergarten through eighth grade. The early childhood program (PK3 through Kindergarten) is set up as a loving introduction to learning, while the primary and middle school years build on that foundation with a focus on critical thinking.
The school shares classroom space with the Sunday morning Faith Formation program, which uses the school classrooms on the first and third Sundays from 10:15 to 11:45 AM. The shared facility helps families move easily between Sunday Mass and religious education. Mrs. Bambi Giles serves as principal, with Mr. Andrew Hamstra and Mrs. Kelley Tucker as assistant principals.
A David Downs Endowment Fund, established through the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, provides long-term financial stability for both the parish and its school. The fund is open to contributions in any amount.
Sacraments: Baptism, Marriage, and Beyond
For families preparing for Baptism, parents and godparents attend a Baptism Preparation Class at the parish, with separate registration tracks for baptisms celebrated at St. Andrew and those celebrated elsewhere. Godparents complete a Sponsor Eligibility Form and have it certified by their own parish. All paperwork is returned to the parish office or emailed to Anne Spears in English or to Antonio Pineda in Spanish before a date can be set.
Marriage preparation requires that both parties be active registered members of St. Andrew for at least six months before scheduling an appointment with a priest. A Marriage Preparation and Wedding Guidelines Handbook outlines the full process; inquiries go to Tania Muriel.
The Diocese of Venice's Safe Environment Program is the framework for all ministry with minors and vulnerable adults. Catechists and volunteers working with children must complete fingerprinting and an online Safe Environment Training before being eligible to serve at the parish.
A Walk-Through for First-Time Visitors
St. Andrew Catholic Church sits at 2628 Del Prado Boulevard South in Cape Coral. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to noon, closed for lunch until 12:30, then open again until 4:00 PM. The chapel is open for prayer Monday through Thursday from 7:00 AM until 2:00 PM and on Friday until 5:00 PM.
Visitors are welcome at every Mass. Hospitality Ministry ushers and greeters will help with seating, including accommodations for guests with disabilities. There is no formal dress code, though modest and respectful attire shows reverence for the liturgy.
Visitors are not expected to contribute to the offering; the collection basket may simply be passed along. Registered members who consider St. Andrew their parish home are encouraged to give through preprinted tithing envelopes mailed every few months, electronic giving through WeShare, or by mail.
Parking is available in designated spaces only; the parish asks visitors not to park on the grass because of the underground sprinkler system. Visitors planning to return can register as parishioners through the parish's online registration form, available in English and Spanish.
An Outdoor Stations of the Cross Pathway encircles the property. Memorial bricks inscribed with special messages can be added to the pathway through a minimum donation of $125 for a 4x8 brick with up to three lines of engraving. The bricks are placed randomly along the path as lasting tributes across generations.