Tucked into the older residential blocks near downtown Fort Myers, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is the place where Catholic life in Lee County began. Jesuits first made the long horseback ride from Tampa in the 1800s to plant a mission church in the wilderness, dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. That mission eventually grew large enough to be formally established as a parish in 1910. Today the parish welcomes more than 1,500 families from across southwest Florida, and Father Steven Clemente, the pastor, often describes the community in his parish letters as the spiritual mother of all the parishes that have grown up around it. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Venice in Florida and continues the work of the early missionaries through a packed schedule of Masses, sacraments, faith formation, and outreach on its Heitman Street campus.
Mass in Three Languages
St. Francis Xavier keeps one of the most linguistically diverse Mass schedules of any parish in the diocese. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 7:30 a.m. and on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. in the main church. The Saturday Vigil Mass runs at 4:00 p.m., and three Sunday Masses follow at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m., all in English. On top of that, the parish hosts two additional Sunday liturgies for distinct language communities: a Polish Mass at 2:00 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month, and a Creole Mass at 4:00 p.m. every Sunday. Father Fritz Ligonde serves as the priest assigned to the Haitian ministry, caring for the Creole-speaking faithful.
Recordings of recent weekend Masses are posted on the parish's YouTube channel, with archives going back several years, so parishioners who are traveling or homebound can keep up with the Sunday homilies and music.
Confession, Adoration, and the Marian Grotto
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. in the church. Eucharistic Adoration takes place on Fridays from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., a quiet midday pause that draws a steady group of regulars from the parish and the surrounding neighborhood.
Behind the church sits the Marian Grotto, an outdoor prayer space that becomes a gathering point each fall for the Blessing of the Animals. Held around the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th, the short service invites families to bring pets of every shape and size for a priestly blessing, with a request that animals be leashed or caged during the gathering.
Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage
St. Francis Xavier walks families carefully through each sacrament, spelling out the requirements in detail. For infant baptism, the parish asks that the family be registered and actively participating at St. Francis Xavier, with at least one practicing Catholic parent. Parents and godparents complete a Baptism Registration Form, submit a copy of the child's birth certificate, and take a pre-Baptism class within 24 months of the ceremony. Godparents must be at least 16, fully initiated Catholics in good standing, and, if married, married by a Catholic priest or deacon.
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are typically received in second grade, and Confirmation in tenth grade, each after at least two consecutive years of faith formation or Catholic schooling. Sacramental Preparation sessions meet one Sunday a month at the parish, and students in their second year attend in addition to their regular faith formation classes. The parish follows Bishop Frank J. Dewane's guidance on the two-year preparation for Confirmation.
For couples preparing for marriage, either the bride or the groom, or their parents, must be registered and participating parishioners at St. Francis Xavier for at least six months before a wedding date can be reserved. The Diocese of Venice uses the Witness to Love marriage preparation program, a virtues-based model in which the engaged couple picks their own mentor couple from the parish to walk with them through the months of preparation. A marriage retreat is also part of the diocesan requirements.
Becoming Catholic Through OCIA
Adults who want to be received into the Catholic Church join the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, known by its newer acronym OCIA. Sessions meet on Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in Xavier Parish Hall on the parish campus. The parish offers the full four-stage process outlined by the Church: an Inquiry period for those asking initial questions, a Catechumenate for those who decide to follow Christ, a Lenten period of Purification and Enlightenment that culminates at the Easter Vigil with Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist for the Elect, and a final stage of Mystagogia during Eastertide. The OCIA team at St. Francis Xavier also recruits parish companions, sponsors, and guest catechists to walk alongside the catechumens throughout the year.
Faith Formation for Children and Teens
The Faith Formation Department, directed by Michael Reardon, oversees the parish's religious education program for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, with separate tracks for middle school and high school youth. Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in Xavier Parish Hall, followed by the 11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass so that families can carry what they have learned straight into the liturgy. Catholic school students who attend St. Francis Xavier School or Bishop Verot receive faith formation through their own schools but join the parish Sacramental Preparation sessions in their second year.
Registration for the 2026-2027 year is open through the Religious Education Office, and a downloadable Faith Formation Handbook is published each year so parents can review expectations for attendance, sacramental preparation, and family involvement. All families registering in Faith Formation or preparing to receive a sacrament must be registered parishioners.
Youth Group on Sunday Mornings
Middle School Youth Group gathers students in grades five through eight, and the High School Youth Group draws in teens from public schools, St. Francis Xavier School, and Bishop Verot Catholic High School. Both groups meet at the same Sunday morning time slot as the Faith Formation program, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. in Xavier Hall, with Mass at 11:30 a.m. The High School Youth Group is a required part of Confirmation preparation for students in grades nine and ten. Registration involves the standard parish Religious Education form along with a youth-specific rider form, a photo release, medical authorization, and a consent and liability form, all available from the Religious Education Office.
Altar Servers and Music Ministry
Children who have made their First Holy Communion, generally in third grade, are invited to become altar servers, with training continuing through senior year of high school. Parents visit the parish office to complete the paperwork, and a printable Altar Server Training Manual is available for new servers to study.
Music at St. Francis Xavier is led by Music Director Shana Richardson, whose role covers the liturgical music program at weekend and daily Masses. The parish sings the full range of traditional Catholic music, fitting the reverent, liturgical character of the parish.
The Parish Campus on Heitman Street
The parish campus stretches along Heitman Street in the older part of Fort Myers. The church itself sits at 2057 Cleveland Avenue, just behind the other parish buildings. The parish office is at 2133 Heitman Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a short closure from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day for the staff. Xavier Parish Hall and Xavier Hall Annex, both at 2050 Heitman Street, host faith formation classes, youth gatherings, OCIA sessions, adult education programs, and the Blessing of the Animals overflow. A printable Parish Campus Map is available for visitors looking to find their way around.
St. Francis Xavier Catholic School sits at 2055 Heitman Street, immediately adjacent to the church. The school is a regional Catholic school serving the parish and beyond, and its second graders join the parish Sacramental Preparation program when they are ready to receive First Communion. Tenth-grade students at Bishop Verot Catholic High School also join the parish Confirmation track.
Villa Francisco: Senior Living Across the Street
Directly across Heitman Street from the parish stands Villa Francisco, a senior independent living community operated by the parish. The building at 2140 Cottage Street offers one- and two-bedroom units with water, sewer, and trash collection included, along with a chapel, community room, and prayer garden for residents. There are no financial restrictions for entry, and the complex is a practical extension of the parish's outreach to its older members, managed by Jeffrey Schwartz.
Outreach and the St. Vincent de Paul Society
The parish maintains an active St. Vincent de Paul conference that extends the Church's traditional ministry to people in need within the local community. The conference is part of the worldwide Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay charitable organization, and operates under the spiritual and administrative umbrella of the parish. Volunteers support neighbors facing hardship through home visits, food assistance, and other material help, all rooted in the dignity of the person and the call to serve Christ in those who are poor.
The parish also operates a Safe Environment Program in coordination with the Diocese of Venice. All employees and volunteers who work with children or vulnerable adults are fingerprinted and trained through the diocese's Safe Environment office before beginning service. A parish Safe Environment Coordinator is available to answer questions about the program.
Supporting the Parish
Online giving is available through WeShare, allowing parishioners to set up one-time or recurring gifts from a checking or savings account, debit card, or major credit card. Contributors can elect to receive receipts by email, and printable slips are available to drop into the collection basket for those who still want the physical gesture. Donations also go toward the annual Catholic Faith Appeal, the diocesan-wide fundraising effort that supports ministries throughout the Diocese of Venice.
A weekly bulletin is published in print and posted online, with recent issues archived through Parishes Online. The bulletin carries the weekly Mass schedule, the pastor's column, ministry announcements, and the prayers of the faithful for the week.
Getting to Know the Parish
Anyone interested in joining the parish is invited to complete a Parish Registration Form available from the parish office. New families are connected with the parish office, the religious education program for their children, and the OCIA process if they are unbaptized or coming from another faith tradition. The parish maintains an active Facebook page, an Instagram location profile, and a YouTube channel where weekend Mass recordings are posted. A printable Parish Campus Map makes a first visit easier, and the parish office staff, priests, and ministry directors are available throughout the week to answer questions about sacraments, formation, and parish life.