Parish History

1990

Parish Founded

Bishop John J. Nevins establishes Blessed Katharine Drexel Parish on June 30, 1990. The first weekend Mass is celebrated at Trafalgar Middle School, and 175 families register during the parish’s first week. Daily Mass begins at Coral Ridge Funeral Home while the young parish grows in faith.

1993

Augustinian Leadership Begins

The Augustinian Order accepts Bishop Nevins’ invitation to lead the parish. Father John Deary, OSA, becomes pastor, beginning more than two decades of faithful pastoral leadership and community formation.

1995

First Church Hall Opens

The parish celebrates its first Mass in the newly completed Church Hall, establishing a permanent home for worship and parish life as ministries continue to expand.

1999

Permanent Parish Office Completed

The parish office moves into its permanent home on the church campus, providing a central location for administration and ministry.

2000

Canonization of Saint Katharine Drexel

More than 150 parishioners travel to Rome to celebrate the canonization of Saint Katharine Drexel in St. Peter’s Square, deepening the parish’s connection to its patron saint.

2003

Groundbreaking for New Sanctuary

Ground is broken for the construction of a permanent church sanctuary during the parish’s celebration of Saint Katharine Drexel’s Feast Day.

2004

Sanctuary Dedicated

Bishop John J. Nevins dedicates the new church sanctuary, marking a major milestone in the spiritual and physical growth of the parish.

2009

Faith Formation Center Dedicated

The Faith Formation Center is completed and dedicated, later named Deary Hall in honor of Father John Deary, OSA, providing expanded space for lifelong faith formation.

2015

25th Anniversary Celebration

The parish celebrates twenty-five years of faith with more than 3,000 registered households and over 50 active ministries, concluding with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank Dewane.

2016

Leadership Transition

After twenty-three years of devoted service, Father John Deary, OSA, is recalled by the Augustinians. Father Piotr Zugaj is later appointed Administrator, continuing the parish’s mission.

2017–2018

Hurricane Irma Recovery

Following significant damage caused by Hurricane Irma, parishioners unite in rebuilding their church. Through generous support and strong leadership, the sanctuary is fully restored.

2018

Sanctuary Re-Dedication

Bishop Frank Dewane re-dedicates the restored sanctuary, celebrating the resilience and faith of the parish community.

2019

New Pastoral Leadership

Father Ricky Varner is appointed Administrator of Saint Katharine Drexel Parish on August 1, 2019, beginning a new chapter focused on spiritual renewal, missionary discipleship, and parish transformation.

2020

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Like parishes around the world, Saint Katharine Drexel temporarily suspended public Masses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through livestreamed liturgies, virtual faith formation, online communication, and continued pastoral outreach, the parish remained connected while preparing for a renewed future.

2020

The Journey of Renewal Begins

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when parish life was disrupted and many families found themselves isolated from the Church, Father Ricky launched a vision for parish renewal inspired by Divine Renovation. His goal was to lead Saint Katharine Drexel Parish beyond simply returning to normal by forming intentional missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

At the heart of this vision was The Call of Jeremiah, inspired by the Lord’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11–15, a passage that became the spiritual foundation for the parish’s renewal:

“For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you. When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart you will find me with you, says the Lord, and I will change your lot; I will gather you together from all the nations and all the places to which I have banished you, says the Lord, and bring you back to the place from which I have exiled you.”

The Jeremiah Team is Formed

In a letter to the newly formed Jeremiah Team, Father Ricky reflected on the experience of the pandemic as a kind of exile and invited parish leaders to trust in God’s promise of “a future full of hope.” Just as the Lord promised to gather His people from exile, Father Ricky believed that God was calling the Saint Katharine Drexel community back together—to seek Him with all their hearts, deepen their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and rebuild the spiritual life of the parish.

The Jeremiah Team began its work with monthly Eucharistic Adoration in September 2020. These gatherings laid the spiritual foundation for the parish’s renewal through prayer and discernment. From there, the team began developing a renewed parish vision, mission, values, goals, and action plan focused on evangelization and the formation of missionary disciples.

As part of this renewal, the parish launched its first Alpha pilot with the Jeremiah team, parish staff, Finance Council members, and selected parish leaders. Following the initial ten-week course, Alpha expanded into the wider parish community. Through Alpha, many parishioners experienced a renewed encounter with Jesus Christ, discovered the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, and began the journey of intentional discipleship. What began as a pilot initiative soon became the cornerstone of a growing culture of evangelization that continues to shape the life of the parish.

To strengthen communication and reconnect parish families during this period of renewal, Father Ricky also introduced Flocknote, creating a more effective way to share parish news, encourage participation, and invite parishioners back into the life of the Church.

The Call of Jeremiah became far more than a planning initiative. It was a spiritual invitation to trust in God’s providence and to embrace His promise of “a future full of hope.” Grounded in prayer, nourished through Alpha, and guided by the Holy Spirit, Father Ricky led Saint Katharine Drexel Parish into a renewed era of evangelization and missionary discipleship—a legacy that continues to bear fruit in the life of the parish today.

2021

From Maintenance to Mission

In May 2021, Father Ricky was appointed pastor and formed a new leadership team known as the Jeremiah Team. Introduced team to SKD parish. The team began meeting regularly to study Divine Renovation and reflect on a central question: How do we help people grow spiritually?

As they embraced the principles of Divine Renovation, the parish began shifting from a maintenance-focused model to a missionary parish centered on evangelization and discipleship. Father Ricky was formally installed as pastor in October 2021, marking the beginning of this renewed mission.

2022

A Mission of Hope: Hurricane Ian Relief

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Saint Katharine Drexel Parish became a beacon of hope for the Cape Coral community. The parish campus was transformed into a major distribution center, providing essential supplies to thousands of families affected by the storm. Volunteers distributed food, clothing, blankets, tarps, rakes, shovels, generators, monetary gift cards, and other critical relief items to those in need.

For four weeks following the hurricane, parishioners and parish youth generously volunteered countless hours to assist with recovery efforts throughout Cape Coral. They helped families clear debris, delivered supplies, and offered compassionate support during a time of tremendous hardship. This extraordinary response reflected the parish’s commitment to living the Gospel through service, compassion, and love of neighbor.

Building a Missionary Culture

As the Jeremiah Team continued to pray and discern the future of Saint Katharine Drexel Parish, its members participated in the Divine Renovation USA Conference and embraced its three guiding principles: the power of the Holy Spirit, the primacy of Evangelization and the best of Leadership. These pillars shaped the parish’s vision of becoming a thriving missionary parish dedicated to leading people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

Alpha expanded throughout the parish and beyond through the free Come and See dinners which were used to invite ministry and apostolate leaders and parishioners into a shared vision of renewal and mission. Alpha became a catalyst for the formation of the Prayer Team Ministry and the Holy Spirit Prayer Group.

To equip parishioners as intentional missionary disciples, Saint Katharine Drexel Parish adopted a clear pathway of evangelization centered on three transformative tools: Alpha, where participants encounter Jesus and the Gospel; Life in the Spirit, which fosters a deeper openness to the Holy Spirit; and Charism Discernment, which helps individuals discover and use their God-given gifts in service to the Church and the world. Together, these initiatives laid the foundation for a vibrant missionary culture that continues to flourish.

November 2022

Father Anthonio Jean joined the Saint Katharine Drexel Parish staff, bringing his gifts and leadership to support the parish’s ongoing mission of evangelization and renewal.

2023

Vision and Mission Discerned

Through parish-wide surveys, ministry and apostolate SWOT analyses, prayer, study, and strategic discernment, the Jeremiah Team worked with parish leadership and parishioners to develop Saint Katharine Drexel Parish’s Vision and Mission statements. Ministry and Apostolate leaders and parish families actively participated in assessing the parish’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, helping to identify priorities and chart a clear path for future growth.

Throughout this process of listening to the Holy Spirit and to one another, a unifying theme emerged. The life and legacy of Saint Katharine Drexel, the parish’s patroness, could be expressed through three foundational pillars: Prayer, Learning, and Service. Rooted in her example of faith, lifelong formation, and compassionate outreach, these pillars became the guiding framework for the parish’s vision, mission, and ongoing renewal, shaping every aspect of its ministry and missionary identity

2024

Strategic Plan Adopted

As the parish’s vision for renewal continued to grow, new members were welcomed to the Jeremiah Team, expanding its leadership and strengthening its role in guiding Saint Katharine Drexel Parish’s missionary future. Together, the team began developing the parish’s first comprehensive Strategic Plan, which articulated the parish’s Vision and Mission and established a renewed leadership structure to support long-term growth and evangelization.

The Jeremiah Team was established to:

1. Provide prudent consultation and advice to the Pastor in matters related to the parish’s Vision and Mission.
2. Guide and support the parish’s Pillar Groups—Prayer, Learning, and Service—ensuring that all ministries and apostolates remain aligned with the parish’s mission.
3. Model the parish’s missionary identity by living the Vision and Mission through prayer, learning, service, evangelization, and stewardship.

To support this renewed approach to leadership, the parish developed a new organizational chart that clearly defined the relationships and responsibilities within the parish. At its foundation is the Pastor, who provides spiritual leadership and pastoral direction. Working closely with the Pastor, the Jeremiah Team serves as the principal advisory and strategic leadership body, supporting parish administration, the Pastoral Council, Finance Council, ministry and apostolate leaders, committee leadership, and ultimately the entire parish community.

Saint Katharine Drexel Parish Leadership Structure.

The organizational chart above illustrates a collaborative leadership model.  The Jeremiah Team supports the Pastor and at the same time supports every ministry, apostolate, committee, and parishioner in living out the parish vision and mission in forming intentional disciples.

The implementation of this leadership structure brought greater clarity to parish governance and communication. It also provided the framework for reorganizing parish ministries, improving internal communication systems, redesigning the parish bulletin, and launching a new parish website and digital media presence. These initiatives strengthened collaboration among parish staff, ministry and apostolate leaders, and parishioners while creating more effective ways to communicate the parish’s mission.

During this period, Saint Katharine Drexel Parish also completed the Divine Renovation Coaching process, further equipping parish leadership to build a culture of evangelization and missionary discipleship. The parish’s new website and media platforms were completed and approved, providing modern tools to support communication, outreach, and formation.

Leadership formation also became an ongoing priority. Members of the Jeremiah Team continued to receive spiritual and leadership development, with the intention of extending this formation to ministry and apostolate leaders throughout the parish. This commitment to developing leaders ensures that Saint Katharine Drexel Parish continues to grow as a vibrant missionary community rooted in its three pillars of Prayer, Learning, and Service.

2025

Growing Missionary Disciples

The parish expanded its Alpha, prayer ministries, leadership development, and evangelization efforts while continuing to implement the Strategic Plan. New initiatives strengthened parish life and equipped parishioners to share their faith more intentionally.

In February 2025, the parish reintroduced the Jeremiah Team with new members, renewing its commitment to leadership formation and evangelization.

The parish identified three primary tools for evangelization: Alpha, Life in the Spirit Seminars, and Charism Discernment. To support this vision, the Jeremiah Team established a Charism Ministry Core Team and developed a parish charism database.  Parish leaders have access to the database to align parishioners’ God-given gifts to their service to the parish.

Throughout the year, the Jeremiah Team continued to provide ongoing formation for parish leaders and parishioners through Alpha Connect Groups, Charism workshops, and Life in the Spirit seminars.

The parish also introduced a redesigned parish logo that reflects its renewed vision and mission.

Father Ricky continued to invest in the formation of the Jeremiah Team by providing ongoing leadership development opportunities, including the Acts XXIX Leadership Formation Series: Speak, Lord webinars and Divine Renovation: Leading Parishes in an Apostolic Age.

2026

Continuing the Mission

Father Manoj B. Francis, MCBS, joins Saint Katharine Drexel Parish as Parochial Vicar. Building upon years of renewal, the parish continues forming missionary disciples through Alpha, Life in the Spirit seminars, Charism workshops, prayer ministries, and leadership development as it looks confidently toward the future.

Continuing to Grow in the Lord

As Saint Katharine Drexel Parish continues to grow in faith, we remain committed to proclaiming the Gospel, forming missionary disciples, and building a vibrant Catholic community rooted in prayer, learning, and service to build the Kingdom of God. Trusting in God’s providence, we look forward with gratitude and hope as He continues to guide our parish family.