St. Raphael's Church and the Estero Island Historic Society
Blessing of the Fleet
A 70 Year Old Tradition Continues on March 10
The mission of St. Raphael's Church can be summed up in one sentence:
Healing, Hope, and Hospitality on Fort Myers Beach
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The mission of the Estero Island Historic Society is to preserve and promote the history of our island.
The Blessing of the Fleet has been a part of the Shrimp Festival for over 70 years. Join us for a service dedicated to those in our commmunity who make their living on the water. Our priest will lead the service and then walk along the docks and individually bless each of the boats that are in port or that have come to the docks for a blessing. This includes private vessels as well as commercial boats.
St. Raphael's Church has served Fort Myers Beach for over 70 years. We have the oldest church building on the island. Although our buildings were damaged in Ian, they are all structually sound, and are in the process of being repaired. We hope to open the parish hall first and open the space up for community events.
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The Estero Island Historic Society has its museum on Bay Road in front of the Matanzas Pass Preserve. Although the building was damaged in the storm, repairs have been completed and the museum will be opened one day a week beginning February 1.
Get to Know Us
St. Rapahel's has been a force on Fort Myers Beach for the past 70 years. Our campus is located off the beaten path at the end of Williams Drive. Our church building is the oldest church building on the island built in 1952. We are best known for our hospitality, especially our famous all you can eat shrimp dinners. We are also involved in the Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet and have sold thousands of shrimp rolls during the Shrimp Festival dating back to 1952. Our buildings have survived Ian and are being repaired. Like everyone else, we are waiting on permits and parts. Hopefully, our parish hall will be ready soon so we can offer the space to the community.
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The Estero Island Historic Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of our island. Our museum has been repaired and is getting ready to open to the public on February 1. We have recently joined forces with Ostego Bay Marine Science Center who is using our Annex for their summer camp and workshops.
Our Event
The Blessing of the Fleet
The Beginning
San Carlos became a major shrimping port in the 1950s when pink shrimp was discovered in the Gulf. At one time, there were over 200 shrimp boats that called San Carlos home. In 1952, St. Raphael's Church performed the first Blessing of the Fleet on a boat in front of the Columbia Fishing Docks. When the blessing moved to the County Park a few years later, the women of the parish started selling their famous shrimp rolls since there were few places to eat at the park. The Blessing was an annual event until Covid hit in 2020 followed by the hurricane in 2023. We are thrilled to bring this popular tradition back to the islands.
Community Support
St. Raphael's is working with Erickson and Jensen, the Lions Club, and the Estero Island Historic Society to bring the Blessing Back to San Carlos Island.
Shrimp Specialists
For many years, the parishioners of St. Raphael's have made their famous shrimp rolls to be sold at the Blessing. At one time, they sold over 2,000 rolls to the thousands of people who would show up for the Blessing. More recently, St. Raphael's is known for its "All You Can Eat" shrimp dinners which were a major fund raising event for the parish. This year, we are cooking fresh Gulf pink shrimp that will be sold after the Blessing.
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Get in Touch
Send us a message and we will get back to you.