Historic Fort Myers parish shows resilience following Hurricane Ian

By Tom Tracy - Florida Catholic

FORT MYERS | If it’s all about timing, then the historic downtown parish of St. Francis Xavier got it just right with the completion of a much-needed new roof last February. 

“More than likely that saved our church from complete devastation,” said Father Anthony Hewitt, pastor.

St. Francis Xavier Church is located just a few blocks from the city’s downtown riverfront area, which suffered heavy flooding and is thought of as ground zero for last month’s Hurricane Ian catastrophe in southwest Florida. 

Founded in 1910, the parish has withstood more than a few hurricanes over the years, including 2017’s Irma. 

“This is the second hurricane in five years impacting us directly in downtown in Lee County and both have been extraordinarily challenging in terms of the damages and recovery,” Father Hewitt told the Florida Catholic Oct. 5, 2022. 

His church and school campus had electricity once again but were waiting for water pressure, grounds cleanup and repairs to the security fence necessary for the church and school to safely function. 

Since the storm, Father Hewitt and his parish staff and volunteers have been busy phoning the 700 or so registered households to see how they are doing while the priest also continues to respond in person to the spiritual needs of the sick and dying as best he can. 

The church remained closed for worship as debris removal got underway but the parish re-opened with weekend Masses Oct. 8. 

The unsettling question is what will become of the parish families following the Sept. 28 Hurricane. Many left the area or are staying with family members nearby. 

“There are parishioners who have lost their homes completely due to winds and flooding waters and there is the loss of a sense of connection as they don't know where to go now,” Father Hewitt said. “Plus, we also have teachers who have lost their homes and we need to find them a place to rest their heads and so they can teach.”

 

LEAKY ROOF

After Hurricane Irma, the church began minor repairs of the leaky church roof, but over the years it became evident an entirely new roof was needed. It was installed five years after Irma. 

Father Hewitt described St. Francis Xavier as a downtown parish with a diverse mix — young families with newborns to adolescents, retirees, and a broad mix of cultures and language groups, including a Haitian Creole-speaking membership. 

The weekend after Ian passed, Father Hewitt organized an outdoor Communion distribution in the parking lot followed by a community get together where tears were shed and thanks were also given. 

“We had a fantastic turnout. We texted some people and they texted other people and others were driving by and they stopped in,” the priest said. “One youngster looked at me and asked, ‘When can I go back home?’ and it just breaks your heart. I think of these young people eight years old who went through the pandemic and now this hurricane, with the experience of pain and loss of everything that they thought was important to them. But now they know what family closeness is and what’s important.”

All the parish staff had some degree of personal property damage or impact but no one lost their home outright, Father Hewitt noted. 

He said he has been fielding phone calls from around the country as people ask how they can help or just express solidarity. And he still gets calls from people saying their loved one is dying and requesting anointing of the sick. 

“I tell them I will get to them when I can due to the roads, and sometimes that takes an extra hour to get through the debris and checkpoints where you may or may not get through; even in the midst of a natural disaster life goes on,” he said.

 

SCHOOL PICTURE

Across the street from the church, John Gulley, principal of St. Francis Xavier School, sees a mixed picture. He estimates that after the school reopens, some families will have a hard time meeting tuition due to their own loss of property or employment. 

But there is also an early indication that some of the public school students from hard-hit Sanibel Island will enroll their children here. 

St. Francis Xavier School was founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, New York, in 1938, beginning with 68 students and four sisters. A major expansion occurred in 1980 when the school doubled to two classrooms per grade level. Today, St. Francis Xavier school employs 38 teachers and serves 490 students. 

An initial survey revealed that as many as 5% of the school families lost their homes. Other school families have yet to be reached. They generally live in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral and North Fort Myers, as the school functions as a kind of regional Catholic school. 

“The (school) building has a lot of damage but nothing compared to the damage to our families; so many have lost everything and that’s where the need is,” said Gulley, a self-described “U.S. Air Force brat” who has been in the Fort Myers area since he was a youngster. 

Oct. 5 was Gulley’s first day back in his office. He said he has received emails and calls from other schools around Florida and around the country, in places like Miami, Chicago, Minnesota, Louisiana, wishing to help in some way. 

Most Catholic schools in the area are at capacity and just finding their footing again following two years of pandemic uncertainty, Gulley said. 

“It's sad because last year or two we weren’t able to do a lot of public events because of COVID-19 and now because of the hurricane here we are again,” he said, but added, “I am sure we will get back to normal and things will be fine.”

YOU CAN HELP

• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, Inc., is seeking your support to provide essential resources and immediate relief to Florida’s southwest coast after Hurricane Ian.
• The agency is now accepting financial donations through www.ccadm.org. One hundred percent of donations will be used for Hurricane Ian relief efforts. Financial donations are preferred.
• Groups that want to take a collection of goods and transport them over to the west coast should first contact Catholic Charities CEO Peter Routsis-Arroyo at [email protected].