No structure in Matlacha or on Pine Island – home to fishermen, farmers, artists, and retirees – was spared the wrath of Hurricane Ian. The southern region was inundated with storm surge and had high winds, while the northern sections still had wind gusts more than 130 mph.
Fortunately, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Bokeelia was spared the surge and catastrophic damage. While the church and Parish Hall had damaged tiles and some water inside both buildings, the Parish chapel and education building suffered the most severe impacts. The chapel, which was the original church, had an air conditioning unit torn out, exposing the building to heavy rain which damaged the interior.
However, having been spared the worst damage, Father Jacek Mazur, Miraculous Medal Pastor, had the church open for Mass on Sept. 29, 2022, the day after the storm. In attendance in the darkened church was one family of four. Masses remained in the dark for two weeks before power to the island was restored.
“And from there the numbers have steadily grown,” Father Mazur said. “It has been beautiful.”
Each Mass is filled with reunions of friends, with lots of hugs and smiles as everyone is asked how they fared during the storm.
The destruction to some parts of the community has brought a profound sadness to many, but all feel blessed and grateful to be alive and safe.
“The church is a place of reflection and comfort,” said Mary Davis, whose roof was partially torn off. “I feel so happy to be here and to see that the church is here and not badly damaged. It’s going to be okay. God was with us.”
Our Lady of Miraculous Medal is also the location of the Pine Island Food Pantry, which serves about 150 families a month and is supported by all of the churches on the island with additional assistance from Publix and Winn-Dixie, as well as the regional Harry Chapin Food Bank in Fort Myers.
Since Ian, the food pantry has been open nearly every day, with supplies going out almost as fast as relief was coming in from the outside, explained Diane Gleason, longtime resident and former Parish bookkeeper who now helps run the pantry.
“People have brought us everything from cleaning supplies and food and everything in between,” Gleason said. “We were running five days a week and have reduced to three days a week (effective Oct. 24) in person, and two days delivering to families who can’t get to the food pantry. These are the elderly, and the many who lost vehicles to the water.”
About a third of those seeking help were regulars before the storm, the rest are those in dire situations after. Donated items that have been dispersed beyond food and water include air mattresses, sheets, pillows, diapers, tarps, blankets, fans and cleaning supplies of all sorts.
Father Mazur, who remained on the island in the rectory during the storm, said during a Mass on Oct. 23, that Sacred Scriptures must remind us of the trust, love, mercy, and healing of the Lord.
“It is at this moment that we take a moment to examine our conscience; having been so touched by grace,” Father said, noting that many strangers came bringing all kinds of food and supplies; or offered help cleaning up or putting a tarp on a roof. “The Lord’s goodness toward the people He created is very beautiful and very tender, attentive to their needs and their condition.”
The Gospel reading for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Luke 18: 9-14, the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, was appropriate for those recovering from Ian, Father Mazur explained.
“The Lord hears the cry of the poor,” Father Mazur continued. “He rescues His people from all pain and distress. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, He saves those who are crushed. He’s not deaf to the widow when she pours out her complaint. All of us will be rescued, will be helped, will be comforted. Therefore, we proclaim, ‘I will praise the Lord at all times; His grace shall ever be in my mouth.’ Today’s Scripture calms our hearts and our spirits, reminding us to trust in God; to hope in His providence, in His protection and in His healing… We have been tried, but we are not abandoned.”
Many of these generators were distributed by Catholic Charities to families who suffered catastrophic damage from the hurricane in some of the hardest hit areas of the Diocese including Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and beyond.
Olivia was impressed by the technology that comes in the compact-sized generators and how a few solar panels, laid out in the yard, will charge to full capacity in about two hours. “That is amazing. It is perfect for what we needed in the days after the storm when you can’t find gas anywhere.”
Eddie Gloria, Catholic Charities CEO, said the organization has been at the forefront of the disaster response and said he is thrilled to have this generous and much-needed help from Geneverse.
The final score of the hard-fought game was irrelevant as the two schools put aside their rivalry and came together in the wake of the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ian. The Fort Myers region was hard hit by Ian and many students, staff and faculty lost their homes. The Sarasota area did not have near as much damage, but impacts were felt, and the homes of several families were badly impacted.
This gesture did not go unnoticed. Just prior to the opening kick-off, the entire Verot football team and cheer squad, accompanied by their coaches, crossed the field carrying a banner which read “Thank You for Supporting our Bishop Verot Community.” The banner included the school logos as well as the signatures and individual “Thank you” messages from each player, cheerleader, coach and support staff.
This act of Christian character and class brought a roar of approval from the Mooney grandstands as the banner was brought forward and the two head coaches shook hands. As a Cardinal Mooney social media post after the game stated: “Sometimes it is so much more than football.”
Debris removal at Ascension Parish and the San Damiano Monastery of Saint Clare on Fort Myers Beach is well underway. The property was inundated with more than 12 feet of storm surge from Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022.
The property has no power or running water, so contractors brought their own generators to run some equipment. Additionally, crews are actively removing the remains of nine houses which littered the property after being pushed by the surge. The clearing of this debris will allow better access to the property which has been limited.
Furry friends are making special visits to the three Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools in Lee County following Hurricane Ian. The therapy dogs are visiting St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers, as well as Bishop Verot Catholic High School, also in Fort Myers.
The first visit was to Bishop Verot on Oct. 19, 2022, where the dogs were brought to the school courtyard where students were able to pet and hug the dogs to their hearts content. These dogs also visited the elementary schools and are returning several days a week to ensure each student has time with the dogs.
Members of the St. John Neumann Catholic High School Key Club joined students from other Naples-area schools to package 50,000 meals with the group Meals of Hope on Oct. 22, 2022. Typically, these packaged meals would be sent off to needy countries around the world, but because of the impact of Hurricane Ian, the food will remain in Collier County to help victims of the hurricane. The Key Club at Neumann is a service club which participates in a variety of projects helping people in need throughout the community.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. is now providing water, ready-to-eat meals, baby items, hygiene kits, tarps, and other essential supplies for distribution in the parking lot behind the Ministry Center of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, 21505 Augusta Ave., Port Charlotte. The disaster distribution point opened on Oct. 19, 2022, and is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Saturday, in the parking lot behind the Parish school, at Augusta Avenue and Gates Avenue. Catholic Charities is currently operating six disaster distribution sites, down from a peak of 10 in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The locations change as the needs of the community and the response transitions to more of a recovery mode in different areas.
More than 100 couples took part in this event which was intended to allow couples to grow together in holiness, learn to form their children in the Catholic Faith, enjoy a day of quality time with their spouse, and witness dynamic presentations.
The first presenter was Father Shawn Monahan, OMV, Associate Director of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice, whose talk was titled, “The Holy Eucharist: The Source and Summit of Marriage and Family Life.”
The Mass at 3 p.m., is preceded by an opening ceremony at 2:45 p.m., will allow the faithful an opportunity to honor veterans and pray for them, many of whom are laid to rest at the Sarasota National Cemetery. Active military personnel are asked to wear their uniforms for the occasion. All are invited to attend.
Members of Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (VDCCW) hosted the event just three weeks after Hurricane Ian struck the Diocese on Sept. 28.
Farr also announced that the FCCW members had collected and donated a number of disaster relief supplies which were directed to help CCW members who were severely impacted by the hurricane.
Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools participated in the annual Unity Day on Oct. 21, 2022, to take action in their world and stand up against bullying. For example, at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring, students wore orange to school and took a pledge of acceptance, kindness, and inclusion.
Pink, pink, and more pink. Once again Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota is making an impact and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer! More than 130 Cougars participated in the annual 5k walk on Oct. 22, 2022, at Nathan Benderson Park making Mooney the largest group to walk in the event. The Cougar team raised over $4,000 for breast cancer research.
During a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Math) Class at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton, on Oct. 24, 2022, second grade students have been learning to develop creative thinking skills by building an entrance to an amusement park ride. Through using innovative word block coding to program their project, when a photosensor sees a ticket of a specific color a light will turn green for “GO”!
The coordination necessary to get each school opened in a safe and timely manner was the work of countless staff and volunteers who banded together, focused on a singular goal. The final four schools to reopen were in the hardest hit areas of Lee and Charlotte County – St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte, St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Bishop Verot Catholic High School, both in Fort Myers.
At Bishop Verot Catholic High School, where awnings were torn away, portable classrooms damaged and bleachers twisted like pretzels, the return to school on Oct. 17 was met with joy and sorrow as many students and faculty had severe damage to homes, some losing everything to Ian’s wrath.
As impressive as it has been to get the schools back open so quickly, Bishop Dewane and Father Belmonte have also said the schools are reflecting their Christian core by their continued outreach into the community, helping not only their own school communities but others who have been in need.
Students from St. Ann Catholic School in Naples have been very busy. First, they held a food and emergency relief drive, which was combined with an effort by St. John the Evangelist Parish to benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Society Naples food pantry. The school then collected thousands in gift cards to give to needy families. Finally, the students sent handmade “Thank You” notes to local first responders, including the Naples Police Department, in gratitude for their work in protecting the community during and after the hurricane.
Student and parents from St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota used a day off from school on Oct. 17 to volunteer at All Faiths Food Bank, the regional supplier for food pantries in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. The volunteers filled 160 boxes of food and 1,500 backpacks for local families and students.
Father Jerome Carosella, Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Boca Grande, stayed at the rectory during Hurricane Charley in 2004 and thought about staying this time until a deputy Sheriff told him to leave. So, Father Carosella put the storm shutters in place and took the Blessed Sacrament, the consecrated Communion hosts, to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Grove City for safekeeping. Then he went to stay with parishioner-friends in South Gulf Cove.
The interior of the small church, built in 1950, is reminiscent of Spanish missions erected in the 17th Century with interior artwork dating to as early as the 15th Century. Nothing inside suffered irreparable damage, even though half of the roof was peeled back. Fortunately, part of the old roof, which was damaged during Hurricane Charley, was left on the building, and provided enough protection to avoid catastrophe. The howling winds of the storm forced water around the old wood doors at the front and rear of the church, but the damage was limited.
Father has celebrated Mass every day since Sept. 30, and the congregation has slowly increased from two the first day to several dozen by Oct. 16 as access to the barrier island improved and coincided with the restoration of power and water on Oct. 11.
