Author: Bob Reddy

News Briefs for Week of Sept. 3, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Bishop Dewane continues to celebrate Mass for students

Bishop Frank J. Dewane continues celebrate Mass for the students in each of the 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic schools. The latest series of Masses took place Aug. 26, 2021 at Incarnation Catholic School in Sarasota; Aug. 27 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte; and Aug. 31 at both St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School and St. Ann Catholic School in Naples.

Diocesan principals meet

The Diocese of Venice Office of Catholic Education hosted a Principal’s Meeting Aug. 26, 2021 at the Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall. Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Catholic Education, led the meeting and updated everyone on how the start of the new Academic Year has been going in the Diocese and how successful the COVID-19 safety precautions have been working. Father Jeff Puttoff, SJ, who assisted in recruiting and promoting the Step Up for Students Scholarship initiative in the Diocese, provided an update on that work which resulted in a more than 12% increase in enrollment. The principals also received updates on the implementation of a comprehensive curriculum update. Jennifer Falestiny, Diocese Director of Curriculum, spoke about training teachers in a variety of areas. Falestiny also focused on the work to expand the STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs. This also included a progress report on the implementation of the robotics STREAM initiative which will include competitions starting in the fall. Bishop Frank J. Dewane joined the group for lunch.

Miss Florida 2021 grew up at Bradenton Parish

If the recently crowned Miss Florida 2021, Leah Roddenberry, looks familiar to you, it might be that she is a parishioner and a former altar server at Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish in Bradenton. Father Mark Heuberger, Pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul, congratulated Roddenberry during a Mass in early August and wished her luck for December, when she will compete in the 100th Miss America competition. She graduated in 2017 from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota and previously attended St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton. Congratulations, Leah! We’ll be cheering you on.

Students start garden

School gardens can make lasting differences in the lives of children. The lessons taught through these outdoor learning laboratories transcend gardening to impact children, their families and entire communities for years to come. St. Mary Catholic Academy Teacher A.J. Schiep engaged his students in this wonderful and meaningful activity on Aug. 26, 2021, in Sarasota. The new garden is just outside their classroom windows and the students used various gardening tools, getting their hands dirty, while preparing the soil for planting. The students will work on the garden throughout the year, following the progress and eventually eating the fresh food that grows.

Eighth graders display leadership

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School eighth-grade each year take part in Falcon Academy students where they are excited to display the skills they have developed throughout their years here while serving the school community. This leadership program includes journaling, discussion, and feedback exercises help students self-reflect on their experiences. During the year, they will explore patience, empathy, active listening, reliability, dependability, creativity, positivity, effective feedback, timely communication, team building, flexibility, risk-taking, and mentoring. Host teachers provide mentorship as the eighth graders embark on an exciting year St. Francis Xavier before heading off to high school! For their first session on Aug. 27, 2021, the older students introduced themselves to their younger counterparts with activities, presentations, and read aloud time. Some of the students played a Fun Friday game while working on color recognition and taking turns with the PreK Falcons. Although our eighth graders had a lot of nervous excitement at first, they eventually settled right into the role and had a blast!

Verot students have many Club opportunities

There are so many great ways to be involved at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers. Students discovered their many options at an Aug. 26, 2021 Club Fair. Clubs come in various forms and focus, such as Catholics in Action; National Honor Society; Model UN; Academic Team; Black and Gold Delegation; or American Sign Language. While others are more generalized, such as environmental, art, chess, math, creative writing, robotics, theater, debate, and more.

Football team takes part in pre-game Mass

The Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School football team took part in the traditional pre-game Mass before their opener on Aug. 26, 2021 in Sarasota celebrated by Chaplain Father Eric Scanlan. The home game was against Booker High School of Sarasota. The Mooney Cougars won 36-0.

Bishop inspires Catholic School students

Posted on by Bob Reddy

In the early portion of each Academic Year Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrates Mass for the students at the 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools.

The first of these Masses was celebrated Aug. 18, 2021 at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton. It was appropriate that the school was chosen as the Diocese and the whole Church are still in the midst of a “Year of St. Joseph,” which continues until Dec. 8, 2021.

During each Mass, Bishop Dewane invokes the Holy Spirit to come down upon the students, faculty and staff for a safe and successful year.

The Bishop used the Gospel reading from the Mass on Aug. 18, which was of the parable of the “last shall be first and the first shall be last.” During the Gospel reading, it is explained that one must not be envious because it is perceived that the Lord is generous to others, but be grateful for the gifts received.

“Jesus is very generous,” the Bishop added. “Jesus gave us a good example… You and I are called to imitate Jesus and be generous in who we are and how we live out our life.”

This can be done by being kind to someone in the school who needs help, or perhaps generosity toward your parents in gratitude for the great sacrifice they make each day. “They give you their total love. Do you give that love in return? This is how you can be generous. It is who we are as children of God. As a student, be generous to your teachers, to your classmates and to all those you encounter throughout the day.”

Realizing that it may be easier to say “I will be generous in my life” than actually doing it, Bishop Dewane said “what we do that is most generous and most felt by others comes from the heart and comes from the Graces the Lord gives us to live out our life. It is just like us wearing the masks. No one likes it, but we do it to be generous to everyone else. Because we are concerned about others.

In this Year of St. Joseph, Bishop Dewane said the Protector of the Church and Foster-Father of Jesus, is a model to follow for his generosity in turning over his life in service to the Lord.

“Pray to St joseph to have that grace to be generous to be seen always as a giver in your life, one who lives that faith and in so doing gives to others a gift,” Bishop Dewane said.

Following the Masses, the Bishop took the opportunity to speak with the eighth-grade students, encouraging them to be the leaders at their school and they must lead by example as they are “big kids” the younger students look up to for guidance. and continue with their education at a local Catholic high school. He also took time to answer any of their questions and then stood for a photo with them.

It so happened that after Mass at St. Joseph Catholic School, the Bishop participated in an award ceremony. The school recognized the top three students from each grade for their participation and success in a summer problem solving competition. The program continues the tradition of academic excellence from the end of June to end of August by offering problems to solve in the subjects of math, language arts, science and social studies. In all, the students at St. Joseph completed 59,211 problems. In addition, after the Aug. 24 Mass at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, the Bishop presented leadership pins to the eighth graders.

During this week, the Bishop also celebrated Mass for Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria on Aug. 24, and St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Catholic Academy in Sarasota on Aug. 25. Additional Catholic School Masses are scheduled for late August and into September.

Journey with St. Joseph through the month of September

Posted on by Bob Reddy

The Diocese of Venice Office of Family Life is introducing a 30-day St. Joseph Devotional for the month of September as a way to continue to mark the celebration of the Year of Amoris Laetitia Family and ongoing “Year of St. Joseph.”

Devotionals are used to encourage spiritual growth, explained Diocesan Family Life Director Carrie Harkey. “By setting aside time each day for prayer and meditation one grows in their relationship with God. A few minutes a day leads to great spiritual gain.”

All wishing to participate will receive a daily email throughout the month containing a short reflection and prayer, Harkey added. “By inviting St. Joseph into daily life, partakers will become better acquainted with the person, the call, and the mission of this great Saint.”

The Diocese is using “Blessed St. Joseph: A 30-Day Devotional on the Person & Mission of the Chosen Father of Our Lord” by Rick Sarkisian for this outreach.

Because Saint Joseph is Protector of the Universal Church, Bishop Frank J. Dewane consecrated the Diocese of Venice to a “Year of St. Joseph” in the context of the COVID-19 Pandemic beginning March 19, 2020, the Feast Day of St. Joseph.

The Diocese dedication to a “Year of St. Joseph” was extended to continue until Dec. 8, 2021. This was in keeping with Pope Francis creating a Universal “Year of St. Joseph” from Dec. 8, 2020 to Dec. 8, 2021. The announcement of the Holy Father coincided with the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX on Dec. 8, 1870 in his decree Quemadmodum Deus.

Pope Francis said he was establishing the year so that “every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.”

When speaking about the “Year of St. Joseph,” Bishop Dewane encouraged, “all to take his life as our model for fulfilling our personal call to holiness. It may be tempting to only think of St. Joseph as a figure in the nativity set. But reflection on this extraordinary Saint and the important role he played as protector and guardian of the Holy Family is needed now more than ever as the family today is surrounded by secular culture’s contrary message of selfishness, individualism, and immorality.”

St. Joseph is known as the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, a happy death, families, fathers, expectant mothers, explorers, pilgrims, travelers, immigrants, home sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers and working people. Many cities and countries are dedicated to him. In the Diocese of Venice several locations are named in honor of St. Joseph, including the following: St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton; St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton; St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Moore Haven; San Jose Mission in Fort Myers and Campo San Jose Retreat Center in Lake Placid.

“Through examining the various titles given to St. Joseph and the model of virtues he displays; one is aided to become imitators of him witnessing to the family, Parish, workplace, and the world,” Harkey said.

These reflections, found in the 30-Day Devotional, can be used by individuals, as daily family prayer, or in Parish groups. To join this 30-day journey to become better acquainted with the Foster Father of Our Lord register at https://dioceseofvenice.org/a-year-of-st-joseph/. Registering will also place you on the Office of Family Life mailing list to ensure you are made aware of future opportunities focusing on marriage and family.

In addition, the Diocese of Venice has created a quick-reference website for key elements of the ongoing “Year of St. Joseph,” including information about the locations named after the Saint, which can all be found at https://dioceseofvenice.org/a-year-of-st-joseph/.

For more information about this devotional and for other questions, please contact Carrie Harkey at harkey@dioceseofvenice.org.

Two Pastors installed

Posted on by Bob Reddy

The Catholic Church relies on its Parish Pastors to lead and to be a guide in the spiritual and everyday life of any Parish. These priests are called to serve in persona Christi bringing the Body and Blood of Christ on the altar of the Lord.

From time to time a Parish requires a new Pastor and on this occasion the Bishop will appoint – after consultation with the Priest Personnel Board – and install this new leader marking a new chapter in the life for the faithful.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane installed Father Eduardo Coll as Pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral on Aug. 22, 2021 and Father Casey Jones as Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Naples on Aug. 23, 2021. Both Masses were in English and Spanish reflecting the diversity of each Parish.

“It is my prayer that you continue to join your new Pastor at the Altar of the Lord,” Bishop Dewane said. “A Pastor, and the priests who serve at your Parish, call down upon this altar the Body and Blood of Christ for themselves and for all of you.”

The Bishop asked that the faithful listen to their Pastor and accept decisions that are made. While they may not always agree with all of his decisions, they must strive to understand that any action is based on prayerful contemplation and the good of all centered on Christ.

“If there are differences, I ask you to strive to understand,” Bishop Dewane said. “People weren’t always in agreement with what Christ. They walked away. Don’t walk away. Stay with Christ. It is about the priest being the instrument of the Lord and bringing about the Eucharist at this Parish and you the faithful coming forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. When you return to the pew, with the help of your Pastor, you will go out into the society and gnaw on the Presence of Christ in your life.”

As part of the installation process, Bishop Dewane first introduces the priest as Pastor to the parishioners. The priest later begins the Profession of Faith for all to hear, including an additional part solely for him. The new Pastor then recites an Oath of Fidelity and promises to “adhere to the teachings, which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise authentic magisterium.” The installation also includes prayers to provide the new Pastor the wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit to lead the Parish.

The ceremony concluded with the signing of documents by the Bishop, the new Pastor, and two official witnesses of the Parish community, who serve as witnesses for all of the parishioners. Those documents are split between the Parish and Diocese as well as the Pastor’s personnel records.

In Cape Coral, a blessing of newly installed pews was added to the conclusion of the Mass. Father Coll was also recognized for being the leader of St. Andrew Catholic School.

At. St. Elizabeth Seton, the Bishop blessed a newly installed icon of Jesus the Eternal High Priest. Father Jones was also recognized for being the leader of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School and Chaplain of Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers.

Bishop celebrates Mass at university

Posted on by Bob Reddy

The Ave Maria University 2021-2022 Academic Year opened with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane on Aug. 23, 2021.

The Mass included faculty, who processed in before the opening hymn dressed in their doctoral robes and seated up front while the students sat behind. Concelebrating were a number of priests who serve the spiritual needs of the students on campus.

Bishop Dewane welcomed new and returning students for the start of new Academic Year and noted that they have each been provided with a great opportunity to be at Ave Maria University and said he was praying that they find success in their studies. The Bishop encouraged them to take advantage of their time at the school to grow closer to the Lord and reminded them that they can do this by having a strong underlying presence of Christ is all that they do in their life.

“Jesus is not an optional course at Ave Maria University,” the Bishop said. “Find time for Christ in your daily life. If you allow yourself the opportunity to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, let the Real Presence permeate you and truly become a part of who you are. This is not just an abstract thought. It is what makes us unique as Catholics and differentiates us from our Protestant brothers and sisters. The Real Presence of Christ must be your focus. Make Christ the source of what allows you more the man or woman of God you are called to be.”

It is through the Lord that each of the students will become more than they thought possible in life, Bishop Dewane continued. “Know Christ is not bound by the limitations we have. Let this be for you a time of growth as Christ accompanies you on your journey.”

Following closing prayer, the Bishop presided over a commissioning ceremony for three new theology professors, during which each took a Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity, vowing to remain faithful to the Teachings of the Church before Bishop Dewane and the entire school community.

After the Mass the Bishop greeted the students who thanked him for his presence and inspiring homily.

News Briefs for Week of Aug. 27, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Bishop blesses Maria Vision offices

Bishop Frank J. Dewane blessed the offices of Maria Vision USA in Ave Maria on Aug. 23, 2021. Maria Vision offers a variety of faith-based programming with a mission to bring the light of the Gospel to the entire world with the vision of Mary Most Holy.

The programming includes the Holy Hour, daily Mass, weekly rosary, guest speakers and presentations. Maria Vision can be viewed in 12 million households in the United States on Direct TV channels 262 and 89 and through its website https://www.mariavision.us/.

Safety Patrol keeps little ones safe

Student Safely Patrols at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers put their leadership skills to the test on Aug. 20, 2021. They greet (often by name) the Pre-Kindergarten-3, PreK-4, and Kindergarten students during morning drop-off. Separating from the ones they love the most can be tough for the youngest Falcons. Patrols assist students to class and ensure they are in the learning mindset when they arrive. For example, one of the Pre-K students didn’t want a walker and instead wanted to be a walker, so Safety Patrol members strapped on a bright yellow safety belt on the young lady, and she walked the Patrol to class. Whatever works, the team often says that welcoming all the smiling faces and exchanging greetings with the students during morning drop-off is the best part of our day. Well done!

Young scientists get hands-on

Scientists at St. Mary Academy in Sarasota participated in a hands-on experiment Aug. 20, 2021, where they used their senses as they smelled, touched and tasted marshmallows. Then the scientists asked questions, wanting to know what would happen if you put a marshmallow in the microwave for 30 seconds. They then recorded their results. The next day they had more questions and asked what would happen if we they marshmallows in different liquids like vinegar, water, soda, and cranberry juice. Students love hands-on experiments.

R.C.I.A. Workshop with R.C.I.A. teams

The Diocese of Venice Office of Religious Education is holding a Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Workshop led by Dr. Bill Keimig from Franciscan University at St. Leo the Great Parish, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, from 9 am.m to 3 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2021. The workshop will include the following: a walk through the four periods of the RCIA process – pre catchumenate, catchumenate, purification and enlightenment and mystagogy & the neophyte year; a walk through the three aspects of the catechumenal model – liturgical, catechetical, pastoral – with a fixed time in the event on each; plus opportunities for questions and answers. Lunch will be provided at no cost to participants.  Contact Anne Chrzan, Diocesan Director of Religious Education for registration information at chrzan@dioceseofvenice.org.

VDCCW Priest’s Appreciation Dinner

The Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women Priest’s Appreciation Dinner is 6:00 p.m., Friday, September 17 at the Venetian River Club, 502 Veneto Blvd., Venice. The cost is $40. RSVP with a check by Wednesday, September 1 to: Ellen Bachman, 52414 Lansdowne Way, Palmetto, FL 34221. For more information, please contact Ellen Bachman at 941-721-7393 or pennyln99@aol.com.

Cloistered Religious Sisters celebrate Feast Day

Posted on by Bob Reddy

On Wednesday, Aug. 11, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the Poor Clare Sisters at the San Damiano Monastery on Fort Myers Beach.

The Mass was celebrated on the Feast Day of St. Clare of Assisi, foundress of the Poor Clare Order and a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi.

The small group of women Religious live a cloistered life and pray for the faithful in the Diocese of Venice, something Bishop Dewane said is a blessing for the Diocese.

“I express my gratitude for your presence, your prayers, your witness, your testimony and you are living as a community of women religious who live by a severe rule,” Bishop Dewane said. “You live in the Lord, and the Lord lives in you.”

Abbess Sister Mary Frances Fortin and the other Religious Sisters at the Monastery expressed their appreciation for the Bishop’s presence, particularly on the Feast Day of their Founder, which is an annual occasion. They noted that the continued support of the Bishop and the faithful of the Diocese are a comfort to them.

The Poor Clare Nuns are a religious community of women begun 800 years ago when Clare Offreduccio, a young noble woman of Assisi, Italy, cast off her rich garments and donned the simple garb of St. Francis to live as he did the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Long before this dramatic moment, Francis, while rebuilding the little church of San Damiano, exclaimed to those passing by, “Come and help me in building the monastery of San Damiano because ladies will dwell here who will glorify Our Heavenly Father throughout His Holy Church by their celebrated and holy manner of life.”

Clare and her sisters joyfully embraced a life of poverty, prayer and contemplation, solitude and seclusion that they might serve the Lord and His church through this holy manner of living as Francis had foretold. This life continues today in the San Damiano Monastery on Fort Myers Beach.

The San Damiano Monastery is located on the same property as Ascension Parish on Fort Myers Beach which that have called their home since 1988. The Monastery became independent in 2009. Although the Sisters never solicit donations, many parishioners bring them groceries and send them money each month. There is a daily Mass which is open to the public.

The daily life of the Poor Clare Sisters is set into a traditional monastic framework of prayer and work. Holy Mass and Liturgy of the Hours are the anchor of their day. Outside these times, the Sisters engage in all the ordinary tasks of life in a spirit of sisterly sharing, joy and peace. A Sister might be found packing up an order of hosts for one of the local parishes, taking care of the altar, sweeping the cloister walk or doing some laundry. Or you may find a Sister at a desk, doing bookkeeping, answering mail, preparing spiritual cards or planning the liturgy.

You can contact the Poor Clare Sisters by calling 239-463-5599, emailing prayer requests to saintclare@comcast.net, or learn more about Mass times or their daily life by visiting https://fmbpoorclare.com/.

Donations in support of the Poor Clare Sisters can be sent to: San Damiano Monastery of St. Clare, 6029 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931.

 

Diocesan Catholic schools get into swing of new year

Posted on by Bob Reddy

A few rain showers, rainbows, Mass, an eye on the tropics and thousands of students filing into the classrooms were just some of the highlights of the first week in the Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools 2021-2022 Academic Year.

Opening the schools during the ongoing global Pandemic continues to pose some challenges, but the comprehensive planning, hard work and the dedication of the staff at the Diocesan and local levels made the opening this year simple in comparison to 2020, explained Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Catholic Education.

“We have many great initiatives that are being implemented across all of our schools and we are excited about a big increase in enrollment,” Father Belmonte exclaimed. “We couldn’t be happier with how everything is going.”

Diocesan Catholic Schools began instruction on Aug. 9, 2021, with some dividing the start days for students so that by Aug. 11 everyone had settled into the routine of instruction.

Father Belmonte reported that enrollment exceeded 5,100, up more than 15% over the 2020-2021 Academic Year. In addition, 10 of the 15 Diocesan Schools have wait lists and the others are seeing enrollment reaching levels not seen in more than a decade.

For the 2021-2022 Academic Year, a comprehensive update to the Diocese of Venice Curricular Standards is being put forth. This new plan builds on previously established standards and has more of an integrated faith component. In addition, this format allows teachers to focus on cross-curriculum integration of subject matters and for all work to be measurable for success for both the students and teachers in all grade levels.

Each teacher in core courses (English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies) will be given the relevant standards. The effort integrates Catholic values and virtues through the Diocesan curriculum called, “The Gifts of Christ: Truth, Beauty, Goodness, Affability, Fortitude, Humility, and Prudence.” The results, Father said, will be enhancing the faith and academic life of the students and the entire Diocesan School Community.

“These new standards are creating a strong culture by providing each student a Catholic world view and building moral character that continues to help develop the creative imagination of each student,” Father Belmonte said. “This will be implemented into every subject.”

Other initiatives also getting a push is the integration of STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) model into the classrooms. This project, fully supported through the generosity of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, will be placing students ahead of the curve in primary fields while continuing to promote core Catholic virtues by helping students to develop cognitive thought processes and gain skills such as leadership, communication, complex problem solving, teamwork and creativity.

To learn more about Diocese of Venice Catholic schools, please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/education.

School celebrating 40 years with campus expansion

Posted on by Bob Reddy

In the four years since Hurricane Irma devastated Southwest Florida and heavily damaged St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, the community has made a remarkable comeback.

The School, located in the Golden Gate neighborhood, had extensive roof and water damage from the Sept. 10, 2017 hurricane, with repairs taking more than 13 months. While there was a slight dip in enrollment following the hurricane, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School has made a remarkable comeback and is thriving, outgrowing its existing space with enrollment up 30 percent since 2017.

To accommodate the growth and mark the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the School, a fundraising campaign to allow for campus expansion was started in March 2021, explained Gina Groch, Seton Communications Director. While the response has been good, much remains needed to raise the needed funds.

The first phase of the project, with funding secured, included the installation of a permanent portable classroom for additional middle school space. This will be installed in the coming months. In addition, during the summer months, the cafeteria was redesigned and transformed into the new related “Arts Center.” This will place under one roof the music and art classes, band, and the expansion of the STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) program. The full conversion of the space is ongoing and will be completed later in the year.

The largest part of the expansion planned is the construction of a new administration building. Since Hurricane Irma in 2017, the administration offices have been operating out of a second-floor classroom. However, the new building will free up valuable classroom space and thus enhance the campus.

Details of the 1,971-square-foot project includes a secure, single point of entry for visitors, parents and students. New space will be provided for admissions, clinic, accounting, advancement, as well as offices for the assistant principal and principal. The finished building will allow greater visibility from the main road, giving a sense of welcome with an attractive entrance.

Groch said the support for the campus expansion program has been overwhelmingly positive with more than 220 donors so far, however the job is not yet complete.

“We continue to look for donors who believe in our mission and can help in our efforts to provide additional classroom and administrative space to support our growing enrollment,” Groch said. “No amount is too small or too large! All fundraising through this year will benefit the campus expansion. Our hope is to be able to improve the campus and build without any debt.”

If the goal is met by the end of 2021, the plan would be for the construction of the administration building to start in 2022.

For more information about St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, call 239-455-2262 or to support the campus expansion program, visit https://saintelizabethseton.com/giving/, or, checks may be made to: St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, Attn: 40th Anniversary, 2730 53rd Terrace SW, Naples, FL 34116.

Two Institute courses starting soon

Posted on by Bob Reddy

The Institute for Catholic Studies and Formation, in partnership with the Diocese of Venice Office of Evangelization, is launching a new series of courses: “Feasting on God’s Word: Encounter with Sacred Scripture.”

These courses are designed for Catholics hungry to know more about the Bible. Each will last 10 weeks and encompass prayer, reading, study and discussion of Scripture.

“In this program, we will be teaching classes on both the Old Testament and New Testament with some online and some in-person at host Parishes,” Dr. John Gresham, Executive Director of the Institute for Catholic Studies and Formation said. “These offerings are for personal enrichment and have no graded assignments – the only homework is reading the Bible. As a student progresses, they will come away with a richer and deeper understanding of Scripture.”

The series begins this fall with two courses available, an online course on the Gospels and an in-person course on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). As structured, someone taking all six classes (three Old Testament and three New Testament) in the series will be able to cover the entire Bible in three years.

Gresham will be offering the online course “The Good News of Jesus Christ in the Four Gospels,” which begins on Sept. 13, 2021 and concludes on Nov. 21. Students can log on any time each week to watch the pre-recorded videos and to participate in the online discussion. Gresham is a convert to the Catholic Church and brings a rich knowledge of Scripture. He has taught at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St, Louis, Missouri, and Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

Joshua Mazrin, Diocesan Director of Evangelization, is offering an in-person course titled, “Creation and Covenants: A Study of the Pentateuch.” Students will be guided through the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Classes are Monday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the St. Thomas More Parish Spirit Center Parish, 2506 Gulf Gate Drive Sarasota from Sept. 13 to Nov. 29 (except Sept. 27 and Oct. 11). Mazrin has an advanced theology degree from Franciscan University of Steubenville with additional advanced studies at Ave Maria University. He integrates Scripture, Theology, and Spirituality in his teaching.

Each 10-week course costs $100 payable online when you register. To register, visit the Institute website at https://institute-dov.org/ or call 941-766-7334.

The Old Testament and New Testament courses are not the only opportunity to learn from the Diocesan Institute. Read further to learn about a graduate level program, an online course about St. Joseph and an at home program for all.

Graduate level course offering

Registration is still open for a 16-week graduate level online course starting Aug. 24, that introduces students to the principles, practices, and sources of Catholic Theology. The course, “What is Catholic Theology? (Ecclesial Nature and Mission of Theology),” counts as a pre-requisite for those beginning the online MA in Theology and Christian Ministry at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Franciscan offers students from the Diocese of Venice a discounted tuition for this online MA. This course is also available to those who wish to attend for their own personal enrichment. For cost and other information and to register for the course visit https://institute-dov.org/ or call 941-766-7334.

Online St. Joseph Course still available

The Institute for Catholic Studies and Formation invites you to celebrate

During this ongoing “Year of St. Joseph” the Institute created a self-paced online course “Encountering St. Joseph with St. John Paul II and Pope Francis.” The class is still available for those interested and students can work at their own pace and includes short, pre-recorded videos, questions for personal reflection or group discussion, recommended resources and more.. The course covers John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation on the Person and Mission of St Joseph (Redemptoris Custos) and Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter on St Joseph (Patris Corde). This course can be taken individually or in a group. The course fee is $35, and again, to register or for more information, please visit https://institute-dov.org/ or call 941-766-7334.

Franciscan at Home Online Workshops

The Institute also presents “Franciscan at Home,” online workshops for all who want to grow deeper in the Catholic Faith. This is a program sponsored by Diocese of Venice Parishes at no cost to the individual. Workshops are available on parenting, youth outreach, prayer, Catholic social teaching, Theology of the Body, Scripture and much more. Many workshops are available in Spanish. For more information, please call the Institute at 941-766-7334, or visit www.franciscanathome.org/institute-dov.

 

 

 

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