“Incredible!” “Life-changing!” “Impactful!” “Educational!” “Just what we needed!”
This high praise was offered by some of the 120 couples from across the Diocese of Venice – newlyweds to those married more than 50 years and everywhere in between – who took part in one of the two simultaneous “Together in Holiness” Marriage Enrichment Conferences on Oct. 2, 2021.
Offered by the Diocese of Venice Office of Family Life in partnership with the St. John Paul II Foundation of Houston, Texas, the Conferences took place at St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota and St. Agnes Parish in Naples. And were built around the theme: “Family, a School of Love.”
The purpose of the Together in Holiness program is centered “on serving couples who are in the midst of the real life, everyday grind of marriage and family, and aren’t merely trying to survive their marriage but are looking for a way to thrive in their marriage,” explained Charlotte Sacco, a Program Coordinator who led the Sarasota Conference for the St. John Paul II Foundation.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane opened the Conference in Sarasota noting the importance of the attending and that such offerings will become more frequent “as marriages and families are the backbone of who the Church is; who the Church always has been; and who the Church will be going forward.”
Bishop Dewane said he was humbled to stand before the couples and the vocation they choose to live which “takes a tremendous amount of grace and commitment. You live that out in showing your love as you go out into the community and Parishes by the example you give, by the life you live. This is seen in the dedication you have one to the other and as the family unit. You give a tremendous example as a witness to who Jesus Christ is to you both.”
At the closing Mass in Naples, the Bishop had the Conference participants stand to be recognized and then blessed them. He added that the power of marriage is that it is a bond between man and woman, unified by God.
Lisa Cotter, who was the keynote speaker at both Conferences, said that in order to build a Domestic Church, the goal of parents in this crazy world must be to recognize how much children need them. But it is more than that, it is “how much our children need us to show them the joy of living the Catholic Faith. And not just that it is this thing you have to go to for Mass on Sunday, but the joy and peace that comes with living within the designs and influence of God. You want your kids to be happy; but if you really think about it, what you want them to be holy and closer to the Lord so they have peace and joy in their lives that surpasses their circumstances.”
Cotter provided parents with six focused concepts to grab onto and run with to make their home a “School of Virtue.” These included: be intentional; tell stories; start small; live community; pray; and evaluate frequently.
“You have to answer the question; how do we make our home a place where our children learn how to live so they can gain freedom to live a virtuous life?” Cotter said. “This is needed even more as the world becomes more secularized.”
Additional speakers from the St. John Paul II Foundation challenged the couples to work together to address the needs of the family creating goals for helping to build up the “School of Virtue” within their individual families.
Two Diocesan priests also address the Conference – in Sarasota, Father Eric Scanlan, Pastor of Incarnation Parish in Sarasota, and in Naples, Father Murchadh O’Madagain, Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in North Fort Myers.
Diocese Family Life Coordinator Carrie Harkey said that bringing in the St. John Paul II Foundation to the Diocese was part of the Bishop’s continued emphasis on better forming married couples to live out their vocation in holiness and joy.
Harkey added that she was thrilled with this initial Conference and the positive response from participants and said that similar offerings will be made available in the future to all couples who desire to grow in holiness and strengthen their marriage and family life.
Father Jan Antonik, Parish Administrator, told a large gathering how honored and blessed the Parish was to have a First-Class Relic of St. Thérèse, something he strived to acquire since his appointment in early 2020. The relic was gifted to the Parish courtesy of Father Bob Kantor, Pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Naples, where it had been on display in the St. Agnes Adoration Chapel for many years. Bishop Frank J. Dewane approved and facilitated the transfer of the relic between the two Parishes
St. Thérèse was a Carmelite nun who was born in 1873. She entered a cloistered life at the age of 15, living in near obscurity at a convent in Lisieux, France and died at the age of 24. She was canonized in 1925 and in 1997 St. John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church in light of holiness and the influence of her teaching on spirituality in the Church.
Following Mass, single roses were distributed for the faithful to give to others as a “little way” of spreading the Love of Christ to others. Many also paused to view the relic and/or light a candle. A reception was held as part of the Feast Day celebration.
Those are the situations that Greg Hasek specializes in, most specifically in situations where men are dealing with addictions, past trauma or PTSD. But Hasek has another specialization: how abortion affects men and those roots run deep. Almost always, men aren’t coming to him for help with the aftermath of abortion. They are seeking him out because of an addiction that has nearly destroyed their lives.
Father Fitch has served as Administrator of the Parish and for Bishop Dewane the installation as Pastor would solidify in the minds of the faithful that Father was there to continue serving the Parishioners. Outwardly, there will be no changes in the operation of the Parish but nevertheless the Bishop noted this was an important moment for all of the faithful and for the community at St. Charles Borromeo.
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.
As a part of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” Pope Francis has invited every Diocese in the world to inaugurate the beginning of the Synod with an opening Mass. In the Diocese of Venice, this opening Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 17, 2021, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this Mass. In this Diocesan Phase of the Synod, Catholics in the Diocese of Venice are encouraged to participate in listening sessions, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
“I came out here so that young mothers choose life,” Hackett said. “I can only do that through prayer and the hope that the Lord will change her mind with an outpouring of love for that innocent unborn child.”
This battle comes at a time when laws on both ends of spectrum, in favor of life and against life, are being enacted or challenged. The most notable is the Texas “Heartbeat Law,” which is being considered in Florida. Other states, such as New York have passed legislation which allows abortions until the moment of birth. Another law under contention is from Mississippi and will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in December.
About 50 people of different faiths gathered for the opening prayer service and during the coming weeks they committed to being a voice for the voiceless on the front lines in front of Planned Parenthood.
While others saw a charming, funny, life of the party, inside Greg was depressed, lost and scared. This feeling of isolation began to impact not only his mental health, but also his relationships as well. After years of running from the pain and shame after abuse and abortion Greg knew he needed help, but did not know where to start or where to go to find healing.
A Catechetical Conference, hosted by Diocese of Venice Department of Education and spearheaded by the Office of Religious Education, provided an understanding as to how to bring Jesus Christ into the classroom as a catechist according to Church teachings.
Anne Chrzan, Diocesan Director of Religious Education, expressed her prayers that the Conference was an opportunity for catechists to learn how to better share the Good News of the Lord in their classrooms.
