Synod Listening Sessions ongoing
The Listening Sessions for the Diocesan Phase of “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” continues through May. At the invitation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane the faithful are encouraged to be prepared to answer the fundamental concept of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today. The in-person Listening Sessions are 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The remaining Sessions are as follows:
Monday, March 28, St. John the Evangelist Parish, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples (Eng.);
Monday, May 9, St. Catherine Parish, 820 Hickory St., Sebring (Eng./Sp);
Monday, May 16, St. Agnes Parish, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples (Eng.);
Monday, May 23, Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish, 355 S. Bridge St., LaBelle (Eng./Sp);
(NEW) Virtual Session from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 25.
To register for a Listening Session or the Virtual Session, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/2022-synod-listening-sessions. Email synod@dioceseofvenice.org for any questions or comments regarding the Listening Sessions.
Diocesan-wide opportunity for Sacrament of Reconciliation coming soon
As the Lenten Season progresses, the precept of confessing grave sins and receiving Holy Communion at least once during the Lenten Season merits a reminder to all. To facilitate this requirement, every Parish in the Diocese of Venice will be open with a confessor present from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Friday, April 8, and from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 9. Check with your local Parish for additional confession times or the availability of a Penance Service. These opportunities are made available so that the faithful may find ample opportunity to receive God’s Mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Lenten Season.
Donated ultrasound blessed
A new ultrasound machine, donated by the Knights of Columbus Council 14202 of St. Agnes Parish in Naples, was blessed March 21, 2022, at the Community Pregnancy Clinics Inc. Father Bob Kantor, Pastor of St. Agnes, and Father Michael Orsi, Parochial Vicar of St. Agnes, presided over the blessing. It is noted that more than 90% of women who see their babies on an ultrasound choose life. The machine is the latest model and is courtesy of a nationwide initiative of the Knights of Columbus which matches the contributions of local Council in purchasing the latest machines for Pro-Life clinics.
Naples students do well at Model UN conference
The St. John Neumann Catholic High School Model UN students from Naples took part in the National High School Model United Nations Conference in New York City the week of March 18, 2022. Under the direction of their advisor, Cindy Brewer, the Neumann team placed 3rd for research and presentation out of 135 teams from around the world. In addition, Hunter Lund and Alessio Cirino’s committee placed third out of the 70 committees in their field. This immersive experience in the world of international affairs, problem solving, and diplomacy was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students. Long recognized for having the best substantive program on the Model UN circuit, National High School Model UN is known for its diverse, talented attendees, its highly engaging debates, and its academically rigorous material. These SJN students were able to attend meetings with the diplomatic representatives of the countries they represented, as well as other UN and Non-Government Organization (NGO) leaders for dynamic question and answer sessions.
Hardee County group takes part in 40 Days for Life
Members of the St. Michael Parish Council of Catholic Woman and Faith Formation Group from Wauchula traveled March 15, 2022, to Sarasota to pray to end abortion at the Planned Parenthood facility as part of the 40 Days for Life spring prayer campaign. The group was present during on the day abortions are done were performed at the facility. This led to an emotional day, leaving the group with both sadness and hope. Sadness about what takes place in such facilities and hope that publicly standing for life made a difference. The group prayed for the mothers and babies that are victims of the lie that abortion is the only answer. The spring 40 Days for Life peaceful prayer campaign is taking place in the public right-of-way in both Sarasota and Fort Myers through April 10. All are encouraged to spend at least one hour in prayer for life during Lent. Contact your Parish Life Coordinator for specific information about your Parish’s commitment days. For additional information about the local 40 Days for Life, go to www.40daysforlife.com/sarasota or www.40daysforlife.com/fortmyers.
Holocaust survivor shares story
Heinz Wartski, a 93 year old Holocaust survivor and Korean War veteran, shared his story with Bishop Verot Catholic High School students on March 15, 2022, in Fort Myers. Heinz Wartski grew up in Danzig with his parents and two siblings. In 1939, Heinz and his family escaped to Italy and later joined the partisan resistance in the Appenine Mountains. He stated: “We were a minority in every nation in which we lived, and we were therefore easy targets for any government in need of scapegoats.” His family survived until liberation in 1945. Heinz and his family immigrated to the United States in 1949. He married Hella Wartski, a fellow Holocaust survivor, and had two children. He currently resides in Naples, and volunteers with the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida.
Digestive system lesson
Thank you to Katy Wallis, professor at State College of Florida, for leading fifth-grade students from St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton through an interactive lesson on the digestive system on March 18, 2022. Students used plastic bags filled with various items to get a “feel” for how the digestive system, including the stomach, works.
Team GPA tops region
The St. John Neumann Catholic High School Celtic Boys Basketball Team in Naples finished the season with a team GPA of 3.74 which is #1 in the Florida High School Athletic Association 2A classification and the #3 team GPA in the entire state. Well done!
The Holy Father said his hope is that we can recover “a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity.” This highlight of hope by the Holy Father comes at a time of war in the Ukraine.
The Holy Father said that a significant step on this journey was already taken with the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016), “which allowed us to appreciate anew all the power and tenderness of the Father’s merciful love, in order to become, in turn, its witness.”
All are invited to attend the program which is co-sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. The presentation will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3, 2022, in the ballroom of St. John the Evangelist Parish, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
“His message to my synagogue in 2004 went on to develop the idea of the encounter between the individual and God, and of the importance of memory in that relationship. He alluded to the essence of Jewish belief expressed during this most holy season, the Days of Awe: to believe in the Creator who relates to each person and remembers each individual. In fact, I was astonished to hear this sermon. (His) message on this occasion could well have been the reflections of a Rabbi to his community.”
The faithful taking part in the Diocesan Listening Sessions come prepared to answer the fundamental concept of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today. The latest Listening Sessions took place March 14, 2022, at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers and March 16 at Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda. The feedback continues to be both positive and passionate.
Bishop Dewane has stressed during each Session how important it is to respond to the Synod, and the questions posed, in the context of what the Holy Spirit is asking of us, and can only be accomplished with an open heart, mind and soul.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass on March 12, 2022, 15 years to the day the Bishop erected St. Agnes as a Parish, which had been a Mission of St. John the Evangelist Parish from 1999 to 2007.
Bishop Dewane spoke about how it is appropriate to celebrate milestones in the life of a Parish, pausing to look back at what has been accomplished and to look forward to where the Parish is going, particularly, one that continues to grow. The Bishop reflected how the Parish was able to overcome considerable debt in its early years thanks to the generosity of the faithful who had confidence in the vision of Father Kantor and his advisors.
The annual event returned to the in-person Ball and brought together supporters from across the area. The enthusiastic crowd was dressed in elegant eveningwear and the Ball included fine dining, lots of dancing, upbeat music, and a spirited live auction with the “Gift from the Heart” bringing in many enthusiastic bidders.
Among those who have benefitted from the programs of Catholic Charities in the past is Peggy Rodriguez, the newly appointed District Director. Rodriguez was recently promoted from her long-time position as Program Manager Guadalupe Social Services in Immokalee which provides a variety of support services, as well as a daily soup kitchen, food pantry, clothing room and shower.
Barbara Neff served as chair of the Emerald Ball Committee with the support of many co-chairs. Father Bob Kantor, Pastor of St. Agnes Parish, offered the opening invocation.
On March 11, 2022, the student body of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota participated in praying a living rosary as a lead up to Spring Break. A living rosary consists of people representing each bead of the rosary. Each person then leads one prayer of the rosary. Different grade levels represented different decades, including one in Spanish. This was the last group gathering for the students before going on Spring Break.
St. John Neumann Catholic High School students, along with Sister April Hoffman, FMA, attended the Salesian Leadership Retreat the week of March 7-11, 2022. The retreat is run by the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, which is the same religious order that leads Neumann. The group stopped in Hoboken, N.J., for a little sightseeing excursion before traveling to Haledon to meet up with more of the Salesian family. While on the retreat, the warm-weather Neumann Celtics also got a taste of snow during a tour of New York City.
Local artist, Marcus Zotter, is at it again. He painted another amazing mural on an interior wall of the St. Ann Catholic School library. The artwork incorporates the images of five current students. Earlier in the school year, Zotter created a dolphin-themed mural on a nearby exterior wall.
1st Graders at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota conducted an Easter Egg Gravity Investigation on March 11, 2022. The young scientists have been learning about gravity and after making their predictions, they did a variety of tests with different types of fresh and plastic eggs on a ramp, at varying levels and kept track of the results in a data table.
Three sixth grade girls represented St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton as the first ever Battle of the Books Team. The students were Anya, Bailey, and Kimberly. On March 11, 2022, the team competed against other Manatee County Schools at Braden River High School. Teams earned points by answering questions about the 15 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books for 2021-2022. As first-time competitors, the St. Joseph girls took third place. Congratulations!
The 156 catechumens (individuals who are not yet baptized) were joined by an additional 247 candidates (already-baptized Christians preparing for confirmation and First Eucharist), who also participated in the formal ceremony and are recognized during the celebration for answering the call to their continuing conversion. The Cathedral was nearly at capacity as many family members were also present to show their support.
The catechumens and candidates, who were recognized by Bishop Dewane, are on a continuing journey that will culminate when they come into full communion with the Catholic Church at the April 16 Easter Vigil Mass in their respective Parishes.
Bishop Dewane said this process should be a conversion of the heart, as each catechumen and candidate must prevent outside influences, such as things, people or objects, standing in their way of developing their relationship with the Lord.
Each catechumen will go through a series of scrutinies during which they examine their readiness to accept Christ and the Catholic Faith in the form of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation). This time culminates at the Easter Vigil when the catechumens are received through Baptism into the Catholic Church. The final period of the RCIA is the time of “Mystagogy” (post-baptismal catechesis). During the weeks following the Easter Vigil, the newly initiated live more profoundly their experience of Baptism and the Eucharist as they begin the journey of discipleship and their growing union with Christ.
For candidates, those who have been correctly baptized with a Trinitarian formula, the Catholic Church does not require re-Baptism. Candidates have already experienced a journey of faith and have an understanding of how Jesus leads us to the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit. In fact, many have been attending Mass with their families for years but may have never received the Sacrament of Holy Communion or the Sacrament of Confirmation.
“It has been a year since the Diocese of Venice celebrated its first annual Safe Haven Sunday, but this was just the beginning of the pursuit to directly address the harmfulness of pornography to marriages, families, the culture and particularly to our youth and young adults,” said Bishop Frank J. Dewane. “Therefore, on Sunday, March 27, 2022, the Diocese will continue efforts by celebrating the second annual Safe Haven Sunday.”
