Lee County Parish reaches out to help homeless

Coming together in service for others is a key component of living a faithful Catholic life.

The Lee County Homeless Coalition posted this image to social media on Oct. 1, 2020 of Blessing Bags donated by the faithful of Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers.

Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers offers a variety of programs throughout the year to help encourage parishioners to engage in service to help others in the community. One recent effort is the Blessing Bags Project, which collected items to be distributed to the homeless in Lee County.

Thanks to the generosity and caring of the faithful, more than 200 Blessing Bags were created and shared with the Lee County Homeless Coalition for distribution. The Coalition expressed their appreciation on social media on Oct. 1, 2020, posting photos of the donations received, commenting: “Thank you so much for your generosity!”

While successful, the Blessing Bag project was a challenge during the ongoing global pandemic, explained project lead Chelsea Plesko, Parish Coordinator of Faith Formation.

“With fewer people coming to church on the weekends, we got creative in spreading the word,” Plesko said. “It started as a project for our young parishioners in Faith Formation and grew from there.”

Email blasts, plus online bulletin announcements detailing the specific need and relevant deadlines, helped to spread the word. Key items needed included socks, lip balm, sunscreen, single-serving nuts and beef jerky, as well as toiletries.

A close up of a completed Blessing Bags filled with donated items for the homeless in Lee County created by the faithful of Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers in September 2020.

The response was impressive as most donations were dropped off in bins at the Parish on the weekend of Sept. 20, 2020. Others were creative and ordered what was needed online and had the items delivered directly to the Parish.

“Even though this year was harder than usual for many, it did not stop our parishioners from generously donating to our annual Blessing Bags project,” said Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father Hugh McGuigan, Pastor of Our Lady of Light. “I’m proud of all those involved that helped us to create over 200 blessing bags for the homeless population in Lee County.”

Because of COVID-19 precautions, all donated items were untouched for 24 hours and before there were separate sorting and packing parties. Plesko explained that in past years these would be large social gathering with refreshments, but in 2020 alterations were made to ensure the work was completed while keeping everyone safe.

Plesko said more than 50 participated in the sorting on Sept. 23 and packing on Oct. 24 as all wore gloves and masks. Children in the Faith Formation program earned service hours for their work.

Once sorted, bag fillers went from station to station to have someone deposit items into gallon Ziploc bags versus just grabbing handfuls of what was needed. In addition to the donated items, each bag included a prayer card and notes of encouragement from the parishioners.

The Blessing Bags project at Our Lady of Light is just one of many the faithful participate in each year. While the pandemic has brought its challenges to these efforts, adjustments have been made to ensure continued success.

News briefs from week of October 26, 2020

Virtual Diocesan Concert Series begins Nov. 6

The Diocese of Venice is proud to announce that a virtual concert series will be offered to the faithful at noon on the first three Fridays of November 2020. The concerts will be livestreamed from select Parishes in the Diocese and offer a broad selection of Catholic music. This is being offered as many remain home due to the ongoing global pandemic and miss the richness of music. The series begins at noon, Nov. 6, 2020 and will return on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20. Each segment will be live and last approximately 30 minutes. Anyone can view the live stream through the Diocese of Venice Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dioceseofvenice. You do not need to register to view live events on Facebook. For more information, please contact Gail Ardy at 941-484-9543 or ardy@dioceseofvenice.org.

Equestrian Order celebrates Feast Day

Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on Oct. 27, 2020 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The annual Mass is held as close as possible to the Order’s Patroness Feast Day, Our Lady of Palestine, which is Oct. 25 and was approved by the Holy See in 1933. Following the Mass, two Knights and two Dames were presented with honors from the Order by Bishop Dewane. The Feast Day asks all to join in praying to the Virgin Mary for special protection of Palestine and the holy city of Jerusalem. The Equestrian Order is the only lay institution of the Vatican State charged with the task of providing for the needs of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and for all the activities and initiatives which are necessary to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The Order is present in nearly 40 countries worldwide.

Adopt a family for Christmas

Our Mother’s House of Catholic Charities is looking for people who want to make Christmas special for single mothers and their babies by providing gifts from their wish list. If you are interested in adopting a family for Christmas or want to donate a gift, please contact Rita Millner, Case Worker for Our Mother’s House at 941-485-6264, or email rita.millner@catholiccharitiesdov.org. All wrapped gifts must be delivered before Dec. 9, 2020. Our Mother’s House is committed to helping homeless mothers and their children achieve self-sufficiency.

Students take action to prevent bullying

An Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School student makes a pledge to promote unity during a rally to end bullying on Oct. 21, 2020 in Venice.

Diocese of Venice Catholic School participated in the annual Unity Day on Oct. 21, 2020, to take action in their world and stand up against bullying. At Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice, students wore orange to school and took a pledge of acceptance, kindness, and inclusion.

Students in this second grade class at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers write positive, kind and thoughtful notes about their classmates as part of Unity Day, a effort to promote kindness and stop bullying.

In addition to wearing orange, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers students in a second-grade class wrote a positive, kind and thoughtful thing about each student in the class and placed it in their kindness buckets. These were just a few of the activities which took place at Diocesan Catholic schools.

If you need help from Catholic Charities

If you need assistance from Catholic Charities for food, financial assistance or tele-mental health counseling, please call the number for your area listed below 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Services have expanded to include assistance in applying for state and federal benefits if you have lost work due to the COVID-19 Pandemic:

  • Sarasota/Manatee/DeSoto/Hardee/Highlands counties: 844-385-2407,
  • Charlotte/Lee/Hendry/Glades counties: 844-385-2423,
  • Collier County: 844-385-2404.

Food distribution from Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities food distribution will take place only at the following times and locations. Please call the regional number for more information.

  • Monday-Friday, 9-11 a.m., Guadalupe Social Services, 211 S. 9th St., Immokalee, the Soup Kitchen is providing meals-to-go;
  • Tuesdays, 9-11:30 a.m., Judy Sullivan Family Resource Center, 3174 Tamiami Trail E., Naples;
  • Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon, St. Margaret Parish, 208 Dean Duff St., Clewiston;
  • Fridays, 9-10:30 a.m., St. Paul Parish, 1208 Oak St., Arcadia;
  • Fridays, 9-11 a.m., St. Leo the Great Parish, 28360 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs;
  • Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon, Elizabeth K. Galeana Pantry, 4235 Michigan Avenue Link, Fort Myers.

How to Help

Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice Inc. is in urgent need of your financial support during its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help, please visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org/donate or send a check to: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice Inc., 5824 Bee Ridge Road, PMB 409, Sarasota, FL 34233-5065.

Parish donations

During this challenging time in the life and mission of the Diocese of Venice, our Parishes face increased risk of financial shortfalls due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its effects on everyday life. Parishes depend on weekly financial gifts to continue their ministries, especially in this critical time of crisis. The Diocese of Venice is providing an online platform and encourages the Faithful to support their Parish. Please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/ways-to-give/parish-donations-online/ to donate to your Parish. The Faithful may also contribute through usual channels (e.g., envelopes, and through the Parish online giving option). Together we will navigate through this crisis, provide assistance to those in need, and secure the road ahead for the Parishes within the Diocese of Venice.

 Dispensation

As Bishop Frank J. Dewane continues to listen to public health data and hear from Priests and Parishioners about the experiences at Diocesan Parishes, the dispensation given to attend Sunday Mass has been extended through Nov. 27, 2020, and depending on conditions, perhaps longer. At the same time, Bishop Dewane invites the Catholic Faithful who are able, to return to their Parish for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Please check the Diocese of Venice website for any updates.

Livestreaming

The Diocese of Venice will continue livestreaming the Mass through the Diocese website (www.dioceseofvenice.org) and Facebook pages from the Catholic Center in Venice at 9:15 a.m. daily as the dispensation to attend Mass remains.

Rosary Makers promote devotion to Mary

By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to a certain devotion, with the month of October being dedicated to the Holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions.

Throughout the Diocese of Venice, there are Parish-based rosary maker groups which dedicate their time to ensuring the rosary is available for all.

One of the newest of these groups is based at Our Lady of the Angeles Parish in Lakewood Ranch. Founded in 2019, there are more than a dozen who are active in the rosary makers outreach.

“Our mission is quite simple,” outreach founder Susan Nedeau said. “To promote the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through prayerfully making and teaching others to make cord and bead style rosaries.”

The rosaries are distributed throughout the Parish, the Diocesan Mission Office, various missions in the U.S. and abroad (mostly Africa), charitable organizations, groups that work with incarcerated, nursing homes, and assisted living communities. In just one year, the group has distributed more than 3,000 rosaries.

The global Pandemic did not prove to be much of a challenge for the group, as they developed a system for supplies to be picked up and dropped off, Nedeau explained. They also went from communicating by email to gathering twice a month socially distanced in the Parish parking lot.

“We all brought a chair, our masks and our rosaries,” Nedaeu said. “We would offer special intentions and pray our rosary together and pick up fresh supplies. This was an incredible morale booster especially for our members who live alone… We did not miss a beat!  We even experimented and learned how to make twine-knotted rosaries, the single decade rosary/chaplet and rosary bracelets.”

Throughout October, the rosary maker group has been placing announcements in the Parish bulletin to allow everyone to know about this creative outreach while also encouraging others to join.

While the Our Lady of the Angels Rosary Markers are relatively new to this unique outreach, the group at St. William Parish in Naples has been going strong for 27 years.

In that time, the group has made and distributed nearly 2.5 million rosaries, said Sandy Turner, President of the St. William Rosary Makers. In 2020 alone, more than 50 dedicated rosary makers at St. William have made some 50,000 rosaries. In addition, there are some who make rosaries on occasion while still others who provide support for the overall effort.

The group annually provides rosaries for participants in the annual Diocesan Youth Rally (1,200 for 2020), nursing homes, hospitals, the Universal Living Rosary Society based in Texas, as well as to a group which helps to bring hope for impoverished children in New York City.

“We’re still producing many rosaries during the Pandemic,” Turner said. “The shipping to missionaries overseas stopped, but we are still making them. We don’t meet like we have in the past, but we still do the work. For many, the act of making a rosary is part of a powerful personal devotion to the Blessed Virgin.”

Pope Francis, speaking at the Vatican on Oct. 7, 2020, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, invited “everyone to rediscover, especially during this month of October, the beauty of the prayer of the rosary, which has nourished the faith of the Christian people through the centuries.”

The Holy Father said that the Blessed Virgin Mary has urged the recitation of the rosary in her apparitions, “especially in the face of the threats looming over the world… Even today, in this time of Pandemic, it is necessary to hold the rosary in our hands, praying for us, for our loved ones and for all people.”

The Our Lady of the Angels and St. William Rosary Makers are just two examples of the dedicated people who work tirelessly to ensure, even during a pandemic, that rosaries are made available to all who desire one. Both groups rely on donations for supplies and mailing costs to keep doing their work.

How to help

To support the Rosary Maker groups mentioned in this article, please send your donations to:

Our Lady of the Angels Parish, c/o Rosary Makers, 12905 E. SR 70, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202;

St. William Parish, c/o Rosary Makers, 601 Seagate Drive, Naples, FL 34108.

Letter to Faithful from Bishop Dewane Oct. 16, 2020

Oct. 16, 2020

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On March 19, 2020, as the Covid-19 was beginning its impact in Florida, I dedicated a year to St. Joseph, Protector for the Faithful of the Diocese of Venice. God appointed St. Joseph the Guardian of the Word Incarnate. Hope in the truth that our prayers to St. Joseph during these days will be graciously heard before the throne of God. Like many moments in her History, Holy Mother Church now faces difficult challenges. However, the hard work of many Priests and Faithful alike have allowed our Parishes to weather these trying times with courage and zeal; and for this I am grateful.

Be assured, I continue to listen to public health data and hear from Priests and Parishioners about the experiences of our Parishes. The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass has been extended until Nov. 27, 2020, and depending on conditions, perhaps longer. At the same time, I wish to invite the Catholic Faithful who are able, to return to their Parish for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. How good it would be to see more join their fellow Parishioners who have already returned to Sunday Mass.

It is well known that there are immeasurable spiritual graces imparted when we participate in the Mass. Attending the Eucharist strengthens our Faith and Christian discipleship as the Holy Spirit empowers us to know, love, and serve God. The Blessed Sacrament is also a source of hope and unity for our Parishes, communities, country, and the world. Going forth from the Mass, be confident that you are true witnesses of Christ.

Certainly, Catholics who are ill or because of age or underlying health conditions are vulnerable, and those who care for them, should prudently remain home. Parishes will continue to livestream Masses for those who cannot attend in person.  However, as we have experienced during these days, hunger for the Eucharist is only genuinely satisfied when together as the Body of Christ, we draw close to the Real Presence of Our Lord and Savior.

The invitation to return in person for Sunday Mass is accompanied by the promise that safety protocols will continue. That is, masks are still required, and respect for distancing is needed, as well as cleanliness of hands and surfaces remain important.  Many have worked diligently to allow us to venture out to restaurants, stores, and other public events, so, too, we can safely return to our Parish and do what is most essential to Catholics, attend Sunday Mass.

Jesus promised to be with us when we gather in His name. Therefore, let us cherish the Lord’s Goodness and be fed with the Bread Come Down from Heaven. Please accept this “Pastoral Invitation” and prayerfully consider a return to Sunday Mass if you have not already done so. Your Priests look forward to welcoming you once again at the Table of the Lord.

Through St.  Joseph’s intercession, I pray that God will bless you and your family. Let us remain united in prayer, lifting up each other’s needs to the Heavenly Father.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

+ Frank J. Dewane

Bishop of the Diocese of

Venice in Florida

 

Diocese Respect Life Office partners with Support After Abortion

The Catholic Church’s program for post-abortion healing nationwide is called Project Rachel, named after the Scriptural passage in Jeremiah 31:15-17 – “In Ramah is heard the sound of moaning, of bitter weeping!  Rachel mourns for her children, she refuses to be consoled because her children are no more. Thus says the Lord:  Cease your cries of mourning, wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward…There is hope for your future.”

Support After Abortion is an inter-faith organization with Catholic roots that began in Sarasota County. Project Rachel plans to partner with this international agency. Sharing some of its programs with women and men who contact Project Rachel will enhance their healing journey. Its networking opportunities will help people in need find Project Rachel, and its educational resources will assist in our team development. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with their excellent team!

To take the first step toward healing, reconciliation and peace, we ask you to contact the Diocesan Project Rachel Coordinator, Sylvia Jimenez, at 941-412-5860 (cell) or toll-free 888-456-4673, or project.rachel@dioceseofvenice.org. All contacts are confidential (se hable Español).

Catholic Foundation helps you plan for tomorrow

Even in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, it is important to provide the Faithful of the Diocese of Venice with important information and resources to help plan for both today and tomorrow. As a result, the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida has partnered with many of the Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice to host private, one-hour education sessions. These gatherings will provide participants with the knowledge they need to make critical health, legal and financial decisions for themselves and/or a loved one.

Attendees will obtain information on a wide range of topics, including the following: avoiding guardianship; wills versus trusts; probate; durable power of attorney; beneficiary designations; healthcare surrogates; advanced directives and financial planning

Referrals to Catholic attorneys and financial advisors will be available for those interested who attend the meeting.

Upcoming event dates are:

  • 28, 2020, St. Joseph Parish, 2704 33rd Ave. W., Bradenton;
  • 3, 2020, St. Catherine Parish, 882 Bay St., Sebring;
  • 6, 2020, St. Columbkille Parish, 12171 Iona Road, Fort Myers;
  • 11, 2020, St. Paul Parish, 1208 E. Oak St.

Appointment reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. We understand that these are uncertain times, and if you would like to attend a separate virtual meeting you can schedule an appointment today by calling 941-486-4722 or email at ccf@dioceseofvenice.org.

Confirmation held in outdoor pavilion

Bishop Frank J. Dewane bestowed the Sacrament of Confirmation on a group of more than 90 young men and women on Oct. 17, 2020 at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in Zolfo Springs.

The youth were from St. Michael Parish in Wauchula, San Alfonso Mission in Zolfo Springs and Holy Child Mission in Bowling Green.

The alternate location was used to ensure that not only the youth and their sponsors could attend, but also family members. The facility is also used for the annual celebration of Our Lady of a Guadalupe.

Local golfers excel at regionals

Golfers from the three Diocese of Venice Catholic high schools excelled during the regional tournament on Oct. 19, 2020 at The Eagles Golf Club in Odessa.

The Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School boys’ team from Sarasota took the top spot in the 1A Region 3 tournament, while the Bishop Verot Catholic High School girls’ team from Fort Myers took the girls title. Both teams qualified for the State Championships to be played Nov. 3-4 at Mission Inn Resorts and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills.

Individually, Verot girl’s golfer Talia Rodino took the 1A-3 Region Title, while her freshman teammate Morgan Franklin placed fourth. Both qualified for the State Championship. Verot boy’s golfer Michael Bevins finished third while St. John Neumann Catholic High School golfer Tyler Stamerro finished fourth, both also qualifying for the State Championships.

In the boy’s tournament, Bishop Verot finished fifth and St. John Neumann in Naples finished eighth. The Verot girls’ team was the only Diocesan Catholic high school to qualify for the regional tournament.

News Briefs for week of October 20, 2020

Students learn about growing a garden

How does your garden grow!? Students in grades K-4 at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Naples are participating in the Jr. Master Gardener 4-H program through the University of Florida. As part of the Science curriculum, these virtual classes teach students about plants and gardening and provide hands-on experiences to help expand our STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, mathematics) Program.

Pregnancy Clinic celebrates 500th ultrasound

Community Pregnancy Clinics, Inc. (CPCI), which has Pro-Life facilities in Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Gainesville, announced that the Sarasota office performed its 500th ultrasound on Oct. 8, 2020. The clinic, which opened in 2017, has established its presence as a trusted provider of life-affirming pregnancy and reproductive healthcare in the community. The ultrasound in Sarasota revealed a 14-week-old baby waving hello. CPCI thanks the Knights of Columbus for their generosity in providing Sarasota’s ultrasound machine. This gift has revealed the beating hearts of over 500 babies to their parents. To congratulate the CPCI Sarasota team or to learn more about the good work of CPCI, you can send an email to sarasota@communitypregnancyclinic.com.

40 Hour Adoration

Christ the King Parish, 1900 Meadowood St., Sarasota, is hosting a 40-hour Adoration beginning at 1 p.m., Oct. 25, and ending with a Procession at 6 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27. All are invited to join at any time during these 40 hours of silent Eucharistic Adoration. The devotion is intended as reparation to our Dear Savior for the outrages committed against Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and for the sins of our nation which cry to heaven for vengeance. For more information, please call 941-924-2777 or email office@christthekingsarasota.org.

Outdoor concert to honor veterans

St. Agnes Parish, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples, welcomes all to their annual Veterans Day Concert to be held outdoors on the Parish grounds at 6 p.m., Nov. 18, 2020. Tickets are $30 and seating is limited and will be socially distanced. You also have the option to view the concert online for $15. All proceeds benefit the Parish Catholic Faith Appeal. For tickets, please call 321-209-1381 or 239-677-5347.

Year of Saint Joseph

On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, in the context of the Coronavirus, consecrated the Diocese of Venice to the care and protection of St. Joseph. The Bishop announced a “Year of St. Joseph” beginning March 19, 2020 through March 19, 2021. St. Joseph, often referred to as the Protector, can be our protector during this time of the pandemic. To pray a Novena to St. Joseph please visit the Year of St. Joseph webpage at https://dioceseofvenice.org/a-year-of-st-joseph/.

Prayers and Resources briefs

Parish donations

During this challenging time in the life and mission of the Diocese of Venice, our Parishes face increased risk of financial shortfalls due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and its effects on everyday life. Parishes depend on weekly financial gifts to continue their ministries, especially in this critical time of crisis. The Diocese of Venice is providing an online platform and encourages the Faithful to support their Parish. Please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/ways-to-give/parish-donations-online/ to donate to your Parish. The Faithful may also contribute through usual channels (e.g., envelopes, and through the Parish online giving option). Together we will navigate through this crisis, provide assistance to those in need, and secure the road ahead for the Parishes within the Diocese of Venice.

Dispensation

As Bishop Frank J. Dewane continues to listen to public health data and hear from Priests and Parishioners about the experiences at Diocesan Parishes, the dispensation given to attend Sunday Mass has been extended through Nov. 27, 2020, and depending on conditions, perhaps longer. At the same time, Bishop Dewane invites the Catholic Faithful who are able, to return to their Parish for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Please check the Diocese of Venice website for any updates.

Livestreaming

The Diocese of Venice will continue livestreaming the Mass through the Diocese website (www.dioceseofvenice.org) and Facebook pages from the Catholic Center in Venice at 9:15 a.m. daily as the dispensation to attend Mass remains.

Sunday Televised Mass

The Televised Mass for the Homebound is available throughout the Diocese each Sunday. In northern parts of the Diocese (Manatee, Highlands, Hardee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties) the Mass airs on television at 9:30 a.m. on the CW Network. In the southern portions of the Diocese (Collier, Lee, Glades, Hendry, Charlotte counties) the Mass airs at 10:30 a.m., on WFTX-TV (FOX-4). This same Mass can be found on the Diocese of Venice website at any time during the week, www.dioceseofvenice.org/tvmass. Please check local listings for channel information.

Online Resources

A special coronavirus webpage is located on the Diocese of Venice website at www.dioceseofvenice.org. Resources include links to the Mass, the prayer for an Act of the Spiritual Communion, videos of the Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Pray the Rosary. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, www.usccb.org, also posts the daily Mass readings.

Act of Spiritual Communion

It has long been a Catholic understanding that when circumstances prevent one from receiving Holy Communion, it is possible to make an Act of Spiritual Communion which is a source of grace. Spiritual Communion means uniting one’s self in prayer with Christ’s sacrifice and worshiping Him in His Body and Blood.

The most common reason for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when a person cannot attend Mass, as is the case during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Acts of Spiritual Communion increase our desire to receive sacramental Communion and help us avoid the sins that would make us unable to receive Holy Communion worthily.

For all who will not be able to receive the Holy Eucharist in person, consider this special prayer, an Act of Spiritual Communion:

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,

and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there

and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.

Students share their support forlaw enforcement

“Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God” Mat 5:9

Students at each of the Diocese of Venice Catholic schools recently took part in a special event, Faith and Blue Weekend, a public-private partnership to show law enforcement officers appreciation from Faith communities nationwide, and an effort to build a united community for all.

Letters of appreciation from students were presented to officers and deputies across the Diocese during prayer services and Masses. In addition, other care packages were presented. The notes thanked the deputies and officers “for their service, for keeping everyone safe and for their safety as they put their life on the line for others.”

The Sarasota Police Department received a package of notes from students at St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy. Each of these included the “Police Office Prayer.” The Department posted their thanks along with several images on social media: “THANK YOU to the incredible students & staff at St. Martha (and Mary) Catholic School for the outpouring of cards, notes and treats for National Faith and Blue – Each note is so uplifting to our Officers and Civilians. We can’t thank you enough!”

The two schools also honored the Sarasota County Deputy Sheriff who serves as security at the two schools. Deputy Bauer was treated with a gift package as well as a lawn sign which read: “Honk! Honk! for Deputy Bauer – Faith and Blue.”

Several other Diocesan Catholic schools also held ceremonies honoring local law enforcement.

At St. Ann Catholic School in Naples, officers from the Naples Police Department were invited for Mass on Oct. 9, 2020. Afterwards, students personally handed the officers their letters of support and encouragement.

St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral included a St. Michael the Archangel pin and prayer card with the notes from students in deliveries to members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Cape Coral Police Department. Current and/or retired members of law enforcement who are family members of students at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice were invited to the school for a special presentation.

In addition to Diocesan Catholic school activities, Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice were encouraged to offer special prayer petitions and blessings to law enforcement in attendance at Masses throughout the weekend of Oct. 9-12.

Here are some of the messages written by students to law enforcement officers:

  • “Thank you for helping others and saving people’s lives, for teaching them how to better people.”
  • “Thank you for always taking care of us and keeping us safe… Remember God is always with you and keeping you safe.
  • “Thank you for all you do for us. You risk your life to protect us. You keep us safe and I hope you stay safe.”
  • “You are a hero to our community, and I admire you very much for that.”
  • “You inspire many of us to be more helpful, strong, giving and brave.”
  • “Thank you for your bravery and service to the community!”
  • “There are 6,500 spoken languages today so… there are 6,500 different ways to say thank you. Thank you, 6,500 times, for risking your life every day to keep us safe. Thank you, 6,500 times, for catching the people who may not keep us as safe as you do.”
  • “Each day you go to work not knowing if you will return to your family and friends. Even during these crazy times, your sacrifice to this country is what will make us prevail as a unified country. As a son of a police officer I would like to thank you for your service to this country and community.”
  • “Thank you for protecting us even during this tough time. I really appreciate all the things you have done to protecting your community.”
  • “Thank you for standing by our side and I hope you are safe and to know that God is always next to you. Stay Blessed!”
  • “I know that you put your life on the line for our protection and I want to thank you for that.”
  • “The world needs more people like you, so thank you!”
  • “Thank you for keeping our community safe, we give you thanks for everything you do for us, some of you may not be treated well, but still thank you. LOVE POLICE!”