Bob Reddy, Author at Diocese of Venice

News Briefs for the Week of March 19, 2021

Posted on March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 by Bob Reddy

Bishop celebrates Mass at Donahue Academy

Bishop Frank J. Dewane continued celebrating Mass for students in Diocese of Venice Catholic schools with the latest stop on March 16, 2021, at the Donahue Academy of Ave Maria. During these Masses, Bishop Dewane stressed how the Lenten Season is a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Faith.

Religious education group makes lunches for homeless

The St. Martha Parish religious education program and service club in Sarasota took part in a “It takes and village – Made with love,” project on March 9, 2021 to make bag lunches for the homeless in the area.

Each bag included a colored drawing and inspirational message, as well as a sticker that read: “Made with love & care by the St. Martha Service Club.”

Divine Mercy Sunday Prayer Service

On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11, 2021, everyone is invited to participate in a Prayer Service for Forgiveness and Healing from Pregnancy Loss. The service will take place from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice, and will be available for viewing online at www.facebook.com/DioceseofVenice. Contact Sylvia at 941-412-5860 or project.rachel@dioceseofvenice.org for any questions.

Divine Mercy Sunday in Naples

Come to the Feast of Divine Mercy as St. William Parish, 601 Seagate Drive, Naples, celebrates with a special service from 2:15-3:30 p.m., Divine Mercy Sunday, April 11. The service will start with the rosary, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, chanting of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a reflection on Divine Mercy followed by Benediction. All are welcomed. For information, please contact Fred or Barb Goduti at 239-261-4810

Parent cyber security event in April

The Diocese of Venice Offices of Family Life and Religious Education are hosting a free parent event “Protecting God’s Children Online in a Hyper Digital Age.” Cyber security expert Liz Repking will cover keeping kids safe from cyber bullying, online predators, sexting, online gaming, and how to help children create an escape plan when trouble arises. Two opportunities to attend: April 14, 2021 at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 1301 Center Road, Venice, and April 15 at St. Francis Xavier Parish, 2057 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers. Both presentations are from 6:30-8 p.m. There is no cost. Registration is required for planning purposes by April 10 at

https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/protecting-gods-children-online-in-a-hyper-digital-age.

Marriage prep retreat for couples over 55 in April

The Diocese Office of Family life is hosting a one-day sacramental marriage preparation retreat for those couples over 55 years of age preparing for marriage or convalidation from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., April 24 Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, 1301 Center Road, Venice. Lunch is included. Preregistration is required at https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/two-become-one. The program builds an appreciation for the joy of sacramental marriage while offering insight and tools to address the unique challenges and responsibilities.

Shifting from Condemnation to Compassion

Do you know someone who has had an abortion? Chances are they don’t know where to go for help. Have you ever heard someone condemning a person for having an abortion? The Church does not condemn them; we welcome them and want to help them with compassion and healing that will change their lives. In our diocese, Project Rachel, the Church’s healing after abortion outreach, is partnering with Support After Abortion, a new worldwide networking organization that sees healing as a necessary part of ending the demand for abortion. Change the way you see Pro-Life. Go to https://supportafterabortion.com/shifting-from-condemnation-to-compassion/ to read an article that will give you a new perspective. Questions? Contact Sylvia at 941-412-5860 or project.rachel@dioceseofvenice.org.

Couple celebrate nearly 15,000 years of marriage

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

The gathering of married couples for a Mass is a time of celebration and reflection.

The celebration of their achievement of commitment and living out the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony came in the form of the annual Diocesan Masses honoring couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries. The time for reflection came afterwards when the massive number of years the combined couples have been married was announced: 14,747.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane presided over the second pair of Diocesan Anniversary Masses on March 6, 2021 at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs noting that the event is a favorite, one he looks forward to each year.

“The view from my position is inspiring to me and to others who are in awe of the accomplishment you have achieved,” Bishop Dewane said. “You are living examples of the graces of love, fidelity, kindness and fruitfulness bestowed upon you by Christ. I honor you, and the Church honors you as witnesses to a beautiful vocation which younger generations see and admire.”

Some 170 couples attended the two at Masses at St. Leo the Great. The longest married couple present was Vincent and Teresa Principe of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples. On May 13, 2021, they will celebrate 70 years together.

Paul and Mary Schmidt of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples have been married 50 years and were impressed to see other couples married much longer. “I thought we reached a big milestone,” Mary Schmidt laughed. “We have some work to do to get to that many years, but I think we have a chance.”

That chance is because the couple works daily to keep their marriage strong. They have four children and four grandchildren who look up to them for guidance regarding many things, with marriage being one.

“We have overcome our struggles through our faith in the Lord and our trust in each other,” Paul Schmidt said. “Without those, you don’t stand a chance.”

Masses are celebrated each year in the northern and southern sections of the Diocese of Venice so as to accommodate those wanting to attend. In 2021, extra Mass were scheduled to allow for social distancing due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first two Masses were celebrated Feb. 6 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice.

During the Mass, the married couples renewed their wedding vows. In addition, each couple was presented with commemorative certificates, signed by the Bishop, for their enduring commitment to marriage.

A reception followed the Mass with lunch and the opportunity to have complimentary pictures taken with the Bishop in the Parish Hall.

Students encouraged to sacrifice during Lent

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

In order to sit at the table of the Lord, we must all make sacrifices.

“The challenge is to do what Christ asks,” Bishop Frank J. Dewane told students during a number of Lenten Masses he celebrated at schools throughout the Diocese of Venice in early March. “We need to take seriously our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving, following the example of Christ.”

Just as Christ served as our Savior, so must we all go out and serve our brothers and sisters in need. “It is the Lord who asks you to respond to this call,” Bishop Dewane continued. “It is not always easy, but this is a time of sacrifice, and Lent is the perfect opportunity to respond and live out that call to serve others as Children of God. Can you do that?” The students at each Mass gave a resounding: “Yes!”

Each Lent, Bishop Dewane takes the time to celebrate Mass at as many Diocesan Catholic schools as possible. The goal is not only to highlight the importance of the Lenten Season, but to also show support for the students and schools as they continue through their academic year.

After each Mass for elementary schools, the Bishop met privately with the eighth graders. First encouraging the group to continue their education at a Diocesan Catholic high school, and then Bishop Dewane also fields any and all questions from the students.

The Bishop celebrated Masses for students at St. John Neumann Catholic High School and St. Ann Catholic School in Naples on March 3, 2021; for St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Naples on March 4; and then for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte on March 5. Additional Masses will take place later in March.

Diocese-wide Opportunity for Sacrament of Reconciliation late March

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

Confessionals will open for extended hours throughout the Diocese of Venice in late March to allow everyone ample opportunity to receive God’s Mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

In consultation with the Diocesan Presbyteral Council, Bishop Frank J. Dewane has designated the following days and times for Confession at EACH Parish: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, March 26, 2021, and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, March 27.

This Diocesan-wide opportunity for Confession has been made available each Lent since 2012. These times are offered in addition to already scheduled Parish Confession times or planned Penance Services.

The precept of confessing grave sins and receiving Holy Communion at least once during the Lenten Season merits a reminder to all to take advantage of this opportunity.

Pope Francis often speaks about the healing benefits of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, saying that he goes about once every two weeks. “When I go to confession,” the Holy Father added,” it is in order to be healed, to heal my soul, to heal my heart and to be healed of some wrongdoing.”

The Pope also reminds us no one is free from sin and that feeling a little “ashamed before God is a grace… Going to confession is going to an encounter with the Lord who forgives us, who loves us and our shame is what we offer him… When one is in line to go to Confession, one feels all these things, even shame, but then when one finishes Confession one leaves free… forgiven, happy. This is the beauty of Confession! Jesus is there…and He receives you with so much love!”

As the Catechism teaches, the priest is acting in Persona Christi (in the person of Christ), within the confessional. So, like presenting oneself at the altar to be nourished by Christ in the Eucharist, a person going to Confession, is not ultimately confessing to a priest, but confessing to and receiving forgiveness from Jesus Christ.

It was Christ who desired that the faithful “receive forgiveness by means of the ministers of the community,” Pope Francis continued. And it is Christ “who gives this power.”

The Pope notes, through the presence and words of a priest, penitents have “the certainty of forgiveness in the name of the Church…this is having the surety that God forgives us always. He never tires of forgiving us and we must never tire of going to ask for forgiveness.”

Reconciliation in Schools

For the same reasons, Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools have been setting aside time to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation available for students.

For example, at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, the student, faculty and staff participated in a Lenten Penance Service on Feb. 23. Many of the students took advantage of the opportunity to go to confession with one of the several priests present.

Three priests were available to hear confessions from second and third graders March 4 at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral. In addition, numerous students from St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy in Sarasota received the Sacrament for the first time on March 7.

Ministry of Acolyte conferred on seminarian

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

Diocese of Venice Seminarian Daniel Scanlan, who is studying for the priesthood at Pontifical North American College in Rome, was among 32 men conferred to the Ministry of Acolyte on March 7, 2021.

As an Acolyte, Scanlan is now charged with assisting at the celebration of the Eucharist, purifying the sacred vessels and when needed to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.

The principal celebrant for the Mass was Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patron Wong, Secretary for Seminaries at the Congregation for Clergy. The ceremony took place in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College.

Archbishop Wong addressed those to be instituted Acolytes, urging them to “learn all matters pertaining to divine worship and seek to grasp their significance.”

The Archbishop then exhorted them to live out a ‘three-fold zeal’ patterned on the zeal for the Father’s house that consumed Jesus in the Gospel reading of the day. The first zeal is for Jesus himself, who,” as the Archbishop pointed out, “is himself the temple.”

We must have a “personal relationship with the temple, because the temple is a person. Therefore, we can love the temple because we have intimacy with Jesus. We should become like the temple in every way: we conform ourselves to Christ so that we talk like Him, listen like Him, love like Him.”

As part of the Rite, the Archbishop placed the paten, which contains the hosts for the celebration of Mass, in the hands of each candidate. He then said, “take this vessel with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.”

Scanlan, currently in his second year of formation at the North American College, has two additional years of theological studies before being eligible to be ordained a priest.

The liturgical celebration utilized standard precautions during the liturgy for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Lady Cougars have historic season

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

The Cardinal Money Catholic High School Lady Cougars basketball team fell short of their goal of winning a State Championship, but they ended an historic season with their heads held high.

The Lady Cougars fell to Miami Country Day 59-34 in the March 5, 2021 State Class 3A Final at RP Funding Center in Lakeland. The team struggled offensively and fell behind early against a team which is ranked nationally and claimed their seventh state title in eight years.

This was the deepest run for the Lady Cougars whose previous trip to the State Final Four was in 1997. There are no seniors on the 9-player roster, so the future looks bright for the team which finished its season 20-9.

The Sarasota team won the Class 3A Semifinal over The Master’s Academy of Oviedo (47-32) on Feb. 24 in Lakeland and expected to play the State Final on Feb. 26. That game was postponed a week, rescheduled to the morning of March 5 when a smothering defense and poor shooting ended their hopes of victory.

Sophomores Jordyn Byrd and Olivia Davis, who had been the foundation for the team all season, were showcased in the final with Byrd scoring nine points and collecting 14 rebounds, and Davis scoring six points.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Coach Rico Antonio and each player expressed their heartbreak at the loss but refocused on the potential the team has moving forward.

If social media comments are any measure, the Lady Cougars returned to their school community as inspirations to others for representing Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School.

The day before the game, School Chaplain Father Eric Scanlan gave the girls a pre-game blessing and marked each with a cross on the back of their hand.

News Briefs for the week of March 12, 2021

Posted on March 10, 2021March 10, 2021 by Bob Reddy

“A Seminarian Story” eighth installment available

The Diocese of Venice in Florida Office of Vocations launched a video series titled, “A Seminarian Story,” to celebrate the 16 Seminarians currently in formation for the Diocese. The first eight videos have been released and more will follow approximately every few weeks. The most recent video is about Seminarian Carlos Rodriguez who is in formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and is currently serving a Pastoral Year at Sacred Heart Parish in Bradenton.

Developed with the assistance of the Diocese Communications Department, the goal of the series is to inspire others to follow in the path to the priesthood or religious life, as well as encourage the faithful to continue to support the seminarians as they continue their formation process at different seminaries. “A Seminarian Story” featuring Carlos Rodriguez can be found at https://vimeo.com/521110630.

Solidarity with seafarers as key essential workers

Each year, the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking (CCOAHT) launches a Campaign that begins during Lent to raise Catholic awareness of forced labor in the fishing industry. This year, due to the global pandemic, a new humanitarian crisis has emerged that is severely impacting all men and women who work at sea. Thus in 2021, CCOAHT – together with Stella Maris and the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America (AOS-USA) – are urging Catholics and all people of good will to pay witness to the life of the seafarer and to leverage their voices as community members and consumers to uplift the safety and wellbeing of one of the world’s most invisible group of essential workers.

Feast of St. Joseph Mass in Venice

On the Feast of Saint Joseph, a Mass in Italian will be celebrated by Bishop Frank Dewane at 12:30 p.m., March 19, 2021 at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. The Italian American Club of Venice is providing the bread for the St. Joseph Table. The bread will be blessed following Mass and all items will be individually wrapped. All are welcome to attend following social distancing and mask requirement protocols.

Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday Televised Mass

The Diocese of Venice in Florida will air the televised Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday Masses, each for a full hour. The Masses can be viewed at 9:00 a.m. on the CW Network in Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto, Charlotte, Hardee and Highland counties, and at 10:30 a.m. on FOX4 in Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades and Desoto counties. The Mass is also available on the Diocese of Venice website at www.dioceseofvenice.org/tvmass.

Divine Mercy Novena

The Divine Mercy Novena begins on Good Friday, April 2, 2021 and concludes Saturday, April 10. In private revelations to St. Faustina, Jesus asked that the Feast of Divine Mercy be preceded by a novena praying for nine intentions with the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It is particularly appropriate for anyone who has been touched by abortion or is nearing death. The novena can be accessed online at www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/novena.php. For more details, contact Sylvia at 941-412-5860 or project.rachel@dioceseofvenice.org.

2021 Marriage Preparation Retreats

The Diocesan Office of Family Life is offering “Day of Reflection” retreats for couples preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage. A specially prepared volunteer team of married couples and a priest will share their experiences and information with the intention of enabling couples to be more aware of the privileges and responsibilities of marriage. The retreats in English are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the following Saturdays: April 17, August 7, and November 13. Retreats in Spanish are at the same time and will be the following Saturdays: March 6, August 7, and October 30. Please visit https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/marriage-preparation-retreat-2021 to register for the English retreats. To sign up for the retreat in Spanish, please contact St. Jude Parish in Sarasota at 941-955-3934. For more information or to inquire about a virtual option contact Carrie Harkey at 941-484-9543 ext. 3019.

Faith and Wine Lee County

The next gathering of Faith and Wine Lee County will be a virtual Zoom event beginning at 7 p.m., March 18, 2021. The speaker is Cy Kellett, the host of Catholic Answers Live, who will present “Whatever Happened to the Modern World?” Advanced registration is required by visiting https://faithandwineleecounty.com.

Easter Triduum Retreat at OLPH

The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat and Spirituality Center in Venice continues to offer single days of prayer and overnight retreats in a safe, tranquil setting along the Myakka River. The Easter Triduum retreat begins with supper on Holy Thursday (April 1, 2021) and ends with breakfast on Easter Sunday (April 4). The liturgies of the Lord’s Supper, Way of the Cross, Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion, Easter Vigil, and Sunrise Easter Liturgy are celebrated. Confessions are available. For more info or to register, call Denise Riley at 941-486 0233, ext. 3004, or visit www.olph-retreat.org and click on “Schedule of Events.”

Hundreds prepare to become Catholic

Posted on March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 by Bob Reddy

The 2021 numbers of catechumens and candidates presented for the annual Rite of Election was 316. That is great news following a year filled with much uncertainty.

The temporary shuttering of churches for public Mass and ongoing health and safety concerns about meetings or classes could have dramatically impacted those seeking to enter the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).

This year’s numbers are only down about 10 percent from 2020. This is a great accomplishment considering the challenges which needed to be overcome. The largest group was from Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers and included 51 catechumens and 13 candidates.

“This was actually a great time to have RCIA because people who were part of the pandemic had a reason to question their Faith,” explained Anne Chrzan, the Diocese of Venice Director of Religious of Education who oversees the implementation of RCIA programs. “Our Church gave them a place and a reason to believe and have hope!”

The 316 catechumens and candidates, representing 40 different Parishes, were recognized during the annual Rite of Election presided over by Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

Details of the Rite of Election were adapted this year to comply with social distancing requirements necessitated by the Pandemic. There were four Deanery-based celebrations, the first on Feb. 21, 2021 at Epiphany Cathedral for the Northern Deanery, and later the same day at St. Catherine Parish in Sebring for the Eastern Deanery. On Feb. 28, additional Rites took place at Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers for the Central Deanery, and then at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples for the Southern Deanery.

Bishop Dewane recognized the catechumens and candidates for their responding to a particular call from the Lord. “In a world full of indifference, you come forward as a faith-filled person. It marks you. You take a further step to integrate yourselves into the community of faith and worship here in the Diocese of Venice… I am humbled by all of you: by the individual who chooses God; by one who chooses their Faith; by what it is you set out to do; by the determination you have; by the sacrifices you made.”

This response to the Lord does not end at the Easter Vigil (April 4), the Bishop continued, but that response must continue to “change who you are as men and women of God.”

“Mother church is pleased that you come here today to ratify the ‘Yes!’ you have already given to follow the Lord, a ‘Yes!” to Jesus,” Bishop Dewane added. “Once that ‘Yes!’ is said then the true conversion must set about to happen. That is the next step. Do this and know it is my prayer that you will allow the love of God to inspire you throughout your life in the many good things that you do. Let it be that love of God that graces you.”

Chrzan added that the Pandemic created some challenges in RCIA program with some using online teaching options, but those were rare exceptions

“I had one DRE who was skeptical about moving forward during the pandemic, but I asked her to see what Jesus says about that and she had an entire family approach her the following week,” Chrzan explained. “Because she took it to prayer, God gave her a family to bring into the Church!”

The Rite of Election also is called the enrollment of names, because each catechumen writes his or her name in the Book of the Elect. When the catechumens from each Parish were called forward, a sheet with the signed names was presented to the Bishop. Instead of shaking hands with each catechumen, as was done in past years, this year Bishop Dewane welcomed them with a respectful bow.

Catechumens are the unbaptized and unchurched who inquire about becoming part of the Roman Catholic Faith. Many times, catechumens are those who have begun to seek and understand God in their lives and have been led by the Holy Spirit to become Catholic. RCIA is a journey of discovery and Faith. Children and teens ages 7 to 17 participate in similar groups geared to their own age ranges.

After completing the Rite of Election, the catechumens continue their spiritual formation throughout the remainder of Lent, a period of purification and enlightenment – the final, intense preparation for the reception at the Easter Vigil of the Sacrament of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.

For candidates, those who have been baptized with a Trinitarian formula, the Catholic Church does not require re-Baptism. Candidates have already experienced a journey of Faith. 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 or Sacrament of Reconciliation. They participate in appropriate religious education classes, often with the catechumens, and will receive the necessary Sacraments at the Easter Vigil.

Everyone is encouraged to pray for and welcome the catechumens and candidates at their own Parish and within the Diocese as they continue their journey of discovery in their Faith.

Free resources offered on Safe Haven Sunday

Posted on March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 by Bob Reddy

The Diocese of Venice is setting aside the weekend of March 7, 2021 as Safe Haven Sunday in order to give focused time and resources to address the harmful effects of pornography on youth, marriages, and families. Resources to protect individuals, marriages and families will be offered.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane designated Safe Haven Sunday knowing that pornography is one of the leading causes of addictions, abuse, adultery, divorce, and even human trafficking: it is, in short, a pervasive evil inflicting grave wounds on our families.

“This day of awareness will provide the opportunity for the Diocese to directly address the problem of pornography in marriages, families, and in our culture,” Bishop Dewane said. “Within the context of the Mass, parishes will provide teaching and resources that will support and protect individuals, marriages, and families in making all homes a Safe Haven.”

In addition, each household attending Mass the weekend of March 6-7 will receive a copy of the book, “Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture.” This book includes a unique seven-day text-to-opt-in program: The Safe Digital Family Challenge. This Challenge provides practical tips any caring adult can take to create safer digital environments for themselves and their children.

The content for Safe Haven Sunday was created by Covenant Eyes, a company that provides internet accountability software. Their goal is to equip people with tools that offer protection online and encourage accountability and trust in the fight against temptation.

Safe Haven Sunday was developed in direct response to the 2015 statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “Create In Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.” The document states: “The use of pornography by anyone in the home deprives the home of its role as a safe haven and has negative effects throughout a family’s life and across generations.”

The USCCB statement discusses Church teaching on sexuality, the human person and chastity and explains why pornography is sinful and harmful. It also covers the effects of pornography on the culture and individuals.

“The Church’s teaching on the harm and sinfulness of pornography is grounded in the greater ‘yes’ or affirmation of the inviolable dignity of the human person revealed fully in Christ and the gift of human sexuality and marriage in God’s plan,” the Bishops wrote.

The statement encourages parents to be cautious about media in the home. “Be vigilant about the technology you allow into your home and be sensitive to the prevalence of sexual content in even mainstream television and film and the ease by which it comes through the internet and mobile devices,” the Bishops wrote.

To aide Parishes in their preparation for educating the faithful about the importance of Safe Haven Sunday, the Diocesan Office of Family Life hosted a series of presentations for Diocesan Priests, Deacons, and lay leaders between Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2021.

For more information about the issue of pornography and its impact on the family, please visit https://cleanheart.online/diocese-venice-0. This is a customized page specific to the Diocese of Venice which contains resources for parents, educators, clergy, those who struggle etc., and all content is in line with Catholic Teaching.

For questions about Safe Haven Sunday, please contact, Carrie Harkey, Diocesan Coordinator of Family Life, at harkey@dioceseofvenice.org or 941-484-9543.

Safe Haven Sunday

Some key facts about pornography:

More than 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites;
The porn industry’s annual revenue is more than the NFL, NBA and MLB combined. It is also more than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC;
Some 47 percent of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home.
Pornography use increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300 percent;
The average age that a child is first exposed to porn is 11, and 94 percent of children will see porn by the age of 14;
Some 56 percent of American divorces involve one party having an “obsessive interest” in pornographic websites.

Youth Festival mixes fun with faith

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Bob Reddy

Several times each year there are opportunities for the youth of St. Michael Parish in Wauchula to have fun while at the same time growing closer to the Lord.

The latest Youth Festival brought a group of about 40 together on Feb. 27, 2021 with a variety of activities including talks, guided meditation, praying the rosary and the availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The day culminated with Holy Mass.

The religious women who serve the Parish, Servant Sisters of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara, guided the youth through the day, serving as an example by their presence but also joining in the fun and games.

One sister showed off a skill by performing an Irish dance for the group. During lunch sisters spread out and sat with the teens, sharing stories and enjoying the meal together.

Acclaimed speaker Gregory Stearns gave two talks focusing on the impact of lying and the impact it has on the individual as well as on others and society as a whole. Stearns first asked the teens to give examples when it is ok to lie, and later explained the impact that has in every aspect of their life as well as their relationship with God.

“When we lie, all we are trying to do is put forward a version of ourselves that is not real,” Stearns said. “The version of ourselves we put out there is done to make us feel better and so others will like us. The version of ourselves is not who God created.”

When he asked the group if after the talk they would keep lying, one young lady explained that she probably would, but would try hard not to.

This was the answer Stearns wanted to hear. “It is hard to try to be perfect and live up to the lofty expectations that the Lord has for us. Jesus knows we are not perfect, but He wants us to keep trying to improve and that is how we must strive to live our lives. It takes work, but as we take this path, we always have Jesus by our side.”

One of the boys who participated in the day said he likes participating in the events at St. Michael because it is a change from his usual weekend day of playing video games, watching TV shows or even finding ways to get into trouble with his friends.

“Every time the sisters have a festival, you know you are going to have fun,” he explained. And then with a big grin, he added. “Having the quiet time (in prayer and at Mass) is also good, because you can never pray too much.”

Sister Gema Ruiz, Director of Religious Education at St. Michael, explained that the Youth Festival was a huge success because each teen present wanted to be there. Some Parish events are required as part of sacramental preparation, but the recent festival was just for the teens to get together with no added pressure or expectations. “It is a good day. It shows in how they are reacting to each activity. They are having fun and they are learning that Jesus loves them.”