Diocese of Venice Catholic School students have been given an assignment by Bishop Frank J. Dewane: to be young men and women of prayer.
It is during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Diocesan Catholic schools when Bishop Dewane offers his encouragement to the students, explaining, “It is Jesus who calls you to be young men and women of prayer, not just me. The Lord wants us to communicate with Him. You and I communicate with Jesus Christ through prayer. I don’t ask of you something I don’t think you can do. Are you able to be young men and women of prayer? Can you do that this year?”
An echo of “Yes!!!” was the enthusiastic response at each school.
Explaining why he thought prayer was so important, the Bishop said that each time Jesus made important decisions, He went and prayed to God, His Father. Each of us needs to take the time to reach out to the Lord and to be a person of prayer. When asked by how often one should pray, Jesus always responded: “Pray always.” Words all should live by, the Bishop added.
“Right before Jesus was going to die, He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He knew what was going to happen, He prayed for the assistance from God, to have the grace, the strength and the courage to endure. He received that strength by talking to God, the Father,” Bishop Dewane explained.
“You will find these things also when reaching out to the Lord in prayer. Don’t leave it to somebody else to pray. Do it in the morning, the evening, before meals, before bed. Most importantly, come to Mass each Sunday, because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest prayer the Universal Church has to offer,” the Bishop concluded.
Following each primary school Mass, the Bishop speaks with the eighth graders, encouraging them to be the leaders of their respective schools and also promoting their attendance to a local Diocesan Catholic high school next year. Bishop Dewane also fields questions from the students before having a group picture taken.
Each academic year, Bishop Dewane celebrates Mass at each of the 15 Diocesan Catholic Schools as often as his schedule allows, usually in the fall and again during Lent. The initial Masses this year were at St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy on Oct. 23, 2024, on Oct. 28 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers and St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, then on Oct. 30 in Naples at St. Ann Catholic School and St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School. Additional Masses are scheduled through December.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on Oct. 29, 2024, at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice. The Order is entrusted with the mission to serve as witnesses to the Christian faith, and as supporters and protectors of the Church and the living Christian communities in the Holy Land. Bishop Dewane praised their commitment to the people of the Holy Land, which is needed now more than ever as war continues in the region. The annual Mass is celebrated as close as is possible to Oct. 25, the Feast of Our Lady of Palestine, the Order’s Patroness.
In addition, Milton’s water reached the rectory. While the water did not reach the flooring, it did damage the garage and crawlspace where various utilities were located.
Working under the direction of staff from the Diocese of Venice Buildings and Construction Office, contractors have removed all the debris from the church, preschool and rectory as part of the mitigation work. How best to proceed with the reconstruction of each building will be determined in the coming days and weeks.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane was among the featured speakers who described how the wording of Amendment 4 uses misleading language and if passed, the new law would be an immediate danger not only to full-term babies but also to mothers and girls.
A beer tent, food, music and lots of fun was had during the Oktoberfest celebration at San Pedro Parish in Nort Port on Oct. 18 and 19, 2024. There were games for children, raffles, and lots of food options for people of all ages.
On Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, the Diocese of Venice will hold a Catholic Mass in honor of the men and women who have served our country and continue to serve and protect us today. This is the 15th year the Diocese has held a Mass on Veterans Day. The opening ceremonies begin at 2:45 p.m., with the Mass at 3:00 p.m. in the Amphitheater at the Sarasota National Cemetery, 9810 State Road 72/Clark Road, approximately five miles east of I-75. The priests, deacons and Knights of Columbus in the Diocese will join in the celebration of the Mass. All are invited to attend, and active military personnel are asked to wear their uniform. Attendees are also encouraged to wear sunscreen and bring a hat. There is ample seating and parking at the cemetery. For further information please contact Gail Ardy at 
As soon as it was safe to do so, teams from the Diocese of Venice Office of Buildings and Construction, along with officials from each Parish and Diocesan Catholic school, were out making initial assessments of the damage. Bishop Dewane was in contact with priests, religious and Diocesan staff to ensure all were accounted for, and safe.
