The Mustard Seed
Here you can find news & events in the Diocese of Venice area.
All Current News in the Diocese
- Sarasota Red Mass Oct. 24
Red Mass celebrating 10 years: Free to Worship Without Fear: The First Amendment guarantees it Evelyn L. Moya, Esq. (Special to the Florida Catholic) 10/12/18 Since the first Red Mass in the Diocese of Venice was held in Sarasota at St. Martha Church on March 14, 2008; more questions have arisen ... read more - Domestic Justice Chairman Welcomes End to Death Penalty in Washington State
WASHINGTON—Following the Washington Supreme Court's ruling striking down the state death penalty statute, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, welcomed the decision and reiterated the Church's call to end the death penalty. The full statement of Bishop Dewane follows: "The Washington Supreme Court is to ... read more - President of U.S. Bishops Conference and Chairman of USCCB Domestic Justice Committee Issue Statements on Hurricane MichaelROME—Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has issued the following statement on the devastating impact of Hurricane Michael from the Florida Panhandle to Virginia. Full statement of Cardinal DiNardo follows: "In the wake of two powerful hurricanes, people ... read more
- Special sessions enhance Respect Life Conference
Punta Gorda | Two key groups received special attention during the 2018 Statewide Florida Respect Life Conference held at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda Sept. 29. A second site was needed to accommodate the youth of the Diocese, while a parallel workshop to the main ... read more - U.S. Church celebrates World Mission Sunday Oct. 21
VENICE | Some years ago, I accompanied a parish group from Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish in Bradenton to an art museum in Fort Lauderdale for the exhibit “St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes.” We saw hundreds of objects from the earliest centuries of ... read more - Counseling the bereaved takes patience, time
Sarasota | A recent training seminar focused on helping educate parish volunteers who assist those suffering from bereavement. Deacon Henry deMena, who holds a master’s degree in counseling with extensive training and experience in bereavement, led the two-day workshop at St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota with the goal of ... read more - Stewardship is seen as a response to faith
Fort Myers | Representatives from Parishes across the Diocese of Venice gathered in Fort Myers for Stewardship Day to focus on the best practices of sharing the principles of ownership, responsibility, accountability and the rewards of adopting stewardship as a way of life. An outreach of the Diocese Office of ... read more - Students encouraged to think about their vocation
Sarasota | In life, everyone has a vocation, whether it is to the priesthood, religious life, marriage, parent, or the single life. Keeping one’s heart and mind open to that call of the Lord and understanding that message is key to a proper discernment, which may lead some on the ... read more - Leadership program inspires Neumann students
Naples | When Sister Patricia Roche, Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, first told the student body about the House Program (a modified form of student government), many of us knew in our hearts it would be a success. From that first discussion, it was clear that the goal was ... read more - Scouts learn about Ten Commandments
Venice | When you are member of the Scouts, you go on hikes to learn various lessons in wayfinding, survival and ecology. Along the shores of the Myakka River in Venice Sept 15, Scouts from across the Diocese Venice combined their traditional hike with a strong religious twist. They learned ... read more - Couple copes with loss the Delaney way
BRADENTON | There was something special about a married couple who attended the Diocese of Venice Religious Freedom Film Festival in Sarasota during the summer; maybe it was the way they introduced themselves. “Our faith is everything to us,” said Chuck Delaney, who said those words with sheer conviction, leading ... read more - Palmetto parish celebrates special Feast Day
Palmetto | Sept. 14 was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a day with special meaning for the faithful of Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto. A bilingual Mass and celebration were held which brought together the diverse faith community. “Our Parish bears the name of the symbol ... read more - Opponent’s injury inspires team’s compassion
Fort Myers | When high school football teams play in the state of Florida, it is serious business and injuries are common; it is the nature of a sport in which the players slam into each other with great force. During the Sept. 7 game between Bishop Verot Catholic High ... read more - Faithful reach out to migrant workers
Clewiston | José Garcia (whose name was changed to protect his family) has simple goals in life: to care for his family and to be sure they are safe and stay together. These aspirations are the same for which all families hope. But for a migrant farmworker toiling 60 hours ... read more - Catholic leaders oppose administration’s plan to limit green cards
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Catholic leaders are speaking out against a Trump administration proposed rule announced Sept. 22 that would deny green cards to legal immigrants using public assistance. The 447-page proposal called, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds,” is published on the Department of Homeland Security’s website. A news release announcing ... read more - Bishop urges Congress to finish work on opioid legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The opioid addiction crisis in the United States is too big to allow Congress to let politics derail passage of a bill to fight opioid abuse, according to Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida. “As the midterm elections and the end of the year approach, it ... read more - Statement in Response to Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Immigrants and Public BenefitsWASHINGTON--On September 22, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that dramatically alters certain longstanding government policies related to legal immigrants' access to essential safety net programs. Bishop Joe Vasquez, Chair of the Committee on Migration and Bishop of Austin, Texas, together with Bishop Frank ... read more
- Domestic Justice Chairman Encourages Congressional Efforts to Address the Opioid CrisisWASHINGTON—As Congress considers a bipartisan bill that addresses several aspects of the opioid crisis, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, applauded Congressional efforts to address the crisis and encouraged lawmakers not to allow politics to delay their work.Bishop ... read more
- Bishop Dewane expects best from Catholic school students
Cape Coral | During the first month of the 2018-2019 academic year Bishop Frank J. Dewane has been celebrating the Mass for the students at each of the 15 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Venice. The theme for the Masses has been to encourage the students to heed the ... read more - Diocese of Venice group prepares for V Encuentro national gathering
Fort myers | The Diocese of Venice is sending a delegation of 20 people to the Sept. 20-23 V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry in Grapevine, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth. This National Encuentro gathering is a key moment in the multiyear outreach initiated by the U.S. Conference of ... read more