Catholic Charities Summertime Appeal continues
Every day, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., serves the most vulnerable population in the 10 counties that constitute the Diocese of Venice by feeding, housing, empowering, and helping all in need. This summer, you can be the one that makes a difference. Your acts of kindness have the power to transform lives and leave a positive impact in our community. The Catholic Charities “Summertime and the Giving is Easy” Appeal is asking for your support. Any gift will make a positive impact on our less fortunate brothers and sisters! To donate to Summertime and the Giving is Easy Campaign, please visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org or mail a check to Catholic Charities, “Summertime and the Giving is Easy,” 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285.
Monthly Days of Prayer at OLPH
The Monthly Days of Prayer at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center resume in September. Father Mark Yavarone, OMV, will be the presenter on Sept. 8, 2024, and Sept. 11. The topic is “Catholic Principles and Voting.” The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with continental breakfast, and includes two conferences, lunch, Eucharistic Adoration, and opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, private meditation, and prayer. The day concludes with Mass that ends at 3:15 p.m. The topic is the same for both dates, so choose the day that works best for your schedule. OLPH is located at 3989 S. Moon Drive, Venice. To register, please visit:// https://olph-retreat.org/monthly-day-of-prayer.
Evangelization Training in September
Would you like to know what authentic, non-confrontational, joyful evangelization looks and sounds like? If so, be sure to attend the upcoming workshop with St. Paul Street Evangelization Vice President Adam Janke from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 28, 2024, at Church of the Resurrection Parish, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers. Mass will be offered at 8 am in the Parish Chapel. There will also be an optional “Live Lab” experience from 4 p.m.- 5 p.m., giving participants the chance to put into practice what they have just learned. Saint Paul Street Evangelization is a non-profit, grassroots organization that has mobilized thousands of ordinary Catholics to take the Gospel to the public square and be instruments of God in the salvation of souls. The one-day Basic Evangelization Training with SPSE is open to all adult parishioners from any Catholic parish. Registration is $25 and includes light breakfast, lunch and all training materials. Please register at http://stpaulse.com/venice.
A Walk With Jesus For Grieving Parents retreat in October
The pain from grief can be extreme, but the death of a child is even more intense. Parents experience an emptiness like no other. If you are mourning the loss of a child (from infancy to adulthood), consider attending a Catholic faith-based weekend retreat from Oct. 11 until Sunday Oct. 13, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, 3989 S. Moon Drive, Venice. Deacon Henry De Mena will lead the Retreat. The cost is $150.00 per person based on double occupancy and $250.00 for single occupancy. Financial assistance is available. To register scan the QR code in the flier below and for further information contact Jim Gontis at gontis@dioceseofvenice.org for further information.
Registration now open for fall Diocesan Marriage Conference
Calling all Catholic engaged and married couples! Join Bishop Frank J. Dewane for the fourth annual Diocesan “Together in Holiness” marriage conference, 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Oct. 19, 2024, at Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers. The Conference, a collaboration between the Diocese of Venice and the St. John Paul II Foundation, is a great opportunity for all Catholic engaged and married couples in the Diocese to gather for a day dedicated to prayer, conversation, fellowship, and reflection on the beautiful vocation of marriage. Registration is now open for the day-long event which includes a Mass and Marriage Blessing celebrated by Bishop Dewane, and inspirational talks by Catholic speakers Renzo & Monica Ortega, Father Alex Pince and Mallory Smith. Childcare, as well as full and partial scholarships, are available, and Early Bird pricing is offered until Sept. 9. To register or for further information, please visit https://forlifeandfamily.org/events/th24-vnfl/.
Apologetics in Evangelization Training in Fort Myers
Office of Evangelization is offering Apologetics training to enable all to have the fullness of Truth in Jesus and His Bride, the Catholic Church. Jesus has commanded us to go into the world and evangelize, to share our precious gift with others in your every-day-life. The non-profit organization St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) has taken that call seriously by sharing the Gospel across the globe and teaching others how to do it too. Join SPSE Vice President Adam Janke as he leads the one-afternoon training in incorporating solid Catholic apologetics into evangelization, in a winning, non-confrontational way from 12:30 p.m.- 4 p.m., Sept. 29, 2024, at Our Lady of the Angels Parish, 12905 State Road 70 East, Lakewood Ranch. The session will be open to all adult Catholic parishioners. Registration is $25 and includes light breakfast, lunch and all training materials. Register online at http://stpaulse.com/venice.
Mike Aquilina, an author on early Church history and executive vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology in Steubenville, Ohio, spoke Jan. 16 at Resurrection Parish in Fort Myers and on Jan. 17 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice.
