beatification Archives - Diocese of Venice

Several from diocese present for Archbishop Sheen’s beatification

Posted on October 1, 2026October 1, 2026 by Bob Reddy

A contingent from the Diocese of Venice was blessed to be present for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in St. Louis, Sept. 26, 2026. The groups included two priests, as well as three deacons and a diaconate candidate.

Among those attending was Father Robert Beligotti, who was ordained, along with his twin brother, Richard, by Bishop Sheen on June 1, 1968, for the Diocese of Rochester.

“How wonderful this event was,” said Father Beligotti, who retired 11 years ago, and since 2016 has been assisting at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. His brother died in 2024.

“It was sacred and beyond my imagination. I felt I was in paradise with the heavenly choirs… the throngs of angels coming in… being among the huge crowds.”

Father recalled that early in his priesthood he suffered a severe back injury and was told he would have trouble walking and would not be able to genuflect during the Mass for the rest of his life. Bishop Sheen came to visit him and was upset he would miss the Christmas Masses, to which the bishop said: Father don’t think that way at all. Think this way now. You will offer the best Mass of your whole life now. Offer all your sufferings and pains to the Lord… and that will be the best of your whole life.” Father Beligotti fully recovered, suffering no long-lasting effects from his injuries, “I was blessed in a special way.”

Throughout the week, as word spread of his connection to Archbishop Sheen, Father Beligotti became a minor celebrity from those wanting to hear personal stories.

Also present from the diocese was Diaconate Candidate David Wallace and his wife, Jill, of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Fort Myers, who said it was such a privilege to serve at the Mass as an usher. “I was moved to tears as the proclamation of Archbishop Sheen’s Beatification was read,” Wallace said. I will remember this experience for the rest of my life. I reflected on the words of St. Peter at the Transfiguration, Lord it is good that we are here!”

Deacon Jun Roca, and his wife Colleen, of Epiphany Cathedral, said the couple went to the beatification with much anticipation and the experience of being there was an amazing and unforgettable experience. The couple attended the Vespers at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. During the beatification, Deacon Jun was part of the procession in, along with priests, bishops, and seminarians, before 50,000 of the faithful at the Dome at America’s Center. He said his parents were privileged to see Bishop Sheen in Cebu, Philippines, in 1965, during the 4th Centennial Celebration of Christianity in the Philippines. His brother, who was a Boy Scout at that time, and his troop were tasked to direct traffic and were also able to see him up close.

Colleen Roca said she loved Archbishop Sheen, specifically because of his love for the Blessed Virgin Mary, his love for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and his commitment in early seminary to making the Eucharistic Holy Hour every day, which he did for 60 years.

Deacon Rick Hellenbrand, and his wife, Paula, of St. Andrew Parish, Cape Coral, were also present. Deacon Rick said that to be numbered among so many clergy and people of the faith brought tears to his eyes. “The minute we processed into the auditorium, one couldn’t help but feel the Spirit and be awestruck by the numbers in attendance,” he said. Earlier, when sharing with his father that the couple would be at the beautification, his father immediately lit up and said that Deacon Rich’s grandfather watched Archbishop Sheen’s television show and was a loyal fan.

Others from the Diocese of Venice present for the beatification were Father Joseph Gates, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini parish, Parrish, and Deacon Joseph Nguyen, from St. Andrew Parish, Cape Coral. Every priest at the beatification was gifted a custom vestment with Archbishop Sheen’s iconic, “JMJ” (Jesus, Mary, and Joseph), on the back in his handwriting.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle proclaimed the apostolic letter from Pope Leo XIV, officially declaring the 20th-century radio and television pioneer as “Blessed.”

The beatification was based on the miraculous 2010 healing of James Fulton Engstrom, a newborn who was stillborn and revived after his heart began beating again following 61 minutes of no vital signs, after prayers for Sheen’s intercession.

During the ceremony, a teenage James Fulton Engstrom carried a reliquary containing Sheen’s mandible (jawbone) – chosen to symbolize Sheen’s extraordinary gifts as an orator and evangelist – and a newly commissioned haloed portrait was unveiled.

Archbishop Sheen reached millions through his radio program “The Catholic Hour” and his groundbreaking weekly television series “Life is Worth Living,” which drew an estimated 30 million viewers.

Five La Florida martyrs from Diocese geography up for canonization

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Bob Reddy

As the cause for Martyrs of La Florida Missions, Antonio Inija and 57 companions moves forward, it should be noted that five of the martyrs, including the first Native American martyrs, died during an incident within the bounds of the Diocese of Venice.

Lynn Mangan, Vice Postulator for the Cause for La Florida Martyrs, said the “beautiful martyrdom event that took place in the fall of 1696 near or in the Diocese of Venice. The exact location has not been identified by archaeologists. There are five proposed martyrs, Servants of God, in this event, who, along with the other Martyrs of La Florida, are under review in the Roman Phase by the Dicastery of the Causes of Saints.”

Mangan said of the five martyrs, sadly, only the name of the priest is known today, Father Luis Sanchez, a Franciscan friar.

“Although we do not know the names of these four indigenous martyrs, their stories are known and treasured. Their sacrifice was extraordinary and their gift was no less than that of Father Sanchez,” Mangan said.

The perpetrators of the martyrdom event, like the others of La Florida, wanted to stop the Catholic Faith from being planted and growing in the region.

Father Sanchez was a Franciscan missionary born in Havana, Cuba, in 1661. Father was aware of the risks of ministering in a territory that had few baptized Christians yet volunteered to go with great charity to love the native people, Mangan explained.

Serving among the native Myakka people in an area then known as the Joror region of Florida, south of Orlando near the headwaters of the Kissimmee River, far from the protection of the Spanish in St. Augustine, Father Sanchez endeared himself to people of the area. Not all indigenous people were so receptive.

Oct. 9, 1696, a group of natives from a nearby village attacked Father Sanchez as he was preparing for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with a native sacristan and altar boy, a young cacique (chief) from the town of Aypaja in the Jororo province. The natives were told to denounce their faith under threat of killing Father Sanchez, but they refused. As they were beaten to death, Father absolved them of their sins.

Father Sanchez was then killed, and the assailants tore his bloody habit to pieces. His parishioners came to the site and wept at the loss of their beloved pastor.

A few weeks later, following the martyrdom of Father Sanchez and the two Jororo natives, another revolt would claim the lives of two more indigenous men. They were men of the Guale tribe who traveled on foot approximately 300 miles through the winding paths of Florida’s wilderness from about 125 miles north of St. Augustine in what was at least a 19-day journey. All this to evangelize the indigenous people of these lands of central Florida where so few had heard the Good News.

The details of the martyrdom are available thanks to the journal of a witness, a Quaker named Johnathan Dickinson. Mangan added that one of the assailants who killed the martyrs, before dying of natural causes, requested baptism before his death.

“The Native Americans in this event are the first recorded Native American martyrs in our country,” Mangan said. “Father Sanchez’s martyrdom is honored in a beautiful mural in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami.”

The cause for Martyrs of La Florida Missions, Antonio Inija and 57 companions, was initiated through the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in 2015 and has been researched as a part of Florida’s Catholic history dating back more than three centuries. The research covers a period from 1549 to 1715 and includes nine Dioceses united in the cause. The martyrdom of the 58 individuals spanned 14 different events. Most were lay people, most Native Americans – as well as priests and brothers from different religious orders. Even an unbron child is listed among the martyrs, and if beatified, will be the first unborn saint. Eight volumes of research have been presented to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome and is currently under consideration.

To learn more about the Martyrs of La Florida Missions, Antonio Inija and the 57 companions, please visit https://www.martyrsoflafloridamissions.org/.

Local Knights reflect on Oct. 31 elevation of their founder

Posted on October 29, 2020October 29, 2020 by Bob Reddy

The upcoming beatification of American Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, to Blessed, is a time for celebration and reflection among Knights worldwide.

The America priest founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882, with an eye towards providing spiritual aid to Catholic men and financial help to the widows and orphans of its members. Today it is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization, with close to two million members worldwide.

Father McGivney will be elevated to Blessed on Oct. 31, 2020 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut.

Pope Francis approved Father McGivney’s first miracle in May 2020, and appropriately an ultrasound machine was at the heart of that case. The miracle involved an unborn child in the United States who was healed of a life-threatening condition in utero in 2015 after his family prayed for Father McGivney’s intercession. Following his elevation to Blessed, Father McGivney’s cause for sainthood will require one more authenticated miracle before he can be considered for canonization.

In the Diocese of Venice, two Knights have taken their time to share their thoughts on this important moment for not just their founder but the Knights of Columbus as a whole.

Alfred A. Connizzo, Past Grand Knight, Past District Deputy, Past Director State of Florida KoC Charities, and member of St. Joseph Council 5604, said it is fitting that a Parish priest who dedicated his life to helping families would have the miracle leading to his beatification be one surrounding helping a family.

“The story of this family is one of great faith, their devotion to Father McGivney is inspiring to all of us,” Connizzo said. “His legacy is one of serving, the Knights he started have helped to protect thousands of families, through his intercession Knights have placed 1,000 ultrasound machines worldwide, and 100 in Florida.”

Continuing, Connizzo said “It is an honor to be a Knight and to serve God’s people. Every Catholic man should read about the life of this Parish Priest and follow his example of service, as he followed the example of the service of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Charles P. McLaughlin, Immediate Former Master of the Fourth Degree for the District of Florida who is a member of the San Antonio Council 12456 in Port Charlotte, reflected on the beatification noting that it is an example of “Local Boy Makes Good.”

Noting the hardships Father McGivney faced, McLaughlin said Father overcame adversity in his life to make “an impact that is still felt today, and still shows us the immense power of God’s love. God has shown us, time after time, that adversity can move us to excel – and to show the world that God is with us. The inspiration within Father McGivney to see the possibilities and potential in a respectful, charitable collaboration between laymen gathered for a single purpose, under the guidance of a spiritual leader, was the foundation on his building the Order of the Knights of Columbus.”

As noted earlier, among the requirements need to be elevated to Blessed, as Father McGivney will be, is verification of a miracle must be attributed to the candidate for sainthood. It is not until a second miracle is confirmed that sainthood can be considered. In McLaughlin’s opinion, Father McGivney’s opening the hearts and minds of a group of men who gathered in the basement of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven in 1882 to start what was to become the Knights is itself a miracle.

“With God’s blessing, and the continued support of our founder, this miracle of what became the Knights of Columbus will continue and expand to keep us all together and active in Charity, Unity and Fraternity,” McLaughlin said.

The Mass for beatification of Father McGivney will be streamed live at 11 a.m., Oct. 31, from St. Joseph Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut.

To watch, you can visit the Diocese of Venice go to the Diocese of Venice Facebook page www.facebook.com/dioceseofvenice, the Knights of Columbus YouTube page, or follow this link https://www.kofc.org/en/events/father-mcgivney-beatification/index.html.