Bishop Frank J. Dewane called upon all to pray and care for our fellow neighbors as the Diocese of Venice begins its recovery from the impacts of the fury of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024.
Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico and reached Category 5 strength (winds in excess of 155 mph) before weakening to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph just before slamming into the 10 counties of the Diocese of Venice. Areas closest to the eye of the storm (Siesta Key in Sarasota County) experienced the fiercest winds and coastal communities to the south of that point had devastating storm surge.
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.
“The area suffered a great deal because of Milton, and a lot of people are much worse off than others, but still, we gather in prayer to ask God’s blessing; that He place His healing hand upon all who suffer as a result of Hurricane Milton,” Bishop Dewane said.
Due to the extent of the damage, plus power outages and blocked roads from debris, access to many of the Parishes was not immediately possible. When access is made, the safety of all structures is reviewed and then a plan is put in place if cleanup or repairs are necessary. All Parishes which had power were able to resume the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. At the time of publication, no immediate reports were available, particularly on the hard-hit barrier islands which were still recovering from Hurricane Helene on Sept. 28.
As Milton approached, the Diocesan Emergency Response Team gathered on Oct. 7, at the Catholic Center. The meeting included a review and implementing of emergency plans for all Parishes, Schools and other entities within the Diocese.
These emergency plans were established to ensure an ease of preparation when tropical weather threatens. Policies, checklists and basic guidance have been established to ensure that the people and the buildings within the Diocese are secured and rendered as safe as possible before a storm arrives. In addition, the emergency plans also direct actions needed to respond to the impacts of a storm.
By implementing these plans, Parishes, Schools and other entities first follow local emergency management guidance, and using this as a base, start making plans to close offices, secure and limit access to buildings and take other necessary actions.
All Diocesan Catholic schools were closed Oct. 7-11, and each will reopen as soon as possible, according to Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education. A decision to reopen will be made when the Diocese is confident individual schools have power and all facilities are safe for students and faculty.
Diocesan Parishes follow local guidance in terms of evacuation orders and several cancelled daily Mass, as well as other activities, with expectations to reopen when a safety assessment is completed. Parishes in areas which have limited impacts (such as no loss of power or minimal damage in the area) would be expected to reopen quickly.
In addition, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., is prepared to respond and set Points of Distribution (POD) in areas of greatest need. These POD locations, preplanned and established in coordination with county and state emergency management officials, will include the distribution of water, ice and food. Catholic Charities had to pause its response to help the victims of Hurricane Helene so as to prepare for the arrival of Milton.
After Hurricane Helene passes, those interested in volunteering to assist, donating unused hurricane supplies, or offering financial support for the recovery effort can visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org for details on how to help.
The Diocese of Venice will also be updating the website at www.dioceseofvenice.org, and posting to social media where the greatest need is and how people can help.
Please continue to pray for the safety in the Diocese of Venice and beyond who have been impacted by Hurricane Milton.
HOW TO HELP
Diocesan Response to Milton
www.dioceseofvenice.org/disasterrelief
If you need help, want to help
Congratulations to Father Robert R. Cannon who has been named Chaplain to His Holiness with the title Monsignor. Monsignor Cannon, who is a priest of the Diocese of Venice, and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, has recently retired as the Chancellor of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), where he served for the past eighth years.
Public prayer vigils took place in multiple locations throughout the Diocese of Venice in early October seeking the defeat of Amendment 4, an extreme and dangerous proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would radically expand access to abortion. The first “VOTE NO ON 4!” rally took place during rush hour on Oct. 1, 2024, in downtown Bradenton. The rally was sponsored by the St. Joseph Parish Respect Life Ministry. Holding “Vote No on 4” signs, the rally had a captive audience as traffic was at a near standstill. The goal was to educate motorists on the dangers of Amendment 4. On Sunday, Oct. 6, there were two “Life Chain Across America” prayer vigils, one on U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs, near St. Leo the Great Parish, and the other was in Naples at U.S. 41 and Pine Ridge Road, near St. William Parish. Several hearty women, men and children withstood the rain to be visible. To learn more about Amendment 4, please visit 
Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities hosted its annual Family Fun Day on Oct. 6, 2024, in Immokalee. The events welcomed families for games, fun and food. The games included sack races, hoop tosses and more. Fun consisted of facepainting and playing games for prizes. The food included hot dogs, chips, frozen flavored ice, popcorn and more. For the adults there were also games with prizes. Staff from Catholic Charities and volunteers, such as the women’s lacrosse team from nearby Ave Maria University, helped run the event.
The 2024 Diocesan Rosary Congress, scheduled at more than 50 Parishes between Oct. 5 and 11, 2024, got off to a strong start. At St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota, the Rosary Congress ran from Oct. 7-8 and included 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration with the hourly praying of the Holy Rosary. Prayer intentions were for the protection of life and the defeat of the dangerous Amendment 4, which, if approved, would radically expand access to abortion in Florida. However, several host Parishes were forced to cancel their participation in the Rosary Congress due to the threat and impacts of Hurricane Milton. For a list of participating Parishes, please visit 
Parishioner Miranda Riley, who lives a few blocks from the Parish and faces the Gulf of Mexico, said her home’s ground floor, which included a rec room, office and two car garage, were destroyed with more than four feet of water.
You may have heard some say, “But the Church has no right to talk about political issues!” While it is true that the Church is non-partisan and would never presume to tell you for whom to vote, the Church does have a role to play in encouraging, or discouraging, the support of various amendments and issues that will affect all. The very statement “the separation of Church and State” was first used by Thomas Jefferson, assuring concerned citizens that such a separation was provided by the First Amendment and in fact would protect citizens from government interference in the free practice of religion, not the other way around, as many believe the phrase to mean today.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who use marijuana have almost a 10% higher risk of becoming addicted. Additional research links the use of marijuana by young adults to psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Women who use marijuana while pregnant increase the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and impaired development of the baby’s brain.
Although it is my hope that one day abortion will be unthinkable, Florida’s current abortion law which includes these commonsense laws to protect women and girls and puts limits on when and why an abortion can be performed, is far preferable to a constitutional amendment that puts not only unborn babies, but women, and girls at great risk.
The Legion of Mary Manasota Curis held a day of prayer Sept. 28, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. The day included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation and talks. Bob Wilson, Director of St. Paul Street Evangelization, spoke about how to speak with family and friends who have questions about the faith. Wilson said those who disagree with Church Teachings on any topic, disagree with God. “Jesus and the Catholic Church are one entity. Jesus is the head and Church is the body.” Wilson also discussed common questions Catholics face regarding our beliefs, such as praying to saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary. “We do not worship Mary and the saints, we honor them. When we are praying to Mary, we are asking her to intercede on our behalf. Asking her Son to pray for us.”
St. Michael Parish in Wauchula celebrated the Feast of the Archangels as part of a larger celebration on Sept. 28, 2024, the eve of the Feast Day. The celebration included a process around the Parish grounds leading into a bilingual Mass (English and Spanish). This was followed by a Parish festival. The three archangels whom the Church honors by name are Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. St. Michael was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Within the Diocese of Venice, there is also a St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Sarasota. St. Gabriel announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, “Hail, full of grace,” is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people. St. Raphael is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey. There are two Parishes in the Diocese which have been bestowed with that name, one in Lehigh Acres and the other in Englewood.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has produced two new voter resources for the faithful to consider during the November 2024 General Election. First, is the Florida Conference Voter Guide which provides information about Catholic teaching, offers considerations on key topics, and poses questions regarding current issues to assist voters in evaluating candidate positions or political party platforms: 
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, 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, Rev. Alex Pince and Mallory Smyth. Childcare, as well as full and partial scholarships, are available. To register or for further information, please visit 
As Hurricane Helene approached, Bishop Dewane met with members of the Diocesan Emergency Response Team on Sept. 24 and 25, 2024, at the Catholic Center. The first of these meetings was to review and then implement existing emergency plans for all Parishes, Schools and other entities within the Diocese. The storm approaches the region near the second anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Ian. That hurricane caused widespread wind, storm surge, and flooding damage throughout the Diocese. Some of those recovery efforts are ongoing.
If you had an abortion, no matter how long ago, are having trouble forgiving yourself or need help dealing with the memories, consider attending a one-day women’s retreat on Saturday, Nov. 9 sponsored by Project Rachel. You are not alone! Call or text Sylvia at 941-412-5860 or email her at 
Bishop Dewane celebrated Mass before the blessing and dedication, praising the faithful at St. Charles for their sacrifice in helping to make the school project come to fruition. This new building includes a gymnasium, bleachers, and four classrooms which will be utilized as science and robotics labs.
The 49-28 victory lifts the Cougars to a 5-0 record, while the Bishop Verot Vikings are now 3-2. The was the first win for Mooney in the decades-long rivalry since 2018. The win also breaks the series tie, with Mooney now leading 23-22 all-time.
Bishop Verot’s loss came despite a strong showing by senior quarterback Carter Smith and running back Deshon Jenkins Jr. Verot finished the game with 201 yards rushing. Both rushed for two touchdowns each, while Smith also had 118 yards passing in the game.
