Each day is a celebration of educating the mind, body and spirit at Catholic Schools throughout the Diocese of Venice.
A more public celebration will occur the week of Jan. 29 to Feb. 4, 2023, when Diocesan schools will participate in a series of exciting activities as part of the 49th annual National Catholic Schools Week.
Sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA), the week provides an annual opportunity to share the good news about Catholic Schools. The theme, “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.” focuses on the important spiritual, academic, and societal contributions provided by a Catholic education firmly rooted in the Truth of the Gospel.
Schools typically observe the annual celebration week with Masses, open houses and other activities for students, families, parishioners and community members. On the weekend starting Catholic Schools Week, look for students to speak at Masses to explain the benefits of supporting their education.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane said Diocesan Catholic Schools not only educate the mind but also the soul, teaching the students to have a concern for their brothers and sisters, whether they live in the same country, down the street, or in their classroom through prayer, and the teaching of values, morals and virtues.
“Through this broader approach, the student begins to learn, to reach out, and to touch the other, seeing for themselves that we are all made in the image and likeness of God,” Bishop Dewane said.
Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education said this reality is what distinguishes Catholic schools in the Diocese from all others.
“The basics of any education in a Catholic school has to do with learning and training people to think critically, to understand what is the truth. By truth, we mean capital T – as in Jesus,” Father Belmonte explained. “It’s also about training their wills and teaching them to make good decisions so that they can do the good that is needed by not only their families and themselves but by society.”
Diocesan Schools have a unique kindergarten through 12 STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics) curriculum using robotics as a catalyst for success.
“We prepare our students for today and the future,” Bishop Dewane said. “We give the students what they need for success in this challenging world, and our STREAM and robotics programs is enhance what we were already doing. Therefore, when it was decided to expand this initiative, it was clearly worth doing throughout all grade levels.”
Father Belmonte said the Diocese of Venice is the only Diocese in the country to take this expansive approach to STREAM, which is all connected to the faith. Diocesan Catholic school students learn virtues such as truth, beauty, and goodness, which are transcendental. The additional “Gifts of Christ,” are prudence affability, humility, and fortitude. Added to the robotics program this year, are courage, diligence, solidarity and charity.
“To offer innovation from the earliest ages puts us ahead of other schools,” Father Belmonte said. “Yes, it’s the study of STREAM, but it’s much more than that. This is about the education of the soul.”
Bishop Dewane said the Diocesan robotic STREAM initiative is being done in a context of why Catholic schools exist. “We are helping students to discover who they are as men and women of faith, as we let our students learn these virtues that Christ calls us to, time after time in the Gospel.”
Catholic Schools Week 2023 comes at a time when 10 of the 15 Diocesan schools are continuing their recovery from damage incurred during Hurricane Ian. Most significantly, the storm disrupted the lives of school families, faculty and staff.
“Everybody in the schools and communities of faith throughout the Diocese came together,” Bishop Dewane said. “People helped each other and helped their schools to work in a safe way to create new learning spaces so the students could be back at school quickly and feel comfortable again. My thanks and patience to everyone, and compliments for the adaptive nature taken to make everything happen so fast.”
Father Belmonte said Hurricane Ian brought school communities together and when possible, teams from schools went into their neighborhoods to help individuals and families pick up the pieces of their destroyed homes. In addition, there was an outpouring of support from across the region, state and country, funneled through the Diocese, which was directed at helping families and schools recover.
“The response was remarkable,” Father Belmonte added. “It was also healthy to get students back into the classrooms as quickly as possible, while the parents appreciated how well we responded.”
The 15 Diocesan Catholic Schools, serving 5,837 students, is an investment in the future and they serve as the heart of the Diocese, building the Catholic leadership of tomorrow. Schools are in Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Ave Maria and Sebring.
Scholarships are available to help ease some of the financial burden, and families should not assume that they wouldn’t qualify. In addition to school, Parish and Diocesan support, state scholarships such as Step Up For Students and McKay are also available.
Consistent academic excellence prevails at Diocesan Catholic schools, with the three high schools graduating every student and 99 percent going on to higher education, many with academic scholarships in hand. Students in all of the schools score at the advanced level on national tests while being grounded in the knowledge of the Catholic Faith.
To learn more about Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/catholicschools.
The January 2023 Relevant Radio podcast of “Witnessing Faith with Bishop Dewane” discusses Catholic Schools. To listen to this month’s show, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/our-bishop/.
The 25th Annual Sarasota Prayer Walk for Life is Feb. 7. The event begins with the 8:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at St. Martha Parish, 200 N. Orange Ave. A bus will shuttle people from the church to 7th Street where walkers will circle the block around Planned Parenthood in prayer. The shuttle will run between 9 a.m. and noon. Light refreshments will be available near the bus stop on 7th Street. Questions? Contact Jeanne Berdeaux at 
Before his conversion, Father Calloway was a high school dropout who had been kicked out of a foreign country, institutionalized twice, and thrown in jail multiple times. After his radical conversion, he earned a BA in philosophy and theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio; MDiv and STB degrees from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.; and an STL in Mariology from the International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. He leads pilgrimages to Marian Shrines around the world and is the author of 15 books. His latest best-selling book is “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.”
Two retreats were recently held for the Permanent Deacons of the Diocese of Venice, first Jan. 19, 2023, at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice and then on Jan. 21, at Resurrection Parish in Fort Myers. The retreats were presented by Deacon Dominic Cerrato, Director of Diaconal Ministries and editor of “The Deacon Magazine.” The goal for the retreat was to offer the opportunity for the Deacons to grow in greater intimacy with Christ the Servant. The retreat reemphasized what the Deacons committed to during the prayer of ordination as it relates to: “Our relationship to Him; Our Identity in Him; Our mission with Him.” Deacon Cerrato explained that these are the three key elements in grasping the essential nature of the Diaconate.
Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools principals gathered for their Colloquio 2023 meeting Jan. 19-20, 2023, in Sarasota. The meeting focused on goal setting and empowering the principals in how they can support their faculty and staff to help ensure long-term retention. The keynote was Tony Ferraro, of Floyd Consulting, who spoke on “The Dream Manager,” a program based on a book by acclaimed author Matthew Kelly. The book is a business parable about how companies can achieve remarkable results by helping their employees fulfill their dreams. The meeting was organized by Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Catholic Education, and Jennifer Falestiny, Diocesan Curriculum Specialist.
The 21st Annual Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal is continuing through the end of January 2023. A donation to the Appeal strengthens Catholic Charities ability to provide much-needed support, for those recovering from Hurricane Ian, or who need any type of assistance in the region. This outreach is accomplished through more than 35 programs in locations throughout the 10-county Diocese. These programs annually support more than 100,000 individuals and families in ways both large and small. To support the Christmas Appeal, please visit 
Incarnation Parish in Sarasota was host to the Diocese of Venice Santo Niño Festival on Jan. 15, 2023, the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time. Organized by the local Filipino Catholic Community and the Couples for Christ group, more than 250 people participated in the Mass and Festival which recounts an important conversion story. This was the second year for this festival in the Diocese.
Conflict in the region soon followed during which Magellan was killed and his Spanish colleagues left. The next Spanish expedition occurred in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi who conquered Cebu and after pillaging the villages, the original Magellan Santo Niño was found safe and unscathed from the fires. The Franciscan Friars who witnessed this proclaimed the statue miraculous and built a church on the site, which is now the “Basílica Menor del Santo Niño in Cebu.”
The Santo Niño celebration calls us to go forward as individuals to behold the Holy Child, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ who was there to save the world, the Bishop added.
The Feast Day celebration reminds Filipinos of the Christianization of their homeland but also enables them to see the relevance this devotion to the Santo Niño has for people to this day. It places a special emphasis on the children and youth, with all the hopes they raise.
In most cases, the Catholic Charities galas are elegant black-tie affairs, but no matter what the attire, all of the proceeds will go directly to help those in the community where the event is held. This means that by buying a ticket you could literally help a family struggling to recover from Ian, feed families, teach children to read or even prevent families from becoming homeless. There are five chances to support Catholic Charities in an entertaining and unique way.
Catholic Charities Ball, 6 p.m., Feb. 4, 2023, Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, benefitting the programs in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties. This year’s theme is “Creating Hope.” Purchase tickets, sponsorships, or donate auction items, by visiting 
Our Mother’s House Wine Tasting, 5:30 p.m., February 23, at Venice Community Center in Venice. Funds raised will benefit this residential housing for needy moms. To purchase tickets or sponsorships, please visit 
Venetian Ball, 6 p.m., March 4, at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church (Parish Hall), Bonita Springs, benefits the programs of Lee, Glades and Hendry counties. The theme for this gala is “Resilience, Rebuilding, and Community” and serves as an opportunity to come together as a community to support and partner with Catholic Charities to serve the many survivors of Hurricane Ian; to celebrate survival and helping of one’s neighbor; to Resilience, Rebuilding, and Community. To purchase tickets, and sponsorships or to donate auction items, contact Arlene Carratala at 239-334-4007 ext. 2100 or email 
Emerald Ball, 5:30 p.m., March 16, Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples, benefitting the programs in Collier County and the recovery from Hurricane Ian. To sponsor, purchase tickets, or donate items for the auction, please visit 
“What a wonderful day,” Principal Nicole Loseto proclaimed. “When the hurricane struck everyone rallied together to salvage what we could to relocate classrooms all over the campus in just two days. It was a challenge to move everyone to a new location and it was seamless and beautiful… Now everyone came together to get us back into our main building. Thank you, everyone!”
Only the pre-kindergarten students were not displaced by Hurricane Ian. The disruptions were extreme as kindergartners were housed in the library; first and second grades were placed in the cafeteria with a divider; fourth and fifth graders were in the Parish Hall; and middle schoolers were split between the Soy Hall and two gymnasium locker rooms.
She also gave a shout out to the many people who helped support the recovery effort through financial support which helped ease the burden on the school.
Ahead of the reopening, a team of faculty staff and parents moved all of the desks and other educational items from their temporary rooms to the main building. The upper grades were allowed in the building on Jan. 6, the 100th day since Hurricane Ian struck Venice.
The response of Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Diocese of Venice is to host a special Eucharistic Congress from March 24 to March 25, 2023, at the Conference Center and Luminary Hotel on the riverfront of downtown Fort Myers. (More details and registration can be found at 
“This is an opportunity for Catholics to bring those things which usually happen behind closed doors, in our Parishes, out into the wide open with the larger community,” explained James Gontis, Diocesan Director of Evangelization.
Everyone is invited to be a part of this exciting journey as the timing of this movement and the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress come at a critical moment for the Universal Church. The National Eucharistic Revival explains, this effort comes now, because the Church needs healing, and the world needs the Church.
“Scandal, division, disease, doubt. The Church has withstood each of these throughout our very human history. But today we confront all of them, all at once. Our response in this moment is pivotal,” National Eucharistic Revival documents state. “In the midst of these roaring waves, Jesus is present, reminding us that He is more powerful than the storm. He desires to heal, renew, and unify the Church and the world.”
Epiphany Cathedral in Venice celebrated its Feast Day, the Epiphany of the Lord, with a trilingual (English, Spanish, Polish) Mass on Jan. 8, 2023. Msgr. Patrick Dubois, Cathedral Rector, said the Feast Day is an important moment for the Parish community as well as for the Universal Church. The day marks the moment when the three magi come to pay homage to the Child Jesus, something we must do each day as we celebrated the love of the Lord in our lives. Readings and music alternated between the three languages and at the conclusion of Mass, Msgr. Dubois asked all to wish one another a “Happy Feast of the Epiphany.” A multicultural celebration followed in the Parish Hall.
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School basketball player Olivia Davis reached the 1,000-point milestone during a game on Jan. 6, 2023. After the home game in Sarasota, the star player was honored and recognized for this remarkable achievement, something that is rare in high school basketball.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers welcomed students from St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers and St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral for Mass on Jan. 10, 2023. The younger students led everyone in song and afterwards Principal Suzie O’Grady invited students to participate in the “Three Kings” celebration. Following the Mass, the “Three Kings” went around campus writing the following on every door: 20 + C + M + B + 23. For centuries, faithful Catholics have marked the entrance to their homes with a symbol of faith, asking that Jesus bless all who live within the home. The message is as follows: [the first two digits of the year] + C + M + B + [the last two digits of the year]. The “C”, “M”, and “B” stand for the names of the three Magi – Caspar, Malchior & Balthazar, and the “+” represents the cross. The message also abbreviates the Latin phrase, Christus Mansionem Benedicat, meaning “May Christ bless the house.”
St. Paul Parish in Arcadia held a special “Three Kings” celebration on the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord, Jan. 8, 2023.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane issued a statement within hours of the passing of Pope Benedict to the faithful of the Diocese of Venice: “The Catholic Church throughout the world mourns the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who died today, December 31, 2022. We are saddened by the loss of such a renowned, humble scholar and Shepherd, who gave his life to the service of the Universal Church. The longest living Pope, he was a giant of faith and reason.”
The Bishop noted how he was blessed to know then-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and later Pope Benedict XVI. The two first met when Bishop Dewane was a seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. This encounter took place while Cardinal Ratzinger was crossing St. Peter’s Square and paused to speak to a group of four U.S. seminarians, with the future Bishop Dewane among them. Cardinal Ratzinger recognized the group as Americans and took the time to speak with them.
