“It’s not so bad. We have each other.”
CCUSA CEO presents check to help efforts
During the first two weeks of the coordinated response to Hurricane Ian disaster relief, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., has helped more than 50,000 people with supplies of water, food, tarps, blankets and much more.
This outreach has been made possible by the direction of CEO Eddie Gloria, his team, volunteers and the guidance of Bishop Frank J. Dewane.
Disaster response sites have been set up in the hardest hit areas, particularly where local government help may have been lacking. At least 10 sites have been operating since the first days after Ian struck on Sept. 28, 2022.
As the true scope of the disaster revealed itself, and the needs of the community changed, Catholic Charities has been flexible in meeting the needs on the ground as the response is slowly transitioning from meeting urgent needs to disaster management – helping people with long-term needs.
Gloria credited Bishop Dewane and the overarching support of Catholic Charities USA, which has helped coordinate the disaster response with technical support and a high level of experience in these situations with staff who have dedicated their time to helping in many ways.
Catholic Charities USA President and CEO, Sister Donna Markham, OP, visited the Diocese of Venice on Oct. 12, 2022, to get an update on how the response is progressing.
Sister Donna met with Gloria and his team as well as with Bishop Dewane to discuss what is coming in the next week and months as the region recovers from Ian. She also offered words of encouragement to the Catholic Charities staff who were directly impacted by the hurricane.
In a ceremony at the Catholic Center in Venice, Sister Donna said disasters such as Ian strike different places at different times.
“Now it is your turn,” Sister said. “We are here with the enormous generosity of a lot of people, who have helped us by sending in donations (through the CCUSA website). We take every single dollar from our donors and ensure they will go directly to the people affected by a disaster. In this case, in what I hope will be more to come, is an initial check for humanitarian relief in the amount of $500,000.”
A roar of approval and applause accompanied this pronouncement as Gloria accepted the check.
Bishop Dewane expressed his gratitude for Sister Donna’s presence and for the check noting that it will go a long way to helping to meet the needs of the community.
At sites across the region, Catholic Charities has been receiving tractor trailers full of water, food, tarps, blankets and every type of item imaginable. When the items arrive, teams of people help unload and then distribute the items by loading vehicles for grateful families.
Arcadia was a site of total devastation. Many homes were damaged or destroyed by the fierce winds of Ian, but it was the flooding from the Peace River, which lazily flows through the western portion of the area that brought more destruction. The river rose to record levels and cut the city in half, that did most of the destruction.
“My house flooded,” said Sam Jenkins of Arcadia at the Catholic Charities disaster response site at St. Paul Parish on Oct. 8. “I had five minutes to leave and even then, I couldn’t get my car out fast enough, it stalled and is gone. Everything is gone.”
Jenkins arrived at the Parish by foot, having slept at a friend’s house the previous night and hoping to hear from a family member in Georgia to send him the money needed to get out of the area.
The town was cut off by the flood waters from the west, north and south, and more than a week after the storm, access was still limited.
This is why the front parking lot of the Parish church, which sits on State Road 70, the main east-west road through the rural city, was a hive of activity as churches of all denominations brought clothing and emergency supplies for people to choose from.
Desperate parents, unsure where they would sleep that night, or in the future, selected clothing as the children chose donated toys and games or tried on new or gently used shoes and sneakers. Others had everything they owned crammed into vehicles.
Isabella Perez carefully went through the clothes and other items, picking a few shirts and pants for her three children. Her home flooded and the family of five was staying at a home with two other families.
“It is hard,” Perez said. “The wind ripped our trailer apart, so we fled. When we tried to go back, it was completely underwater. I cried for 10 minutes while my children were given ice cream by some nice people at the edge of the river, about a half-mile from our home. Then we got back in the car and drove around. It is so wonderful that people have donated things for us to choose from. We are all okay and that is what matters. I know many who lost more, others who were hurt. It’s not so bad. We have each other.”
Also in the St. Paul parking lot was a team from the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, which brought 1,000 sandwiches and another group set up a barbecue smoker. Meanwhile, the Heart to Heart International Disaster Response truck was there to offer medical exams, free tetanus shots, as well as fillings prescriptions and providing mental wellness counseling.
On the back side of the Parish church is the Catholic Charities disaster distribution site, which includes water, food, sunscreen, batteries, blankets, tarps, cleaning supplies and more. Trucks from all over resupply the site each day as the demand continues.
“This is just the beginning here,” said Sister Martha Flores, M.H.M.L., the Parish Director of Religious Education who was overseeing the work and directing volunteers for different tasks. “So many people lost homes. If you didn’t lose your home and you worked in farming, you probably lost your job. There are a lot of people hurting here.”
Catholic Charities has Parish distribution points at St. Katharine Drexel in Cape Coral, Jesus the Worker in Fort Myers, San Pedro in North Port, St. Michael in Wauchula, and St. Leo Parish in Bonita Springs.
Gloria said having sites at these Parishes allows the community to come to a central point they trust, and the flexibility of Catholic Charities allows the organization to address needs on a moment’s notice. This means that as areas got drinkable water and power back, the needs changed from emergency rations and water to food that can be cooked, as well as cleaning supplies and diapers.
“If there is a need and we don’t have something there, we reach out to our disaster response partners to find a solution,” Gloria said.
As Gloria noted earlier, the sites will transition into disaster recovery centers where support staff will directly help families address pressing needs more efficiently.
If you are in need
Please visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org. There you will find an updated list of distribution points for supplies. This list is updated at the end of each day and will change often as the focus of the recovery shifts and the different needs are understood.
Monetary donations
For those interested in making a donation to the Diocesan response to Hurricane Ian, please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/hurricaneian, or send a check to Diocese of Venice in Florida, ATTN: Hurricane Ian Relief, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285.
Volunteering, donating supplies
For those interested in volunteering or if you wish to bring needed supplies (food, water, diapers, new clothing/footwear for children and adults), you can go to Catholic Charities distributions points (www.catholiccharitiesdov.org). If you are driving into the hardest hit areas, gasoline supplies remain limited. Also, contact your local Parish to learn if a specific donation drive is taking place.
The Diocese of Venice extends its thanks to everyone for their continued prayers and outpouring of support as the recovery from Hurricane Ian continues.
By Oct. 10, all but four of the 15 Diocesan Catholic schools had reopened, with the exceptions being St Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte, St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral, along with St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Bishop Verot Catholic High School, both in Fort Myers. Each of those schools had some damage and are expected to resume classes by Oct. 18. The delays in reopening were primarily due to a lack of power and reliable drinking water in the impacted areas.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane is calling on to continue to support the efforts of the Diocese of Venice and Catholic Charities in response to the destruction of Hurricane Ian. Several Parishes have lost Church buildings, and others have facilities severely damaged by the storm. In addition, many people throughout the region have endured significant suffering. To respond to these calamities, Parishes in the Diocese of Venice will take up a special collection the weekend of Oct. 22-23, 2022. The collection will help provide for the pastoral and reconstruction needs of the Church, as well as the efforts of Catholic Charities in providing both immediate and long-term assistance to those impacted. It is asked that, in face of such significant loss, those who are able consider donating to help our brothers and sisters in Christ in their time of great need.
Father Leo Frechette, who was a retired priest that assisted at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Avon Park since 2007, died at the age of 93 in Sebring on Oct. 5, 2022. Father Frechette was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1955, and was a priest of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire where he served for 40 years until his retirement in 1995. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Oct. 13, 2022, at Our Lady of Grace Parish.
The 2022 Diocesan Rosary Congress was a huge success, even with Hurricane Ian causing a few Parishes to cancel or alter their participation. Initially, 19 Parishes were registered to offer a 24-hour period of Eucharistic Adoration, hourly praying of the rosary and the celebration of the Mass. Diocesan Evangelization Director James Gontis said that while five of 19 Parishes were forced to cancel their participation because of Ian, the balance enthusiastically stayed a part of the Congress. “It was a beautiful outpouring of Faith at each location,” Gontis said, noting several had large groups while others ensured that each hour of the 24 was covered by at least one person.
Recognizing that this is a time of suffering and trial for many, we continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Ian. As we move forward with the mission of Christ in the Diocese of Venice, we hope you will join us at the “Together in Holiness” Marriage Conference, presented in partnership with the Diocese of Venice Office of Family Life and the St. John Paul II Foundation, is Saturday, Oct. 22. To register for the conference , please visit 
In the wake of the storm’s passage, the response to Ian from Diocesan officials has been swift and unrelenting with teams assessing damage and organizing relief efforts spearheaded by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. The result has been nothing short of amazing as damage is being mitigated or even repaired, while distribution points for disaster relief (water and food) have been set up in five counties.
Parishes in the far northern and eastern parts of the Diocese were overall spared the most serve parts of Ian’s wrath and were able to resume normal schedules quickly while other Parishes were opened to the faithful to pray on a limited basis when it was safe. Still others have not yet reopened.
“The area suffered a great deal because of Ian, and a lot of people are much worse off than others, but still, we gather together in prayer to ask God’s blessing; that He place His healing hand upon all who suffer as a result of Hurricane Ian,” Bishop Dewane said during the opening of Mass at San Pedro.
Garvey and his family escaped the storm a bit dazed and with a few minor scrapes and bruises. While devastated by the destruction of his home, he was amazed when several good Samaritans came by and put a tarp on his roof and helped clean out the house of broken furniture. “We are blessed. We are alive. I can’t ask for more.”
Meanwhile, work crews are arriving daily at Parishes and Schools to help mitigate any further damage and make estimates on what work needs to be done to get churches and other facilities repaired as quickly as possible. Diocesan teams are already working to temporarily fix roofs by clearing debris and sealing them while also airing out interiors of structures that had water intrusion.
The most serious damage was at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice, with one section of roof torn off with ensuing water damage to first and second floor classrooms. Other damage at schools included leaky roofs and walls, damaged fencing and other impacts from winds and debris. While all 15 schools closed ahead of Ian, by Oct. 5, six had reopened with Father Belmonte expecting more to open soon.
Since that time, Catholic Charities has set up 8 Hurricane Ian disaster response Points of Distribution (POD), helping to bring water, food and aid to those who need it. Arcadia, Cape Coral, Wauchula, Naples, Bonita Springs and North Port each have one location, and there are three in Fort Myers. Additional unofficial distribution points have opened as the need has increased in parts of Lee and Charlotte counties.
Nearly all of the Catholic Charities workers and volunteers helping to distribute emergency supplies in Fort Myers had some sort of damage from Ian. Few had power or drinkable water. One worker lost his home when storm surge came up the Caloosahatchee River into Fort Myers. Someone who has an Airbnb home in Ave Maria offered their place for the rest of October for free.
At the Centro Juan Diego Catholic Charities offices in Bonita Springs next to St. Leo the Great Parish, the scene was similar with a huge number of vehicles arriving early in the morning before the POD was operational and staffed.
River flooding of low-lying areas and standing water has made travel difficult, especially when Interstate 75 was closed in North Port for more than a day and the U.S. 41 bridges in Punta Gorda for several days.
As for the faculty, Father Belmonte said that as of Oct. 4, a number had catastrophic damage to homes, while many others have some damage. It is for this reason that some of the schools that are safe to open, are slightly delayed in that process.
Father Patrick O’Connor, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales and Pastor of Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers, decided to ride out the storm inside the Parish church with Parochial Vicar Father Jose del Olmo. This was safe a bet because the new church was completed in 2011 to the highest standards. The area around the church is a very poor migrant community with many manufactured homes or houses built in the 1950s. Because many sought safety in the church when Hurricane Irma approached in 2017, Father O’Connor posted on all the doors of the church and Parish offices a list of nearby shelters. When the storm began most went to shelters, but when it got worse, the church was the safest place.
“It was crazy!” Father O’Connor explained. “Lots of families… We could not even open most of the doors because of the wind.” Everyone was safe as the church came through unscathed. However, the Parish Hall lost roof tiles, and San Jose Mission in South Fort Myers, which is administered by Jesus the Worker, was inundated with flood waters. In the days after the storm passed, volunteers cleaned out the Mission church and hall as best they could. Since then, the Parish has a been abuzz with activity of relief efforts to help the community with needed emergency supplies with the assistance of several organizations, including Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.
Nestled due east of Bradenton, St. Michael Parish in Wauchula sits in Hardee County, a rural community that prides itself on independence and resilience in times of adversity. Hurricane Ian has been the toughest challenge so far, but the spirit of the people remains strong as many families recover from the double hit of wind damage followed soon after by massive river flooding which caused hundreds to lose their homes to the Peace River. The Parish has a robust food pantry which is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers and the religious sisters who serve the community, Servant Sisters of the Virgin of Matara. With power out, it became clear that the food in the freezers would not last. So, a barbecue was planned for the night after the storm on Sept. 29. This was such a huge success; hot meals have been served each night since. Families emptied their own refrigerators and freezers before the food spoiled so the food was plentiful. Despite not having electricity, parish volunteers utilized a propane-powered stove and oven, outdoor grills and battery-powered lanterns to cook a hot meal each day following the hurricane. Outside large pots of pasta boiled while lasagna cooked in the kitchen of the Parish Hall. Since the storm, about 420 hot meals have been served each night. During the day, as more and more relief supplies arrive, distributions are taking place helping people get through each day.
When three semitrailers full of supplies arrived at St. Katharine Drexel parish in Cape Coral on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and no forklifts were to be seen, a call went out for help. And help arrived in the form of dozens of volunteers, including many from the Parish Youth Outreach. These teens stepped up to help. The Cape Coral region experienced extreme damage and flooding and, even a week later, less than 20 percent of the city had power and few had drinkable water. The supplies being unloaded were desperately needed, even by some of the teens helping. Pastor Father Ricky Varner praised the youth for assisting in the difficult conditions.
Some of the worst damage in the northern portions of the Diocese was to the roof of Incarnation Parish Church. Large chunks of copper roofing peeled off and were scattered everywhere. Some landed in the parking lot, others into carefully manicured gardens. One large piece that flew off the church building landed in a prayer garden where a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands and can be seen through a window as the faithful enter church. A post on social media from the Parish read: “Several large pieces fell here surrounding our Blessed Mother statue, but thankfully causing no harm!”
St. Vincent de Paul Society in Naples delivered Meals on Wheels amid Hurricane Ian’s destruction. Thanks to volunteers and staff, the Society was able to deliver shelf stable food to those who rely on Meals on Wheels for their daily meals. The Society posted to social media a day after Ian passed, “The destruction that was seen while delivering was truly heartbreaking.”
“Catholic Charities and The Diocese of Venice are working together to ensure that we are doing all we can,” said the Bishop Frank J. Dewane. “There are many in need of help, and we are grateful for those who have volunteered their time, talents, or resources in the service of our brothers and sisters in need. Please join me in continuing to pray for the safety and recovery of those affected by the hurricane, and for all the first responders and helpers. May God bless you.”
These emergency plans were established to create policies to ensure an ease of preparation when tropical weather threatens. This includes checklists and basic guidance 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.
The men, who are from across the Diocese, are in the third year of a five-year formation program to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Venice. The Rite of Candidacy is an important step that leads to the diaconate. It is a public recognition on the part of the Church that these men are indeed pursuing path, that God willing, leads them to Holy Order and the Permanent Diaconate.
Bishop Dewane said that, like the disciples, the diaconate candidates are undergoing a spiritual journey, diving into the vocation in greater depth in knowing, loving, and following Jesus as never before.
