For the second time in as many months, the Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (VDCCW) has started a new Council, this one in Naples.
On June 8, 2022, the new St. Ann Parish Council of Catholic Women in Naples was established. A slate of officers was installed during a ceremony presided over by Father William Davis, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, and Pastor of the Parish. The installation followed a Mass and the praying of the Holy Rosary. The newly installed officers are Co-President Andrea Keefe, Co-President Shannon Radosti, Vice President Lisa McGowan, and Treasurer Joanne Irene.
After the installation, the ladies held their first formal meeting and were welcomed to the CCW family by Brenda Dolan, who is the Florida CCW President/Province Director-Elect. Dolan spoke about the CCW mission and sisterhood of the organization.
Later, Anne DeCamillo, President of St. William Parish Council, spoke about the history of Saint William CCW and its vibrancy serving as an inspiration to the women who ultimately formed the St. Ann Parish CCW.
As part of the kick-off of the new Council, they had their first service event with a “diaper drive.” A representative from Community Pregnancy Clinics Inc. spoke to the group that evening to talk about how CPCI is helping women and saving lives and accepted the donation of the collected diapers. CPCI has locations in Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota and Gainesville, as well as mobile vans which serve in rural communities.
VDCCW President Josephine Weiss, who was also present to witness the birth of the new Council in Naples, said it is an exciting time for the VDCCW.
“We are proud of all the ladies in our Council of Catholic Women especially those who stepped up to serve in various positions on their boards,” Weiss said, adding another new Council is forming in Palmetto at Holy Cross Parish. The formal establishment of the Council is expected in the fall.
This good news follows the May reconstitution of the CCW at St. Catherine Parish in Sebring. The Council there had gone dormant for several years before reforming on May 7 with Father Jose Gonzalez, the Pastor, presiding.
Weiss confirmed that the VDCCW is going strong, with the new affiliates bringing the total to 18 VDCCW Councils in addition to a CCW Juniors program at St. Michael Parish in Wauchula. Meanwhile, new women are stepping into leadership positions, generously offering their talents to the running of Council activities.
For a group to become an affiliated VDCCW Parish Council, a petition must be submitted, and certain criteria must be met. Often, a Council is started when a group of women expresses interest in starting a Parish Council after learning about the VDCCW from others.
A Council forms with the support of the Parish Pastor/Administrator and is invited to participate in the numerous activities of the VDCCW and Parish Councils throughout the year.
Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women acts through its membership to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Council programs exude Gospel values and serve the needs of the Church and society in the modern world.
The VDCCW is a strong advocate of service in the community, volunteering their time, talent, and treasure to various efforts. There is special focus in supporting the Diocesan seminarians, the unborn and the homeless.
The U.S. CCW was founded in 1920 by the U.S. Bishops to provide all Catholic women a common voice and an instrument of unified action.
Wyatt Plattner, a recent graduate of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, won the 50th Southern Junior Championship at the Country Club of Charleston, South Carolina, on June 17, 2022. To take the title, Plattner notched four birdies on the back nine holes to post a final-round 67, earning a three-shot win in the 54-hole event at 9-under-par 201. The Mooney grad will play at the college level at the University of Cincinnati beginning this fall.
Catholic Charities Adoption Services is a state-wide agency that provides counseling to birth parents, and provisions or resources to meet the needs of birth parents considering adoption planning. If you or a loved one would like to learn more, please call Joan Pierse at 941-355-4680.
Venice, FL, June 24, 2022 — In God’s eyes, all human life is sacred, from conception to natural death; this is the teaching of the Catholic Church. The Church is pleased to hear of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson. This ruling now undoes the grave injustice of 1973, when Roe v. Wade decided that an entire class of human beings, the preborn, were outside the protection of the law. Now the states will once again have the opportunity to protect the lives of preborn children and in doing so, also protect millions of women from the tragic consequences of abortion. Of course, legal protection must be accompanied by more care for mothers and their children. The Catholic Church, and the Diocese of Venice, stand ready to help mothers in need. Pregnant women are not alone.
The Bishops of the United States are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The U.S Bishops believe that God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and sent out in mission “for the life of the world.”
It is appropriate that the week begins on such a day, as Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher are remembered for being martyred in 1535 for standing up for the Sanctity of Marriage and the Freedom of the Church in opposition to England’s King Henry VIII.
Pope Francis said Confirmation is a Sacrament which must be understood as a continuation of the faith journey, beginning with Baptism, along with the Eucharist, to constitute a single saving event – Christian initiation – “in which we are brought into Christ who died and rose again, and become new creatures and members of the Church.”
It should be noted that while the order of the Sacraments may have changed over time, Pope Francis said that “Confirmation, like every Sacrament, is not the work of men, but rather the work of God, Who takes care of our lives in order to mold us in the image of His Son, to make us able to love like Him. He infuses us with the Holy Spirit whose action pervades the whole person and all of life, as is shown by the Seven Gifts that Tradition, in the light of the Sacred Scriptures, has always made clear: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Knowledge, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord.”
The Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate is at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Holy Cross Parish, 506 26th St. W., Palmetto.
More than 30 people took part in the national “America Needs Fatima Rosary Rally” on June 4, 2022, in Fort Myers. The Rally was held at the corner of Daniels Parkway and Daniels Commerce Boulevard, and was focused on the Traditional Family and Public Prayers in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to end abortion, and. The threat of rain kept some away as the region was under a Tropical Storm Warning at the time. Rally organizer Toni Holmlund said the weather cooperated and most of the drivers passing by were supportive.
St. Mary Academy won the Family Living Magazine’s Reader’s Choice 2022 award for Best Special Education School in the area! Parents with special needs children often find that a typical classroom setting isn’t ideal for their child. They may have tried the traditional classroom setting only to have their child struggle and fall behind academically. Now, imagine finding that perfect school, one that meets your child’s particular needs. From the moment you visit the secure campus, you realize St. Mary Academy is a very unique environment. To learn more about St. Mary Academy, please visit 
Totus Tuus (a Latin phrase meaning “totally yours”) is a summer Catholic youth camp program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. The weeklong Parish summer catechetical camp program assists parents and parishes in evangelizing and catechizing youth by complementing the work they are already doing at the parish and at home. This summer the program will be offered at eight parishes in the Diocese of Venice. The camp program is for grades 1-5 Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for grades 6-12 Monday to Thursday from 7:30 p.m.to 9:45 p.m. Parishes hosting the program in the coming weeks are as follows:
These missionaries will lead the Totus Tuus Summer Camp, dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic Faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness, and Eucharistic worship. This program assists parents and Parishes in the evangelizing and catechizing of their youth by supplementing the work they are currently doing.
Additionally, Totus Tuus strives to bring an awareness of vocations in the young adults who serve as missionaries. Each missionary begins the day with morning prayer, praying the rosary and attending daily Mass. These missionaries serve as teachers for the camp by leading a small group of children or teens each day with lessons and activities to enhance the theme of prayer.
Ihlefeldt took part in Totus Tuus from second grade into high school and described it as the highlight of her summer. She loves singing, playing piano and guitar, reading, hiking, and of course, spending time with Our Lord.
