Three-quarters of the way through the Diocesan Phase of “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” and the feedback reflects the passion the faithful have for the Universal Church.
Participants come to the Diocesan Listening Sessions focused and ready to share where they believe the Holy Spirit is guiding the Church today. The latest Listening Sessions took place in Naples on March 24, 2022, at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish and March 28 at St. John the Evangelist Parish. Discussions were both positive and passionate.
The format of the Listening Sessions includes an opening prayer and brief remarks from Bishop Frank J. Dewane, with the focus shifting to lively table discussions. Each Session concentrates on questions inspired by 10 Synod themes supplied by the Vatican. Participants are also able to share additional comments privately through the Synod email, synod@dioceseofvenice.org.
Among the 10 themes under consideration is “Sharing Responsibility.” This is described by the Synod as follows: “The synodal process calls each member of the People of God to equally participate and take responsibility for the method of listening and dialogue being called by the Spirit. The participation of each member of the faithful is required to further the mission of the Church.” Other themes include: “Companions on the Journey,” “Listening,” “Speaking Out,” “Celebration,” and more.
Bishop Dewane has stressed during each Session how important it is to respond to the Synod, and the questions posed, in the context of what the Holy Spirit is asking of us, and can only be accomplished with an open heart, mind and soul. Bishop Dewane encouraged the faithful in attendance to share their dreams for the Church, and when the floor was open for a free discussion, many shared their hopes and dreams for the Universal Church.
Each session is being recorded to allow for proper documentation. The information gathered at the Diocesan Listening Sessions, as well as from direct or follow-up comments from the faithful, will be synthesized into a document which will be shared with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and ultimately the Vatican. Similar Listening Sessions are being held across the country and around the globe.
The St. Elizabeth Seton and St. John the Evangelist Listening Sessions were the seventh and eighth of 12 planned through May. Due to Holy Week and the Easter celebrations, the next Listening Sessions will take place in May in Sebring, Naples and LaBelle. Locations for the Sessions were selected based on geography and population to cover as much of the Diocese as possible.
For additional Synod details, please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org. To register for any of the Listening Sessions, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/2022-synod-listening-sessions.
“For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission”
Listing of 12 Diocese of Venice Listening Sessions
- (Completed) Feb. 9, St. Thomas More Parish, Sarasota (Eng.);
- (Completed) Feb. 16, Epiphany Cathedral, Venice (Eng./Sp.);
- (Completed) Feb. 22, Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish, Bradenton (Eng./Sp.);
- (Completed) March 3, St. Andrew Parish, Cape Coral (Eng./Sp.);
- (Completed) March 14, St. John XXIII Parish, Fort Myers (Eng.);
- (Completed) March 16, Sacred Heart Parish, Punta Gorda (Eng.);
- (Completed) March 24; St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, 5225, Golden Gate Parkway, Naples (Eng./Sp.).
- (Completed) March 28, St. John the Evangelist Parish, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples (Eng.);
- Monday, May 9, St. Catherine Parish, 820 Hickory St., Sebring (Eng./Sp);
- Monday, May 16, St. Agnes Parish, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Naples (Eng.);
- Monday, May 23, Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish, 355 S. Bridge St., LaBelle (Eng./Sp);
- Virtual Session from 10:30 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, May 25.
To register for a Listening Session of the Virtual Session, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.regfox.com/2022-synod-listening-sessions. Email synod@dioceseofvenice.org for any questions or comments regarding the Listening Sessions.
Diocese of Venice Seminarians Michael Young and Alan Baldarelli Jr. will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate, along with nine others, at 11 a.m. April 2, 2022, at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Boynton Beach. Young is studying at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, while Baldarelli is studying at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. Presiding over the ordination is Bishop David Toups of the Diocese of Beaumont. The liturgy will be livestreamed at www.svdp.edu/live. As newly ordained Transitional Deacons, these men will be assigned to Parishes where they will exercise their ministry in preparation to become priests. Among many duties, they will preach, perform baptisms, witness marriages, as well as preside over wakes and funerals. Please join in praying for Michael and Alan as they take this important step in their vocational journey.
St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala & Auction was a great success in Naples on March 26, 2022. Parents, priests, parishioners, and other supporters attended the event at the Spirit Center of St. Peter the Apostle Parish. It was a fun night of fellowship, dinner, music and dancing with silent and live auctions, and a Call to the Heart to fund a second Kindergarten classroom in the fall. Demand for enrollment at Seton is at an all-time high creating a great need for additional classroom and administrative space. The event raised approximately $200,000 benefiting the school’s ongoing Campus Expansion Program to meet the needs of the many families desiring quality Catholic education for their children. For more information about the school’s expansion plans, visit www.Saintelizabethseton.com/Giving.
Immaculée Ilibagiza, a Rwandan genocide survivor and author, was the guest speaker at the annual Faith & Ale – Faith & Wine Joint Event in Lee County at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers on March 24, 2022. Approximately 650 heard Immaculée’s presentation as she shared her amazing story of being a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. In addition to sharing the details of having lost her parents and brothers, her message centered around the topic of faith, hope and forgiveness. Faith & Wine Lee County is a Catholic faith lay-group which unites women of all backgrounds. A related program, Faith & Ale, is a Catholic men’s group and will host its final gathering of the season on April 21 at St. John XXIII Parish, 13060 Palomino Lane, Fort Myers, for a presentation by Dan Hesse on the topic, “Can Catholic Values Save Capitalism?” Hesse is a retired CEO of AT&T Wireless Services and Sprint. The program begins at 6 p.m., with pizza and refreshments for a $10 donation. Reservations are required – please register online at www.faithandale.com.
Second grade students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton completed a biography research project on March 25, 2022, which included making a presentation and dressing up as the historical figure they researched. The students also created posters, a wax museum and essays about the person. Among the historical figures chosen were Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Race for the Roses Gala, benefiting Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, was held March 25, 2022, at the Grove in Lakewood Ranch. Supporters dressed in their favorite outfits fit for a day at the Kentucky Derby. Proceeds were targeting the creation of a new science and physics labs. Ginger Judge was this year’s recipient of the School Sister’s of Notre Dame Award for her continuous support of Cardinal Mooney.
The girls track team of Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish came home from the Immokalee Meet on March 23, 2022, with seven gold medals, two silvers, five bronzes and winning the meet overall! The boy’s team did well, too, earning multiple medals and an overall third place team finish. Special recognition goes to Freshman Izzy Meyer who brought home three gold medals. The results are impressive taking into account this is only the second year the school has had a track team.
On March 28, 2022, students at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral partnered with the St. Vincent de Paul Society to create “care packages” for the needy of Southwest Florida. The students had been collecting the items for weeks leading up to a packing session. Items included various products that promote personal hygiene.
The Consecration will take place at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice, beginning at noon with the Prayer of Consecration and followed by the Mass. All are invited to participate. The Consecration and Mass will also be livestreamed via Facebook.
The 2021 Catholic Charities Annual Report was released in March 2022 detailing the dollars spent and reflecting on the stories of the lives that were positively impacted through the social service agency in the 10-county area.
Catholic Charities, Inc., Diocese of Venice, reevaluated the areas of need and created a new set of priorities to ensure that all of the services offered remained on target to fulfill the changing needs of our community. These priorities were established to continue the mission of Catholic Charities and offer services to have the most significant impact.
The Holy Father said his hope is that we can recover “a sense of universal fraternity and refuse to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents millions of men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of our human dignity.” This highlight of hope by the Holy Father comes at a time of war in the Ukraine.
The Holy Father said that a significant step on this journey was already taken with the celebration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016), “which allowed us to appreciate anew all the power and tenderness of the Father’s merciful love, in order to become, in turn, its witness.”
All are invited to attend the program which is co-sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. The presentation will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3, 2022, in the ballroom of St. John the Evangelist Parish, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
“His message to my synagogue in 2004 went on to develop the idea of the encounter between the individual and God, and of the importance of memory in that relationship. He alluded to the essence of Jewish belief expressed during this most holy season, the Days of Awe: to believe in the Creator who relates to each person and remembers each individual. In fact, I was astonished to hear this sermon. (His) message on this occasion could well have been the reflections of a Rabbi to his community.”
The faithful taking part in the Diocesan Listening Sessions come prepared to answer the fundamental concept of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today. The latest Listening Sessions took place March 14, 2022, at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers and March 16 at Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda. The feedback continues to be both positive and passionate.
Bishop Dewane has stressed during each Session how important it is to respond to the Synod, and the questions posed, in the context of what the Holy Spirit is asking of us, and can only be accomplished with an open heart, mind and soul.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass on March 12, 2022, 15 years to the day the Bishop erected St. Agnes as a Parish, which had been a Mission of St. John the Evangelist Parish from 1999 to 2007.
Bishop Dewane spoke about how it is appropriate to celebrate milestones in the life of a Parish, pausing to look back at what has been accomplished and to look forward to where the Parish is going, particularly, one that continues to grow. The Bishop reflected how the Parish was able to overcome considerable debt in its early years thanks to the generosity of the faithful who had confidence in the vision of Father Kantor and his advisors.
On March 11, 2022, the student body of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota participated in praying a living rosary as a lead up to Spring Break. A living rosary consists of people representing each bead of the rosary. Each person then leads one prayer of the rosary. Different grade levels represented different decades, including one in Spanish. This was the last group gathering for the students before going on Spring Break.
St. John Neumann Catholic High School students, along with Sister April Hoffman, FMA, attended the Salesian Leadership Retreat the week of March 7-11, 2022. The retreat is run by the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, which is the same religious order that leads Neumann. The group stopped in Hoboken, N.J., for a little sightseeing excursion before traveling to Haledon to meet up with more of the Salesian family. While on the retreat, the warm-weather Neumann Celtics also got a taste of snow during a tour of New York City.
Local artist, Marcus Zotter, is at it again. He painted another amazing mural on an interior wall of the St. Ann Catholic School library. The artwork incorporates the images of five current students. Earlier in the school year, Zotter created a dolphin-themed mural on a nearby exterior wall.
1st Graders at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota conducted an Easter Egg Gravity Investigation on March 11, 2022. The young scientists have been learning about gravity and after making their predictions, they did a variety of tests with different types of fresh and plastic eggs on a ramp, at varying levels and kept track of the results in a data table.
Three sixth grade girls represented St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton as the first ever Battle of the Books Team. The students were Anya, Bailey, and Kimberly. On March 11, 2022, the team competed against other Manatee County Schools at Braden River High School. Teams earned points by answering questions about the 15 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Books for 2021-2022. As first-time competitors, the St. Joseph girls took third place. Congratulations!
