On a recent beautiful Saturday, 350 Catholic women consciously chose to take part in a Conference that would not only encourage but guide them as they continue to become more the Women of God they are called to be.
The 2021 Diocese of Venice Women’s Conference was held March 13, 2021 at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers and featured a day of rousing talks and the opportunity to be together amongst other women of Faith.
Roberta Bunch of Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers was thrilled to be able to attend the event with so many other like-minded and motivated women.
“I really wanted to be here so I could get some insight into how to keep up my passion for Christ,” Bunch said, noting it was the first large gathering she had been to in more than a year. “Each part of the day struck me in different ways. Truly wonderful. My heart is filled with joy.”
Bishop Frank J. Dewane praised the women for taking time out of their busy lives to participate in the Conference, something he is confident the Lord sees.
“Because of this, you have been given a mission in the Church as the peacemakers,” Bishop Dewane continued. “You can do so much. Your love is undeniable. Know the Lord will give you the rest – the strength, humility and honesty to set you on a new direction, changing who you are as a Woman of God.”
The Conference featured acclaimed speakers Kimberly Hahn and Mary Ann Weisinger-Puig. Both focused on the importance of placing one’s trust in the Lord and being hope-filled women.
Hahn explained that hope is a “confidence in the Lord’s presence and His power. Hope is about placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength but on the help and grace of the Holy Spirit.”
Weisinger-Puig spoke about key women throughout Church history who should be looked up to as “radiant witnesses to God’s love.” Examples included St. Joan of Arc and St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (St. Edith Stein), to name a few. The final woman covered was Servant of God Chiara Corbella Petrillo. An Italian woman who had carried two children to term even though she knew they would die shortly after birth. During her third pregnancy she was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer but chose the life of the unborn child over undergoing any invasive treatments. Her son was born healthy, but she died within a year, in 2012, at the age of 28.
New to the Conference was a question and answer session with Bishop Dewane joining Hahn and Weisinger-Puig. Questions covered issues raised in the earlier presentations, but one poignant moment came when the panel was asked for advice on how to respond when a family member strays from the Faith.
The Conference opened with Eucharistic Adoration, which continued throughout the day in a nearby classroom. The opportunity for Confession was also available all day. Aspects of the Conference were adapted this year to comply with social distancing requirements necessitated by the Pandemic. These included extra space for seating during the talks and lunch, as well as limiting the total number of participants.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane continued celebrating Mass for students in Diocese of Venice Catholic schools with the latest stop on March 16, 2021, at the Donahue Academy of Ave Maria. During these Masses, Bishop Dewane stressed how the Lenten Season is a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as we prepare to celebrate the Paschal Mystery of our Faith.
The celebration of their achievement of commitment and living out the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony came in the form of the annual Diocesan Masses honoring couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries. The time for reflection came afterwards when the massive number of years the combined couples have been married was announced: 14,747.
“The challenge is to do what Christ asks,” Bishop Frank J. Dewane told students during a number of Lenten Masses he celebrated at schools throughout the Diocese of Venice in early March. “We need to take seriously our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving, following the example of Christ.”
Each Lent, Bishop Dewane takes the time to celebrate Mass at as many Diocesan Catholic schools as possible. The goal is not only to highlight the importance of the Lenten Season, but to also show support for the students and schools as they continue through their academic year.
The Bishop celebrated Masses for students at St. John Neumann Catholic High School and St. Ann Catholic School in Naples on March 3, 2021; for St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Naples on March 4; and then for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte on March 5. Additional Masses will take place later in March.
The temporary shuttering of churches for public Mass and ongoing health and safety concerns about meetings or classes could have dramatically impacted those seeking to enter the Catholic Church through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
This response to the Lord does not end at the Easter Vigil (April 4), the Bishop continued, but that response must continue to “change who you are as men and women of God.”
The Rite of Election also is called the enrollment of names, because each catechumen writes his or her name in the Book of the Elect. When the catechumens from each Parish were called forward, a sheet with the signed names was presented to the Bishop. Instead of shaking hands with each catechumen, as was done in past years, this year Bishop Dewane welcomed them with a respectful bow.
One major step in this journey occurred on Feb. 21, 2021, when the Rite of Election was held on the first Sunday of Lent. This annual tradition is a formal Rite in which catechumens are presented and their names are entered into the Book of Elect. Candidates are also present as part of their calling to continuing conversion.
“My prayer is that you are here today because you are convinced in your mind, heart and, most importantly, your soul, that the Catholic Church offers you the fullness of Christianity in a very clear way, and you are content and are willing to live it out in that way,” the Bishop stated.
To accommodate social distancing, sponsors did not sit or stand next to their catechumens this year unless they were spouses or members of the same household. During the Act of Admission, sponsors extended a hand toward their catechumen, instead of placing a hand on the catechumen’s shoulder, as in past years.
After completing the Rite of Election, the catechumens continue their spiritual formation throughout the remainder of Lent, a period of purification and enlightenment – the final, intense preparation for the reception at the Easter Vigil of the Sacrament of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist.
