Bob Reddy – Florida Catholic
This year marks the 81st anniversary of “Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.” It was on the night of Nov. 9, 1938, when members of the Nazi party attacked Jewish persons and destroyed Jewish owned property in Germany and Austria. Kristallnacht is generally regarded as the beginning of the Holocaust in Europe which ultimately led to the murder of more than six million Jews.
To commemorate those events, the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County hosted its annual “Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass” Nov. 17 at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples. The event, now in its 16th year, was co-sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples.
On behalf of the Diocese, Bishop Frank J. Dewane said that while Kristallnacht may seem like the distant past, the threat remains. Bishop Dewane quoted Pope Francis who recently expressed his concern about reports of escalating anti-Semitic violence around the world, even in the United States, including acts of vandalism.
“It is as if we are beginning again and that some glass might be shattering,” the Bishop continued. “We gather so the past is not forgotten or still worse allowed to be denied by some. We gather to remember the lives, the human beings, that were lost to the senselessness that occurred. Inhumane violence of another time. In so doing, we strive to prevent, by our gathering, the recurrence of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.”
The keynote speaker was Rabbi Stephen Fuchs of the Bat Yam Temple of the Islands on Sanibel. Rabbi Fuchs’ spoke about his father, a victim of Kristallnacht who was arrested and sent to Dachau concentration camp. He was fortunate to have escaped with his life, unlike the more than six million Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust.
“We cannot undo the past,” Rabbi Fuchs said. “The future is ours to share. What kind of future will it be? The answer is in our hands.”
In a moving tribute, survivors of the Holocaust lit candles in honor of those Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust. A candle was also lit by second- and third-generation survivors. The candles served as a symbolic commitment that those in attendance are responsible for one another and there is no room in the world for hatred. And to say “Never Again!”
The nearly 150 prison outreach volunteers were recognized for their work by Bishop Frank J. Dewane during a Mass of Appreciation on Nov. 8 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Port Charlotte. The outreach provides a variety of services, including Bible study, religious education and assistance with receiving the sacraments such as Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
The group was also blessed to have two special guests, Florida Department of Corrections State Chaplaincy Administrator Johnny Frambo and Chaplain Father Severyn Kovalyshin of State Region 3 (which includes the entire Diocese).
Ice comes to the University with a deep passion for Catholic, liberal arts education, many years of experience as an executive in the corporate and private sectors as well as Catholic non-profit organizations, with an impressive background of fundraising in Catholic higher education at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He currently serves as chief executive officer of Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph (Missouri), a position he has held since 2017. Ice and his wife, Mary, are parents of seven children ages 10 to 29, and grandparents of one.
For this reason, Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the Permanent Deacons and their wives to participate in a Memorial Mass each year as a time to pray for, honor and remember the Deacons and their wives who have passed away. The 2019 Mass was celebrated on Nov. 5 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. Today, there are more than 75 Permanent Deacons, many seasonal, living and serving throughout the Diocese.
The closing Mass was celebrated at nearby Sacred Heart Church. A time for Eucharistic Adoration led by the Bishop was followed by a public Eucharistic Procession through the streets of downtown Punta Gorda as the youth recited the Holy Rosary and sang hymns. At the church, to accommodate the vast number of participants, an overflow of youth was ushered into the Parish Hall where the Mass where the was live-streamed.
The Taylor Tripodi Band performed throughout the day, opening the Youth Rally and then performing leading up to adoration. Taylor explained that she uses her talents as a singer and a musician to glorify the Lord and to inspire others to feel the same way she does about her faith. The band also served as musicians during the closing Mass.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane noted the Mass was celebrated at the historic location, in front of a Holy Eucharistic Memorial, which was built in the 1960s to commemorate the 1539 Spanish Expedition of Hernando de Soto. The group purportedly landed nearby and included 12 priests and two brothers. Appropriately, there were 12 concelebrating priests and two deacons present for the Mass.
“You must publicly respond and live the answer as a Disciple,” the Bishop continued. “Do this by setting an example to those around you so that others – through your invitation, through your example, through your words, and through your deeds – can understand your answer.”
Bishop Dewane praised the Knights and Dames for their commitment to the protection of the Holy Land and for having courage to stand up as examples of men and women of faith who through their thoughts and hearts commit to service in response to the call of the Lord.
The Mass, which was celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane and concelebrated by priests from the area, invokes the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit upon those in the legal community.
Bishop Dewane acknowledged that while those in the legal profession may serve the legal system in different ways, they first and foremost serve the Lord. The Red Mass serves as a poignant reminder, to those who participate, about who they are and from where they originate.
