The newly completed Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be dedicated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at 11:30 a.m., June 6, 2021 at the Retreat Center, 3989 S. Moon Drive, Venice.
The dedication will be followed by a barbecue lunch. All are invited to attend this special event in the life of the Diocese of Venice. However, space is limited and RSVP for the dedication is required via the website at https://olph-retreat.org/shrine-dedication-bbq or by calling 941-486-0233. There is no cost to attend, however donations are appreciated.
The Shrine memorializes Redemptorist Father Charlie Mallen, the founding director of the Retreat Center, known by most as OLPH, and is next to the Bell Tower, along a path which leads in one direction to nearby St. Joseph Chapel and in the other direction to the outdoor Stations of the Cross.
Father Mark Yavarone, OVM, Retreat Center Director of Spirituality, explained that the lake at the center of our property is called the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament, chosen by Father Mallen because he knew that the Eucharist was the center of the activity of the Church and the Retreat Center.
“The Blessed Sacrament, reserved in two places at our center, continues to be our retreatants’ favorite prayer setting,” Father Yavarone said. “It is fitting to have the beautiful Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help close to the chapel and facing the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament. This location speaks of the closeness of Mary to Jesus in the Eucharist. At the back of the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, the crucifix and the plaque memorializing Father Charlie complete the shrine beautifully.
Sometimes we need to go to Mary in a very tangible way, and the new outdoor shrine affords this opportunity. Also, many of our retreatants have a strong sense that God speaks through nature, and they like to pray outdoors, particularly during good weather. We see many retreatants stopping at the shrine and briefly visiting Mary; many also pray there for longer periods of time.”
The main feature of the Shrine, the monument, is made of 15,000 pounds of Oolitic limestone. In a niche is a one-ton marble statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help as the centerpiece with a small waterfall at Mary’s feet which is lit at night to striking effect. The reverse side of the limestone has a crucifix. Several Italian cypress trees produce a vaulted cathedral effect. Limestone was used to create a series of benches, each weighing two-tons. The stairs and floor of the Shrine are made of keystone, and the ramp access is made of travertine.
OLPH sits along the Myakka River and is the main retreat center for the Diocese of Venice. The groundbreaking took place in 1995, with the first buildings opening later in the year. The site includes a conference center, villas for overnight guests, a dining center and chapel. In addition to the seven buildings on-site, retreatants have the opportunity to spend time enjoying the beautiful grounds which include the Way of the Cross, the Rosary Walk and the prayer decks located along the riverbank.
OLPH offers a variety of opportunities for people seeking solace and prayer. The public is welcome to visit the grounds during the week and there are Monthly Days of Prayer. The center also offers group retreats of a few days duration that are open to the public. There are also one-on-one retreats that last one, three, five, eight, or 30 days. These include lots of time for prayer and reflection, daily meetings with a priest, and availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Mass is also celebrated daily with all of these retreats, usually at 11:15 a.m. The schedule for retreats can be found by visiting www.olph-retreat.org, and clicking on “Schedule of Events.”
Bishop Frank J. Dewane led a blessing and groundbreaking ceremony on April 28, 2021 with a group of about 25 parishioners present to cheer on the project.
The new Parish Center will be approximately 30,000 square-feet, include two auditoriums and a pre-function space, classrooms, offices, conference rooms, catering kitchen and elevator. The project is expected to take a year.
Bishop Dewane began the groundbreaking with a brief prayer service, as well as blessing the construction site with holy water. As a continuation of the groundbreaking, Bishop joined Father Ratzmann, as well as representatives of the contractors and a few dignitaries, to turn dirt with special shovels.
The installation of a new tabernacle is an important moment for a Parish and was so at St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral on Jan. 23, 2021. For the occasion, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass, during which he blessed the new tabernacle and a new monstrance.
The tabernacle is gold plated with silver inlay. It has an image of the Resurrected Christ on the front, angels on the side, and a symbol of the Holy Trinity on the reverse. The two-sided tabernacle is needed as the Church is designed with the main worship space on one side of a glass wall, and a Chapel on the other side. The tabernacle is at the center of the wall behind the main altar. This dividing wall displays frosted glass images of various saints. A custom glass partition will be installed soon to complete the work in the sanctuary.
Since its installation, the faithful have taken the opportunity to take images of the new tabernacle.
That mission was celebrated with a dedication and blessing ceremony of the Outreach Center by Bishop Frank J. Dewane on Nov. 21, 2020. Participating in the ceremony were staff, volunteers, supporters and local government officials (including Hardee County Manager Lawrence McNaul), as well as the Servant Sisters of the Virgin Matara, the religious sisters who serve at St. Michael Parish. Among the supporters’ present were members of the Our Lady of the Angels Knights of Columbus.
As part of the ceremony, a prayer service, which included Bishop Dewane first incensing the exterior and interior of the building as well as blessing the building with holy water. The was followed by comments for key people involved in the Outreach Center.
Another example of a need is that of musical instruments. Thanks to a donation of a grand piano, the Outreach Center does offer piano lessons. However, only a few children are learning to play, while other music lessons are limited to teaching basic notes and rhythm. The wish list includes Yamaha electric pianos (with headphones) as well as other instruments, so as more children can learn at the same time.
Warring lost her husband of 58 years in 2016 when Sammy was nearly 3 years old and the two have been nearly inseparable since. The companionship has been valued more since the pandemic began, which is why Warring wanted to be certain Sammy received a proper blessing with Holy Water from Deacon Jack Milholland.
Donivan spent 40 years at Cardinal Mooney, first as a coach and then athletic director and coached a number of teams before taking over as director of athletics. During his time at Mooney, Donivan coached boy’s basketball for 21 years, started and coached the track and field program, coached cross country and JV football and did so much more to promote athletics at the school.
The blessing was led by Mooney Chaplain Father Eric Scanlan on a cold and windy night. Present for the blessing were Donivan and members of his family, as well as students, faculty and staff and alumni.
Lento said student choose Cardinal Mooney for a learning experience that will help them to prepare for a bright future in college, and the extensive use of technology is a big factor in that decision. With the new Learning Center “Cardinal Mooney has now upped the ante… I thank the Baird family and the Gail Baird Foundation for renovating this facility and for bettering the quality of our learning environment.”
On Jan. 5, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Feast Day of Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Bishop Frank J. Dewane presided over a tri-lingual Mass (English, Spanish and Polish). This annual tradition includes the different language communities that are based at the Cathedral. At the beginning of the Mass, Bishop Dewane blessed the Cathedral where it is inscribed 20+C+M+B+20 (the year and the initials of the three magi) above the main interior entrance to the Church.
The anticipation for the opening was so strong that a line of people was ready to peruse the wide selection of merchandise in the store nearly two hours before the scheduled grand opening on Nov. 9.
Father Timothy Navin, Pastor of San Marco Parish, blessed the new store and participated in the ribbon-cutting. “This is very impressive.”
It is hoped that the new store will enable the Council to “ramp up” aid to the needy through expansion into new programs and restoration of others which were cut back in response to the revenue losses, Granda explained. “I am hopeful the store will help provide some of this needed income so that we can continue our many programs to aid the poor in our area,” he said.
