A Diocesan-wide Model UN Conference was hosted by Ave Maria University on Feb. 11, 2023, in Ave Maria.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass is support of the conference and later observed some of the sessions. During these sessions, the students are placed into committees where, representing a member nation, they discuss, debate and seek to find a resolution to a variety of issues, all of which are currently being discussed at the United Nations in New York.
Present for the conference were students from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, and Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria. In addition, there were seven Ave Maria University students who acted as committee chairs and six judges from the Naples Council on World Affairs.
The Model UN is an educational simulation where students can learn about diplomacy, international relations and the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies. In Model UN, students step into the shoes of ambassadors from UN member states to debate current issues on the organization’s agenda. While playing their roles as ambassadors, student “delegates” make speeches, prepare draft resolutions, negotiate with allies and adversaries, resolve conflicts, and navigate the Model UN Conference rules of procedure – all in the interest of mobilizing international cooperation to resolve problems that affect countries all over the world.
The program is an extracurricular activity for high school students with conferences at the local, regional and national levels. Diocesan Catholic high school teams often participate and do well in these competitions.
Bishop Dewane was invited to celebrate the Mass and observe the work at Ave Maria University due to his past experience as a member of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. The Bishop served for five years in the early 1990s, during which time he represented the Holy See at several international conferences.
“It was a tremendous experience in my life, a time during which I learned a great deal about the world on any number of issues, and most importantly about myself and how to follow the Lord’s example in all that was done,” Bishop Dewane explained. “This Model UN is a Good experience for you in both character building and faith building, as it makes you more the man or woman of God you are called to be.”
During his time at the UN, the Bishop said he was witness to the formation of International Criminal Court and was involved in a number of debates on the development of the world.
“I sat through some rough times, but you had to tell yourself why you were there, to do the Lord’s work,” Bishop Dewane said. “You had to convert that negotiating into a policy, but you do it with absolute honesty, never forgetting that you are the one who is the messenger of the Lord and living His message for others.”
Tyler Graham of the Donahue Academy helped organize the Ave Maria University event to encourage the framework of a future Catholic Model UN.
“The benefits of Model UN are numerous, as students learn how to debate and understand the nuances of international politics,” Graham said. “They participate in professional dress and the program also serves as an introduction to an adult form of formal conversation. They are ultimately judged on the totality of this effort.”
Graham explained that the Model UN experience is great for the students, but it can put them into a very difficult moral dilemma when issues, such as a life, are debated.
“The idea of this conference was to have the debates focused on issues that reflect Catholic Social Teaching, all of which are being discussed at the UN today,” Graham said. “This enables the members to learn and understand the position of the Church and then stand up for that position in an open debate.”
The Ave Maria University event helped the participants prepare for the next regional conference for high school students set to take place in March at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero.
The week (Jan. 29 to Feb. 4) kicked off with Catholic school students speaking at weekend Masses. There, they spoke about the benefits of a Catholic education and the continuing need to support Diocesan schools to ensure the Church of tomorrow has leaders who are well formed. Many of the 15 Diocesan Catholic schools held open houses for prospective students and their families on Jan. 29, kicking off the annual enrollment period.
Youth from the Diocese of Venice took part in the annual “Rock the Universe” at Universal Studios in Orlando on Jan. 28, 2023. “Rock the Universe” is an annual Christian rock festival which has been taking place since 1998. Among the groups present was the youth team from Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto, led by Carmen Martinez. Joining this team was Marthamaria Morales, Diocesan Youth and Young Adult Outreach Director.
Throughout the year, the youth at St. Cecilia Parish in Fort Myers host a series of fun events to raise money so they can participate in a variety of activities throughout the year. On Jan. 29, 2023, the teens hosted a car wash, washing cars while parishioners were either at Mass, or getting donuts and coffee in the Parish Hall after Mass. The money raised will allow the teens the ability to participate in the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress Youth Rally, as well as a variety of trips, each of which help the youth learn to grow closer to the Lord.
St. Martha Catholic School students Caleb Shouse (4th grade), and Hannah Lomangino (3rd grade), had their artwork selected for the 2023 Sarasota County Government NEST (Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team) Calendar. Caleb’s artwork is featured on the November page and Hannah’s is on the December Page. They were honored, with the other winners, during an awards ceremony on Jan. 31, 2023, in Sarasota. Their art teacher, Mary Jo Salomone, was also present for the awards presentation.
The difference in 2023 is that on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization effectively overturned five decades of unlimited access to abortion.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, who was in DC and Ave Maria, said he was impressed by the signs in DC carried by the young people which proclaimed, “Our Generation Is Pro-Life.”
Annabella Augustine, a pilgrim to DC from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, is taking up the call to spread the word of life.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a Jan. 22 statement, the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, that the Dobbs decision “is a fruit of prayer, born of a commitment to justice.”
There will be a third annual March for Life on Jan. 20, 2024, because “we will continue to march so long as the life of any unborn child is threatened in the world.”
Bishop Frank J. Dewane said Diocesan Catholic Schools not only educate the mind but also the soul, teaching the students to have a concern for their brothers and sisters, whether they live in the same country, down the street, or in their classroom through prayer, and the teaching of values, morals and virtues.
“The basics of any education in a Catholic school has to do with learning and training people to think critically, to understand what is the truth. By truth, we mean capital T – as in Jesus,” Father Belmonte explained. “It’s also about training their wills and teaching them to make good decisions so that they can do the good that is needed by not only their families and themselves but by society.”
Father Belmonte said the Diocese of Venice is the only Diocese in the country to take this expansive approach to STREAM, which is all connected to the faith. Diocesan Catholic school students learn virtues such as truth, beauty, and goodness, which are transcendental. The additional “Gifts of Christ,” are prudence affability, humility, and fortitude. Added to the robotics program this year, are courage, diligence, solidarity and charity.
Two retreats were recently held for the Permanent Deacons of the Diocese of Venice, first Jan. 19, 2023, at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice and then on Jan. 21, at Resurrection Parish in Fort Myers. The retreats were presented by Deacon Dominic Cerrato, Director of Diaconal Ministries and editor of “The Deacon Magazine.” The goal for the retreat was to offer the opportunity for the Deacons to grow in greater intimacy with Christ the Servant. The retreat reemphasized what the Deacons committed to during the prayer of ordination as it relates to: “Our relationship to Him; Our Identity in Him; Our mission with Him.” Deacon Cerrato explained that these are the three key elements in grasping the essential nature of the Diaconate.
Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools principals gathered for their Colloquio 2023 meeting Jan. 19-20, 2023, in Sarasota. The meeting focused on goal setting and empowering the principals in how they can support their faculty and staff to help ensure long-term retention. The keynote was Tony Ferraro, of Floyd Consulting, who spoke on “The Dream Manager,” a program based on a book by acclaimed author Matthew Kelly. The book is a business parable about how companies can achieve remarkable results by helping their employees fulfill their dreams. The meeting was organized by Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Catholic Education, and Jennifer Falestiny, Diocesan Curriculum Specialist.
The 21st Annual Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal is continuing through the end of January 2023. A donation to the Appeal strengthens Catholic Charities ability to provide much-needed support, for those recovering from Hurricane Ian, or who need any type of assistance in the region. This outreach is accomplished through more than 35 programs in locations throughout the 10-county Diocese. These programs annually support more than 100,000 individuals and families in ways both large and small. To support the Christmas Appeal, please visit 
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Jordyn as Florida’s best high school volleyball player.
