It is the dream of many high school students to one day graduate and go off to the college or university of their choice to pursue their dreams in whatever career path they choose.
With competition fierce for entrance into colleges and universities, having an edge is a priority. Fortunately for the students at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, their edge comes from a group of dedicated advisors who help them through every step of the complicated process.
These advisors, who are teachers at Neumann and work closely and are coordinated through the Guidance Office, are a key factor why every graduate of Neumann who has had a desire to seek higher education has been able to do so in the past 10 years. In fact, Neumann graduates regularly go on to some of the best colleges and universities in the county. In addition, the Class of 2020 was offered more than $11.5 million in scholarships.
Because of this, students and parents rave about the college advisory process and often cite it as an factor for choosing St. John Neumann Catholic High School.
The rigorous college prep curriculum at Neumann creates a framework that guides students on a path to achieve their goals for college acceptances. Course offerings, college advisory program and a service-minded culture ensure students are well prepared for success at the next level of their education.
All students meet quarterly with their assigned advisors in an interview style setting to discuss current progress and set upcoming goals directed toward college application readiness. Students are on a first name basis with the guidance counselor and advisors, who all actively support both the student and parents through the college application and financial aid submission processes.
The intensive support from the advisors begins with freshman orientation and goes through graduation, explained Laura Roszkowski, Neumann Director of Guidance and Counseling. These regular meetings occur as an effort to review academic progress, discover strengths and interests, and to match those qualities to desired college majors and career paths.
Having this one-on-one time with students during the 2020-2021 Academic Year has been crucial as normal college planning and expectations have been altered to match the changing world amid the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
“Because Neumann is a family, and the goal is for all students to feel cared for, the advisors are providing a steadying influence during this challenging process,” Roszkowski said. “These meetings provide a time for students to form a connection on campus. As the world is filled with many uncertainties, the students are reassured that the entire Neumann community is there for them.”
In the pre-Pandemic-world, the support for college-bound students included a College Fair, visits to the school by college recruiters, organized trips by students and advisors to Florida colleges and universities, and much more.
COVID restrictions meant students logged into electronic college fairs to ask their questions from the comfort of their homes. Students – both on campus and remote learners – have video-chatted with college representatives responsible for reading their application, Roszkowski said. In this way, students can ask specific questions, get clarification on the application process, and hear directly from the source for how they should handle the dreaded application essays.
The advisory process at Neumann jumps into high gear during the senior year when support is necessary for students to juggle the demands of applications, in addition to sports, clubs, volunteering, work, and their academic commitments.
Unlike when applications were done through the regular mail, the process is much more complicated in 2021 as some college and universities require students to fill out forms on up to seven different websites just to complete an application for one school.
“This is a huge amount of stress for each student and Neumann has created an environment that allows advisors to take time during the school day to alleviate some of that stress,” Roszkowski said. “The four years of support culminates with acceptances, scholarship offers, and students feeling prepared for wherever life takes them after Neumann.”
To learn more about St. John Neumann Catholic High School, please visit www.sjnceltics.org.
The elegant evening included a live auction and dinner catered by Michael’s on East and was chaired by Bridget Speiss.
The annual Children’s Festival was held at St. Michael Parish in Wauchula on Jan. 23, 2021. The Festival brings children from kindergarten through fifth grade to the Parish for a day of prayer and fun.
The day included Mass, a Eucharistic Procession, as well as presentations about how they can grow in their Faith. In addition, there were various games, many of which had a faith-based theme. The women religious who serve the Parish, Sisters Servant of Lord and the Virgin of Matara, organized the festival.
Developed with the assistance of the Diocese Communications Department, the goal of the series is to inspire others to follow in the path to the priesthood or religious life, as well as encourage the faithful to continue to support the seminarians as they continue their formation process at different seminaries. “A Seminarian Story” featuring David Portorreal can be found at 
Registration is now open for the 2021 Men’s & Women’s Conferences! The Men’s Conference will feature speakers Patrick Madrid and Joel Stepanek on Saturday February 20th.
The Women’s Conference will feature speakers Kimberly Hahn and Mary Ann Weisinger-Puig on Saturday March 13. Both conferences will be held at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (doors open at 8:00 a.m.) with Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane and Confession available all day. To register, please visit 
What better way to begin 2021 than in the presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament? The Office of Evangelization will be hosting several evenings of Eucharistic Adoration with Confession available, music, reflection, and time for silent prayer. Jesus, who makes “All Things New” will bring a newness to your faith in this new year. Locations include Our Lady of Light Parish, Fort Myers, Feb. 2; Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Lakewood Ranch, Feb. 3; St. John the Evangelist Parish, Naples, Feb. 4; Incarnation Parish, Sarasota, Feb. 11; and St. Joseph Parish, Bradenton, Feb. 16. Adoration begins at 7 p.m. and goes until 8:30 p.m.
Father Rafal Ligenza, Administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton, presented bibles to each of the seventh and eighth graders at St. Joseph Catholic School on Jan. 21, 2021. Father Ligenza presented the bibles as gifts from the Parish and then prayed with the students.
Each Diocesan Catholic school strives to be good steward of God’s creation, including making every effort to limit the amount of trash. At St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, water bottle filling station were installed to cut down on the waste caused by plastic water bottles. On Jan. 22, 2021 Neumann Senior Tommy Anderson was recognized as the 10,000th water bottle filler at one of the stations on campus. Principal Sister Patricia Roche, Salesian Sister of St. John Bosco, presented Anderson with a certificate during morning prayers/announcements. The stations were installed thanks to the Home and School Association. Since the start of the Academic Year, 31,609 water bottles have been saved from entering the landfill.
This initiative to benefit Diocesan Catholic Schools came about through a unique partnership with FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), the leading robotics competition in the world. The Diocese is an official partner in the program that engage all students from kindergarten through high school in exciting, mentor-based, research and robotics programs, which encourage students to become science and technology leaders, and well-rounded contributors to society.
The Diocese is one of only 25 nationwide partners and is unique nationally in that the Diocese program includes a strong religious component, something Bishop Dewane stressed.
In the coming months there will be the Ordination to the Priesthood of two men, a new initiative to curb the impacts of pornography on society, small and large conferences, Masses for couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries, opportunities to promote the sanctity of life, celebrations of all sorts, as well as the continuation of the “Year of St. Joseph.”
In the coming months, Bishop Dewane will preside over a variety of celebrations which occur each year, including the Rite of Election in February when Bishop Dewane welcomes those in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) who will be fully entering the Church at the Easter Vigil, a Mass for Victims of Abuse, and later in the year a Veterans Day Mass, the 25th anniversary celebration of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, a Red Mass for legal professionals and more. It is also expected that two men will be Ordained to the Priesthood by the Bishop in early summer.
Please join us Feb. 13, 2021, for an elegant evening at one of Sarasota’s beautiful Jewels on the Bay, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Bring your valentine to an elegant evening featuring exquisite cuisine and wine pairing by Michael’s on East. The beautiful and unique setting of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens reminds us that, despite this pandemic, we are surrounded by God’s majesty and Mother Nature’s glory. The event begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails. Tickets are $350 with a limit of 150 guests. For more information call 941-909-7817 or email 
