Pornography is one of the leading causes of addictions, abuse, adultery, divorce, and even human trafficking: it is, in short, a pervasive evil inflicting grave wounds on our families. Pornography creates unsafe environments for children and confuses others about attitudes towards sex and marriage. It is a moral issue.
For this reason, Bishop Frank J. Dewane has designated March 7, 2021, Safe Haven Sunday in the Diocese of Venice. This day of awareness will provide the opportunity for the Diocese to directly address the problem of pornography in marriages, families, and in our culture. At the same time, resources will be made available to support individuals, married couples and families in making their homes safe from pornography.
Safe Haven Sunday was developed in direct response to the USCCB’s document “Create In Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.” To aide Parishes in their preparation for educating the faithful about the importance of Safe Haven Sunday, the Diocesan Office of Family Life hosted a series of presentations for Diocesan Priests, Deacons, and lay leaders between Jan. 11 and Jan. 13, 2021.
The response to the presentations was overwhelmingly positive. Several priests noted that addiction to pornography is a common theme in troubled marriages and that the tools provided through the Safe Haven Sunday process are most welcome.
In addition, several lay leaders expressed their gratitude toward Bishop Dewane for having the courage to publicly address the issue of pornography. They are also grateful for the opportunity to take part in the presentations, while at the same time being provided real resources that can be disseminated to the entire Parish community.
More than 50 priests attended a presentation on Jan. 12 at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Port Charlotte, while another 140 attended separate sessions at St. Catherine Parish in Sebring, St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs, and St. Patrick Parish in Sarasota.
“The goal of the sessions was to raise awareness among those who help advance the mission of the Church to foster and support holy families,” explained Carrie Harkey, Director of the Diocesan Family Life Office. “This is the introduction to a three-year process which will create awareness about this important issue while also providing key tools to create that safe haven in the home.”
The presentations were delivered by Ryan Foley, Vice President of Business Development for Covenant Eyes, a company that provides faith-based internet accountability and security software in support of families to protect them from internet pornography.
Foley covered current statistics, trends, the devastating impact pornography has on children’s developing brains, as well as offering resources and tools to aide in ministering to those struggling.
“First exposure to internet pornography is often during the elementary school years, often by accident with the search of a keyword on social media,” Foley explained to his stunned audiences. “When parents and guardians haven’t created an environment where it’s safe and welcome to talk about uncomfortable topics, children will often hide these experiences out of shame and embarrassment. This reality creates an impediment to obtaining deep and lasting relationships with Our Lord.”
The presentation for priests included an overview of the issue, enlightenments about accessibility of pornography for faithful of all ages, as well as also offering tools for future homilies, private discussions in marriage counseling, or in the confessional.
The first Safe Haven Sunday will have a theme of “Equipping the Family, Safeguarding Children,” a time when the Diocesan faith community joins in saying we want holy, healthy, and safe homes, free from pornography and other online threats that deprive the home of its role as a safe haven.
To help marriages and families, each home will be given a free copy of Covenant Eyes’ book, “Equipped: Smart Catholic Parenting in a Sexualized Culture.” This book includes a unique seven-day text-to-go-opt-in-program, the Safe Digital Family Challenge. This challenge provides practical tips any caring adult can take to create safer digital environments for themselves and our young people. To ensure that all families receive this book, the Diocese is supplementing half of the costs.
Additional information about Safe Haven Sunday will be shared in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please contact Carrie Harkey, Diocesan Coordinator of Family Life at harkey@dioceseofvenice.org or 941-484-9543.
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.
The inability to gather physically Church impacted many, in particular the elderly, and efforts were made to reach out (via the mail, email, phone or socially distanced visits) to keep people connected. After Parishes were closed for public Mass on March 20, 2020, there were offerings of outdoor Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion, and, following the lead of Bishop Dewane, many offered a livestreamed Mass. The dispensation for the obligation to attend Sunday Mass for those who were ill, or fearful of illness, was extended into 2021.
The nationwide shutdown threw many out of work creating a crisis, which Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. had never seen before, and responded with its full capacity. In addition to opening six emergency food pantries, Catholic Charities established hotlines to expedite the process of getting help (food, emergency funds or tele-mental health) for the community. From late March through December, Catholic Charities distributed more than 2 million pounds of food and helped more than 170,000 individuals. The generosity of the faithful shined forth during the crisis as requests for donations were answered.
Celebrations, which would have brought large crowds, together were held with all dignity and tradition respected while distancing precautions were taken. Included among these events were the Ordination to the Priesthood of Father Franckel Fils-Aime on June 27, 2020; the Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Venice of seven men on Aug. 15, 2020; and the Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate of Diocesan Seminarian Alexander Pince on Aug. 29, 2020.
The annual Diocesan Youth Rally was different from its usual gathering of nearly 2,000. On Nov. 14, 2020, about 100 gathered at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples to hear music, talks and then participate in Mass with Bishop Dewane. At the same time, youth joined virtually from 20 satellite locations across the Diocese.
The Diocese of Venice in Florida Office of Vocations launched a video series titled, “A Seminarian Story,” to celebrate the 16 Seminarians currently in formation. The first four videos have been released and more will follow approximately every few weeks. The most recent video is about Seminarian Christian Chami who is doing formation at Pontifical North American College in Rome. 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 Christian Chami can be found at 
The 23rd annual Sarasota Prayer Walk for Life will be held on Jan. 22, 2021. The day begins with the 8:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at St. Martha Parish, 200 N. Orange Ave. A shuttle bus will run after Mass until 3 p.m. to Planned Parenthood, 736 Central Avenue, where participants will circle the block in prayer for an end to abortion. An additional Parish Mass is available at noon. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, space is limited and advanced registration is required by Jan. 11, 2021, at 
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 event 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 
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton on Dec. 17, 2020. The fifth through eighth graders were present in the Church, while the younger students, and students who a learning virtually, participated via a livestream to ensure social distancing was maintained. Afterwards, the Bishop spoke to the eighth graders.
The Diocese of Venice in Florida Office of Vocations launched a video series titled, “A Seminarian Story,” to celebrate the 16 Seminarians currently in formation. The first four videos have been released and more will follow approximately every few weeks. The most recent video is about Seminarian Juan Contreras who is doing formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. 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 Juan Contreras can be found at 
On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, in the context of the Coronavirus, consecrated the Diocese of Venice to the care and protection of St. Joseph. The Bishop announced a “Year of St. Joseph” beginning March 19, 2020. In light of Pope Francis recently dedicating a “Year of St. Joseph,” the Diocesan celebration will continue through Dec. 8, 2021. St. Joseph, often referred to as the Protector, can be our protector during this time of the pandemic. To pray a Novena to St. Joseph please visit the Year of St. Joseph webpage at 
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass on Dec. 10, 2020, Thursday of the Second Week of Advent, for the students at Incarnation Catholic School in Sarasota. Bishop Dewane reminded the students to not only prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas but for the Second Coming of Christ. Following the Mass, the Bishop spoke to the eighth graders and fielded questions from the group.
This was the message given from Florida Department of Correction (FDOC) State Chaplain Johnny Frambo to Diocesan Prison Outreach Volunteers during a gathering on Oct. 30, 2020 at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Port Charlotte.
This effort was facilitated by Diocesan Prison Outreach Co-Coordinators Bob Hiniker and Joe Mallof, with the assistance of Anne Chrzan, Diocese Director of Religious Education. Items for upload include the Mass and religious education programming and other materials which focused on the teachings of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This meant that the effort was developed from scratch and uploads to the tablets through the FDOC. This religious education programming is part of a larger effort to increase access to Catholic content for prisoners in the state facilities during the Pandemic and beyond.
Bishop Dewane, who celebrated Mass for the volunteers, praised the group for choosing to answer a specific call from God to serve the incarcerated, those who are often marginalized or forgotten by society.
