haitian Archives - Diocese of Venice

Catholic Haitians celebrate Solemnity, independence and fraternity

Posted on January 4, 2024January 4, 2024 by Bob Reddy

On the 220th Anniversary of Haiti as the first Independent Republic in the Caribbean, the Diocese of Venice, in conjunction with the Haitian Catholic Community, celebrated a Mass at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs on Jan. 1, 2024, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.

Faithful from throughout the Diocese of Venice attended the Mass which was celebrated by Most Rev. Charles Peters Barthélus, Bishop of the Diocese of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, with Bishop Frank J. Dewane concelebrating. In addition, there were numerous priests from the Diocese who also concelebrated.

Bishop Barthélus prayed for Haitians in the Diocese of Venice who live far from their homeland, that they remember their roots and continue to pray for all Haitians who continue to live in a country that is politically unstable and endures ongoing violence and poverty.

“The people of Haiti are strong people,” said Bishop Barthélus. “There is a determination and strength to the Haitian people that endures.”

The Bishop also spoke about the celebration of the independence of Haiti and how it importantly falls upon a major celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the World Day of Peace.

Bishop Dewane thanked Bishop Barthélus for accepting his invitation to be a guest of the Diocese, saying his presence was a blessing as he came to share his time, wisdom and faith with the Haitian Catholic Community here.

“You are important not only because you are here today,” Bishop Dewane said. “Our Church here in the Diocese is all the more blessed to have you here as the richness of your Faith is evident to all.”

Crediting the priests who serve the Haitian Catholic Community in the Diocese, many from Haiti, Bishop Dewane thanked them for their dedication to the Church, to the Diocese and to the people of God.

Father Jean-Marie Fritz Ligondé, Diocesan Haitian Ministry Director and Parochial Vicar at St. Columbkille Parish, thanked Bishop Dewane for his unyielding support of the Haitian Catholic Community, including his support for the annual New Year’s Day celebration.

At the conclusion of the Mass, everyone joined in singing the Haitian National Anthem with many waving small Haitian flags.

Mirlande Augustin of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples was overjoyed to be a part of the New Year’s Day celebration. “I moved to this Diocese after the 2010 earthquake devastated my hometown. Here, we found a beautiful home, and today we celebrate our heritage in a special way.”

A cultural celebration and dinner took place in the Parish Hall. This celebration featured, as its first course, the symbolically important joumou soup, a hearty blend of pumpkin (turban squash), potatoes, squash, beef, chili peppers and other ingredients. It was during the colonial period when the people of Haiti were forbidden from eating the soup because they were deemed too “uncivilized” by the French colonists. Therefore, when independence was achieved, the joumou soup became a lasting symbol of freedom.

For the Haitian community, Jan. 1 is both a spiritual day, and an emotional day commemorating such an important day in their homeland. The Haitians defeated the largest and most powerful army at the time, the army of Napoleon, in Cap-Haitien, and Haiti became the second country in the Americas to declare its independence on Jan. 1, 1804.

There are currently Masses celebrated each weekend in Haitian Creole at the following Parishes: St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte; St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers; St. Michael in Wauchula; Sacred Heart in Bradenton; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Immokalee; and St. Peter the Apostle in Naples. The New Year’s Day celebration is one of the few times the entire community can gather in one place.

News Briefs for the week of December 12, 2023

Posted on December 21, 2023December 21, 2023 by Bob Reddy

Haitian Independence Mass

Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites all to participate in the Annual Mass celebrating the 220th Anniversary of Haitian Independence on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, at St. Leo the Great Parish, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs. The 1:30 p.m. Mass, which takes place on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, brings together the various Haitian communities within the Diocese of Venice for one celebration. Bishop Dewane and priests serving the Haitian Catholic community of the Diocese welcome Most. Rev. Charles Peters Barthelus, Bishop of the Diocese of Port-de-Paix, who will be the Principal Celebrant and Homilist. There is a reception after the Mass in the Parish Hall. For more information, please contact Father Fritz Ligondé at 239-210-1018.

WARNING – Text/Email SCAM Alert

It has once again been brought to the attention of the Diocese of Venice that parishioners have received text/email messages from people pretending to be clergy – including Bishop Frank J. Dewane – or Parish/school staff, requesting donations in the form of gift cards and/or wire transfers. These messages, which are more frequent during the Christmas Season, often come from text/emails that look similar to official Diocesan/Parish/school numbers or accounts and often greet the recipient by name and have the priest’s, Bishop’s, or staff member’s name in the “From” line and/or closing signature of the message. The SPAM often claims that the priest/Bishop/staff member is in need of gift cards or money to aid a sick child, relative, or parishioner. The message then asks the person to purchase gift cards/money and then to text/email the redemption code and PIN number. It is Diocesan policy that neither the Bishop, nor priests or staff request donations in the form of gift cards, PayPal, MoneyGram, etc. Without this awareness, some have responded to the spoofed messages, with consequences, including loss of funds. There is an established process in place on how parishioners can make donations and participate in the life of the Diocese, Parish, or school. If you receive such a SCAM text or email, please immediately contact the Diocesan/Parish/school directly!

Catholic Charities Annual Christmas Appeal needs your support!

The 22nd Annual Catholic Charities Christmas Appeal is underway and needs your support! The Christmas Appeal continues through January 2024 and is Catholic Charities’ largest annual fundraiser, critical to operating this social service organization. Gifts provide funding for the many Catholic Charities programs and services available throughout Southwest Florida. Your generosity enables Catholic Charities to serve those seeking help all year long. To donate please mail a contribution to Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285, or visit https://catholiccharitiesdov.org/donate.

Christmas Luau in Naples

The staff and faculty of St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples welcomed its generous 2022-23 donors to campus for a Christmas Luau on Dec. 13, 2023. From tiki torches to a roasted pig, the celebration in the school courtyard brought the magic of the islands to the celebration. Bishop Frank J. Dewane was present and gave the blessing and the Principal, Salesian Sister Patricia Roche, gave the State of the School address. Participants learned about the positive impact that their gifts have had on the school and the exciting news that the school is growing! The faculty and staff expressed their gratitude to those who were able to join them and to those who were unable to attend this year. There are already plans to do it again next year!

Midterm exam support offered in Sarasota and Fort Myers

The Senior Ministry Club of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota delivered hand-written notes to all freshmen on Dec. 14, 2023, wishing them good luck on their midterm exams. Along with the note came a “Smarties” candy. Meanwhile, at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, the student services faculty brought in furry friends on Dec. 15, to help alleviate the stress as students prepared for their exams. Petting a dog, or giving a few hugs, offered a break from the intensive studies and testing that takes place every year before the Christmas holiday break.

Naples Men’s Haitian Choir Delights Cathedral faithfu

Posted on February 24, 2022 by Bob Reddy

The faithful of Epiphany Cathedral in Venice received a special treat with a guest choir during a Mass on Feb. 20, 2022.

The Men’s Haitian Choir of St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples was delightfully received when they participated in the 9 a.m., and later 11 a.m. Mass which was celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

Bishop Dewane invited the Choir to come to the Cathedral after hearing them sing several times during the annual Diocesan Mass for Haitian Independence which takes place each New Year’s Day, also the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. This Mass brings together the Haitian Catholic Community from across the region for a major celebration. Highlights of that celebration, the Bishop explained, include the performance of the choirs from different Parishes.

Following the Mass, the faithful gave enthusiastic applause in honor of the Choir for their contribution to the celebration. After Mass, several from the Cathedral individually thanked members of the Choir for their inspiring singing.

Celebrating independence and fraternity

Posted on January 6, 2022 by Bob Reddy

On the 218th Anniversary of the first Independent Republic in the Caribbean in Haiti, the Diocese of Venice, in conjunction with the Haitian Catholic Community, celebrated a Mass at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God.

Faithful people from throughout the Diocese of Venice attended the Mass which was celebrated by Most Rev. Pierre-André Dumas, Bishop of the Diocese of Anse-a-Veau and Miragoane, with Bishop Frank J. Dewane concelebrating. There were several additional priests from the Diocese of Venice who also concelebrated.

Bishop Dumas spoke about the celebration of the independence of Haiti and how it importantly falls upon a major celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the World Day of Peace. This is particularly poignant as in Haiti there has been great turmoil in recent months following the assassination of the Haitian president and continued unrest due to fuel and food shortages and corruption in the government.

Bishop Dumas encouraged those gathered regarding unity and fraternity as well as how they should be proud of their roots in Haiti, reminding them they will always be Haitian. With this in mind, Bishop Dumas encouraged everyone to keep a connection to their homeland as well as with their Faith which will serve them well in whatever obstacles they may face in the future.

In a gesture of gratitude toward Bishop Dewane, Bishop Dumas noted that the Haitian Catholic Community within the Diocese of Venice is in good and capable hands and thanked Bishop Dewane for his support.

Bishop Dewane thanked Bishop Dumas for accepting his invitation to be a guest of the Diocese and for sharing his time, wisdom and faith with the Haitian Catholic Community in their native language. He also said it was an honor and privilege to participate in such an important cultural and religious celebration for the growing Haitian Catholic Community in the Diocese of Venice.

Bishop Dewane also thanked and recognized the Haitian priests serving in the Diocese for their continued dedication and passion for caring for the faithful, in particular those in the Haitian community. “The work you do does not go unnoticed,” the Bishop added. Further, he went on to thank St. Leo Parish for hosting the event.

When the French were in control, they enacted a law that said the French were the only ones who could eat soup joumou. Prior to that revolution, joumou was considered a delicacy and slaves there were forbidden from eating it. When Haiti proclaimed its independence, revolutionary leaders decided the very first thing they would do would be a symbolic gesture –- eating the soup that was once forbidden to them. Thus, began the Haitian custom of cooking and eating soup on New Year’s Day in celebration of freedom.

In honor of this unique tradition, soup was offered at the meal that followed the Mass in Bonita Springs. Before that meal, Bishop Dumas led everyone in singing the Haitian National Anthem.

News Briefs for the Week of December 24, 2021

Posted on December 21, 2021December 21, 2021 by Bob Reddy

2021 Christmas Mass times

The 2021 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times for Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice can be found on the Diocese of Venice homepage at https://dioceseofvenice.org/2021-diocesan-parish-christmas-mass-times/. The listings are in alphabetical order by the city the Parish is located. For details on youth choirs or musical accompaniment, please contact the Parish via the phone number or website listed for further information.

As a reminder, the televised Christmas Day Mass for the Homebound with Celebrant Bishop Frank J. Dewane will air for a full hour on Christmas Day. For viewers in the northern portions of the Diocese (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, and Sarasota counties), the Mass will air at 10 a.m. on the CW Network. In the southern portions of the Diocese (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee counties), the Mass will air at 6 a.m. on WFTX-TV (FOX-4). Please check your cable provider for channel listings.

The Mass will also be available on the Diocesan website at www.dioceseofvenice.org/televisedmass. Leaflet missals are available upon request by calling Gail Ardy at 941-486-4714 or by writing: TV Mass, Diocese of Venice, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285. For more information email ardy@dioceseofvenice.org.

Mass Celebrating Haitian Independence

Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites everyone to participate in the Annual Mass celebrating the 218th Anniversary of Haitian Independence on Saturday, January 1, 2022, at St. Leo the Great Parish, 28290 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs. The 10:30 a.m. Mass, which takes place on the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, brings together the various Haitian communities within the Diocese of Venice for one celebration. Bishop Frank J. Dewane and priests serving the Haitian Catholic community of the Diocese welcome Most Rev. Pierre-Andre Dumas, Bishop of the Diocese of d’Anse-a-Veaux and Miragoane, who will be the Principal Celebrant and Homilist. There is a reception after the Mass in the Parish Hall.

Naples school helps tornado victims

St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples is known for its generosity to local charities through the years. Having been the recipient of outside help following Hurricane Irma in 2017, the students and faculty are cognizant of the need to give back when other communities are ravaged by storms. This is why the students chose to split a collection with a local charity and to Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky, for disaster relief in one of the worst areas impacted by recent tornadoes.

Science experiments equal fun

The students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers are blessed to have many opportunities to test their science and engineering skills in unique and fun ways through a comprehensive STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum. On Dec. 14, 2021, the fourth-grade science students used the skills they have been learning about potential and kinetic energy to the test by making a roller coaster using pool noodles and marbles. This is engineering excitement mixed with teamwork at its best. Meanwhile, the sixth-grade students wrapped up their Space Unit in their curriculum on Dec. 17. The went outside onto the soccer field and put their unique designs to the test, by launching homemade water bottle rockets. The added benefit was that the “exhaust” from the “engines” was nice cool water on the hot and muggy day which is why the students didn’t mind getting wet.

School “news crew” preparing to go livestream in 2022

The Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School Tiger Talk News Crew is in final preparations to go live starting in early 2022. The Venice-based crew performed a test run the week of Dec. 13, 2021, for the newly formed Tiger Talk. The goal is to have the morning school announcements made available via a livestream to the school and parents from the Tiger Talk newsroom. As part of the test, the students prepared their equipment and lighting and made sure the sound was working and that the image going out was in focus and clear. The news crew is learning valuable lessons on the use of technology, public speaking skills, as well as the proper use of social media.

Boosterthon fun day in Port Charlotte

The students at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte took part in a Boosterthon on Dec. 13, 2021. The Boosterthon included a variety of fun games and competitions. One of the highlights of the entire event was when students had the opportunity to put pies in the face of Principal Tonya Peters and Vice Principal Chris Mullins. As pies were being put in their faces, some of the older students would release colored powder making for an exciting mix of colors on the two school leaders and on many of the students.

Pets help students relax for exams

Taking exams at a prestigious school such as Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers can be very stressful for students. Staff members know this, so to help alleviate some of the stress, they brought their pet dogs to the school to help the students cope on Dec. 15, 2021. Judging by the reaction of the students, and the dogs, the mission was accomplished. Smiles abounded as the students appreciated a few minutes or furry stress relief and the canines enjoyed the attention of petting and belly rubs.

Haitian community gathers for annual celebration

Posted on January 7, 2021January 7, 2021 by Bob Reddy

By Jean Gonzalez – of the Florida Catholic staff

Even though Myrlande Cola left her native Haiti 23 years ago, she still holds a fierce love for her country, especially Jan. 1, when she joins other community members to celebrate the independence of Haiti from France.

“This Mass is a big thing for me,” said the Immokalee resident who traveled to Bonita Springs to celebrate Mass with fellow emigrees of the Caribbean nation. “I took off work six months ago to be able to attend this. I cannot miss this Mass.”

Cola was speaking about the annual Mass held for the Haitian community in honor of both the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God and the 217th anniversary of Haiti being the first independent republic in the Caribbean. The annual Mass is hosted by the Diocese of Venice, in conjunction with the Haitian Catholic community, and was celebrated at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs Jan. 1, 2021.

The event usually draws as many as 1,000 people from throughout the Diocese of Venice and includes a visit from a bishop or archbishop from Haiti. There are currently Masses celebrated in Creole at the following parishes: St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte; St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers; St. Michael in Wauchula; Sacred Heart in Bradenton; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Immokalee; and St. Peter the Apostle in Naples. The New Year’s Day celebration is one of the few times the entire community can gather in one place.

But precautions against the coronavirus meant a visiting prelate could not travel and buses could not be used to bring in Haitians from cities throughout the 10-county diocese. Yet, Father Jean-Marie Fritz Ligonde, director of Haitian Ministry for the Diocese of Venice and parochial vicar of St. Columbkille Parish in Fort Myers, said the community was blessed to still have the opportunity to celebrate the special day. As he does every year, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Mass with Father Ligonde, and five other Haitian priests of the diocese. The precautions might have made the crowd gathered much smaller, but the spirit of the Mass was just as joyous and enthusiastic.

“We expected between 300 and 350 and are pleased with what we have,” Father Ligonde said. “(The community) says ‘thank you’ to Bishop Dewane for being with us every year. For sharing our meal, sharing our custom and sharing our tradition. And he kept the tradition even during the coronavirus, he decided to do it. It is to be praised and we are grateful to him.”

In his homily, Father Ligonde compared the Marian feast celebrated to Haiti’s Independence Day. The Solemnity of Mary, mother of God, is the first Marian feast, and Haiti is the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere when the slaves there gained independence from France Jan. 1, 1804. Haitians should find strength in Mary’s example to go forward because Mary, even she suffered and exiled while carrying Jesus.

“Because Haiti is becoming poorer and poorer now, it is time that we engage ourselves to make the resolution to go forward. We have to put action into our words,” Father Ligonde said. “Our motto as Haitians is ‘L’Union fait la force’ — our strength is in our union. We must show strength to move forward and develop our country.”

Before closing the Mass, Bishop Dewane thanked the congregation for being present during this difficult time of living through the pandemic.

“I very much regret we couldn’t have a guest bishop for you. It is a long tradition, but I think you all understand,” he said. “It is my prayer that next year we will be full again. And we will have a bishop from Haiti who will be here. Let us keep one another united in prayer, for the well-being of all gathered here, and all who have been here in the past and could not meet this year. Thank you and a blessed and happy new year to all of you. Bòn ane.”

The Mass ended with the congregation waving Haitian flags and singing their country’s national anthem — “La Dessalinienne,” named in honor of Haiti’s revolutionary leader and first ruler Jean-Jacques Dessalines. It begins, “For the country, For the ancestors, Let us march. Let us march united.”

Traditionally following the Mass, the congregation gathers in the parish center to enjoy soup joumou, a rich pumpkin soup. Father Ligonde explained how the French would make the soup and never offer it to the slaves. So, after the independence of Haiti, it became a tradition to enjoy the soup as a symbol freedom and equality.

“On Jan. 2, we celebrate the feast of our ancestors, and we have a big meal with turkeys. But on Jan. 1, we have our soup jomou. It is a meal. It is so rich, we could eat it all day,” Father Ligonde said with a smile.

But that tradition also had to be modified because of the coronavirus. Instead of sitting to have soup, the community held a drive-thru where families could still receive celebratory food, but instead of eating together, would bring it home to their own families.

Celebrating independence and unity

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Bob Reddy

On the 216th Anniversary of the first Independent Republic in the Caribbean in Haiti, the Diocese of Venice, in conjunction with the Haitian Catholic Community, celebrated a Mass at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs on Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God.

Nearly 1,000 people from throughout the Diocese of Venice attended the Mass which was celebrated by Most Rev. Max Leroy Mésidor, Archbishop of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, with Bishop Frank J. Dewane in attendance. There were several additional priests from the Diocese of Venice who concelebrated as well as priests from St. Leo the Great Parish

Archbishop Mésidor spoke about the celebration of the independence of Haiti and how it importantly falls upon a major celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the World Day of Peace. This is particularly poignant in Port-Au-Prince where in recent months there has been unrest due to fuel and food shortages and corruption in the government.

The Archbishop encouraged those gathered to remember the sacrifice of Haitians and to use the example of Mary, for she said ‘Yes’ to God with courage and grace. He added that they should feel confident in relying on Mary, the Holy Mother of God, to give them the strength to be sons and daughters of Jesus Christ.

Archbishop Mésidor added that they should be proud of their roots in Haiti and that they will always be Haitian. With this in mind, the Archbishop encouraged everyone to keep a connection to their homeland as well as with their faith which will serve them well in whatever obstacles they may face in the future, noting.

In a gesture of gratitude toward Bishop Dewane, Archbishop Mésidor noted that the Haitian Catholic Community within the Diocese of Venice is in good and capable hands and thanked Bishop Dewane for his support.

Bishop Dewane thanked Archbishop Mésidor for being a guest of the Diocese and sharing his time, wisdom and faith with the Haitian Catholic Community in their native language. He also said it was an honor and privilege to participate in such an important cultural and religious celebration for the growing Haitian Catholic Community in the Diocese.

There are currently Masses celebrated in Creole at the following parishes: St. Charles Borromeo in Port Charlotte; St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers; St. Michael in Wauchula; Sacred Heart in Bradenton; Our Lady of Guadalupe in Immokalee; and St. Peter the Apostle in Naples. The New Year’s Day celebration is one of the few times the entire community can gather in one place. With this in mind, following the conclusion of the Mass all joined in singing the National Anthem of Haiti.

For the Haitian community, Jan. 1 is both a spiritual day, and an emotional day commemorating such an important day in their homeland. It was in 1803 that the Haitians defeated the largest and most powerful army at the time, the army of Napoleon, in Cap-Haitien. Haiti became the second country in the Americas to declare its Independence.

When the French were in control, they enacted a law that said the French were the only ones who could eat soup because they were in the upper class. When Haiti proclaimed its independence, all Haitians started to eat soup so as to demonstrate that everyone was equal. Thus, began the custom of cooking and eating soup on New Year’s Day in celebration of freedom. In honor of this unique tradition, soup was offered at the meal that followed the Mass in Bonita Springs.