Father Onorio Benacchio, Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinians), who was a priest for nearly 70 years and served in the Diocese of Venice for 25 years, died April 23, 2020, in Kingston, Rhode Island. He was 95.
Father Benacchio served as Pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Clewiston from 1994 to 1996 and then as a Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Immokalee from 1996 to 2019.
Born April 15, 1925 in South Nazario, Vicenza, Italy, to Gaetano and Caterina Benacchio, it was at the age of 12 when he entered the Scalabrinian Seminary in his hometown. Father Benacchio took his first religious vows on Sept. 4, 1943, and was ordained to the priesthood, June 18, 1950 in Piacenza, Italy, when he was 25.
Following his ordination, Father was appointed to serve the poor in missions in South America in accordance with the Scalabrinian Charism. He spent 36 years attending to the needs of the missions in Brazil and then eight years in Venezuela.
He came to the United States and the Diocese of Venice in 1994. He was 69 at the time. He served as Pastor of St. Margaret Parish in Clewiston before being transferred for the final time in his long ministry to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Immokalee. There he celebrated Mass is English, Spanish and Creole, while also celebrating Mass for the Portuguese-language Catholic community each weekend in Fort Myers.
During a Mass marking the occasion of his 65th anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood, Father Benacchio estimated he had celebrated Mass more than 25,000 times. “But celebrating Mass today, after so many years, still feels like it is the first time… It is what I do, what I always do and what I will always do. It is at the heart of what a priest is all about, that moment when you are closest to Jesus Christ.”
His favorite memories included his extensive time and travels in South America. To help relax, he liked to write poetry.
A memorial Mass will be held at a later date while the public celebration of Mass has been suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The story from individuals and families in the vehicles was a common one – sudden job loss and no idea when work will be found. Words like “challenging” “hard” “difficult” and “overwhelming” were frequently used to describe how they are currently feeling. With restricted income, families must make difficult choices as many large bills for shelter and transportation come due each month.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane visited the EKG Center on April 17, 2020, assisting with the loading of vehicles as a part of the distribution operation. The Bishop also offered words of encouragement to the staff and volunteers. While there, Bishop witnessed the desperation in some, but was heartened by the gratitude for what was being offered.
In addition to Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Clewiston, there are Catholic Charities food distribution points in Arcadia, Immokalee, Naples and Sarasota. While some of these locations are on a smaller scale – directly targeting specific vulnerable communities – there are five which offer drive-thru distribution each Friday morning. Additional Parish-based food banks are also operating in Bradenton, Wauchula and Fort Myers.
Joined by her daughter, Liliana, Vasquez was happy to be presented with two large bags of dry goods, and others bags with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, breads and sweets.
In the same March 18 letter, Bishop Dewane announced the suspension of all activities in Parishes, including events and religious education programs. Parish offices will have limited staff and it is requested that, when possible, business be conducted by phone or email. Funerals will be limited to immediate family only, weddings – if they cannot be postponed – are to have limited participation, and baptisms will only be celebrated in cases of emergency. Priests are required to take all necessary precautions, so the Anointing of the Sick is being limited to a genuine need for the dying. Diocesan Catholic Schools were placed on an extended Spring Break, returning to virtual learning beginning March 31 for the foreseeable future.
With a long history within communities across the region, Catholic Charities is putting its resources and focus on the critical needs of providing food, financial assistance and telehealth mental health counseling.
When not having fun in the fields, the children and adults took part in small group activities, listening to age-appropriate talks and participating in different exercises that stressed the importance of having Christ as a guide in their daily life.
One teen said it was fun to have her whole family participate in a day of fun activities while staying focused on their faith-life. “I’m very active with the youth group, so we do many things together. What’s great about today is to have my younger brothers and sisters, as well as my parents joining in on what I love most about the Church – growing closer to Christ.”
Celebrated on Dec. 12, the Feast is often linked to the Dec. 9 Feast of St. Juan Diego, the day in 1531 when Our Lady first appeared to the saint near modern day Mexico City.
Celebrations took place in many parishes and schools throughout the Diocese. Hundreds took part in rainy procession along U.S. 41 to St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples on their way to Mass. At Our Lady of Grace Parish in Avon Park the Mass was followed by an outdoor festival with music, dancing and food. Diocesan Catholic Schools also took time out to celebrate Our Lady by using the moment as a teaching lesson.
This apparition led to the conversion of Mexico almost overnight, when up to that time Catholic missionaries from Europe had made very little headway. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was built on the site of the apparitions and is one of the most visited religious shrines in the world. It is also home of the actual tilma of St. Juan Diego, which can still be seen, with the image clearly visible, nearly 500 years later.
