The 15 Diocese of Venice Catholic schools weathered Hurricane Ian in relatively good shape compared to some of the destruction in the surrounding area.
While there was some damage at schools, the most severe were torn roofs at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers.
However, after much work and a rallying by the local communities, by Oct. 5, 2022, just seven days after Ian struck, six of the 15 schools have reopened. For example, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School students arrived back to classes on Oct. 5, and were greeted by faculty with high-fives, BIG hugs, happy smiles and yummy chocolate.
Of those that were not open, several await the restoration of power or water before they can safely reopen.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane and Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education, surveyed the damage in the days following Ian by making visits to the affected schools.
Some of most dramatic damage was to the roof of Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School. There, a large part of the roof peeled off and was left dangling in a breezeway. Similar damage was found at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School. The roof damage at both schools allowed water to intrude into the buildings, adding to repairs.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School in Port Charlotte, which will reopen by Oct. 11, had roof damage above the cafeteria and a privacy fence was shredded. Also opening by Oct. 11 will be Incarnation Catholic School in Sarasota, which had minor roof damage, which also caused a small amount of water to intrude into the building.
At each of the schools with damage, contractors were on site within days, working tirelessly to mitigate any further damage and, in some cases, repairs are already taking place.
As for the faculty, Father Belmonte said that as of Oct. 4, a number had catastrophic damage to homes, while many others have some damage. It is for this reason that some of the schools that are safe to open, are slightly delayed in that process.
“We want our people to focus on their homes and families before they come back to school,” Father Belmonte said, as each school has done a safety assessment of the school building as well as well-being checks of faculty and school families.
At many of the schools, volunteers arrived to help clean as much as possible of the mess Ian left behind. In the hardest hit areas, some teams went to homes to help where they could.
For example, at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, just a few days after the storm, about 100 students, parents and faculty helped remove the manageable debris from the campus. The school had damage to some roofs and portable classrooms, as well as the bleachers on the football field. The Verot group split into teams to go to homes of impacted families which had water damage from flooding or storm surge throughout, destroying the entire contents. Undeterred, the teams worked to help get rid of as much debris and mud as possible.
Father Belmonte celebrated Mass for the Cardinal Mooney students on their first day back at school and reminded the students that during times of despair and suffering they are to live out their mission of hearing the call to greatness and holiness when responding to those in need.
“This is a call that comes in prayer; a call that comes when we celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; a call we hear when the Gospel of the Lord is proclaimed in our midst,” Father continued. “You are called to serve, to help and to give sacrifice to build up the broken world, to build up Jesus Christ. Your school is a great school because it encourages all of you to strive forward to true greatness and holiness. These have been difficult days, but they have been grace-filled, when people of character, virtue and humility have taken action to inspire us by going out to help strangers in need.”
Many Diocesan schools outside the area of the worst impacts of Ian have been collecting items to help impacted families.
St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy in Sarasota put a call out for emergency supplies to help families at the three Lee County schools (Bishop Verot and St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers and St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral).
The response was so overwhelming that by Wednesday, Oct. 5, two deliveries had been made to the three schools. The first load included the essentials, such as water, bread and non-perishable foods, car seats, and even new or gently used shoes and clothing for children. As the week progressed, the request went out for cleaning supplies, wipes, diapers and toiletries.
These are just some of the examples of what is taking place at Diocesan Catholic schools. Check back next week as more information is available about reopenings and what is being done to help the schools and the community recover from Hurricane Ian.
Father Patrick O’Connor, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales and Pastor of Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers, decided to ride out the storm inside the Parish church with Parochial Vicar Father Jose del Olmo. This was safe a bet because the new church was completed in 2011 to the highest standards. The area around the church is a very poor migrant community with many manufactured homes or houses built in the 1950s. Because many sought safety in the church when Hurricane Irma approached in 2017, Father O’Connor posted on all the doors of the church and Parish offices a list of nearby shelters. When the storm began most went to shelters, but when it got worse, the church was the safest place.
“It was crazy!” Father O’Connor explained. “Lots of families… We could not even open most of the doors because of the wind.” Everyone was safe as the church came through unscathed. However, the Parish Hall lost roof tiles, and San Jose Mission in South Fort Myers, which is administered by Jesus the Worker, was inundated with flood waters. In the days after the storm passed, volunteers cleaned out the Mission church and hall as best they could. Since then, the Parish has a been abuzz with activity of relief efforts to help the community with needed emergency supplies with the assistance of several organizations, including Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.
Nestled due east of Bradenton, St. Michael Parish in Wauchula sits in Hardee County, a rural community that prides itself on independence and resilience in times of adversity. Hurricane Ian has been the toughest challenge so far, but the spirit of the people remains strong as many families recover from the double hit of wind damage followed soon after by massive river flooding which caused hundreds to lose their homes to the Peace River. The Parish has a robust food pantry which is operated by a dedicated group of volunteers and the religious sisters who serve the community, Servant Sisters of the Virgin of Matara. With power out, it became clear that the food in the freezers would not last. So, a barbecue was planned for the night after the storm on Sept. 29. This was such a huge success; hot meals have been served each night since. Families emptied their own refrigerators and freezers before the food spoiled so the food was plentiful. Despite not having electricity, parish volunteers utilized a propane-powered stove and oven, outdoor grills and battery-powered lanterns to cook a hot meal each day following the hurricane. Outside large pots of pasta boiled while lasagna cooked in the kitchen of the Parish Hall. Since the storm, about 420 hot meals have been served each night. During the day, as more and more relief supplies arrive, distributions are taking place helping people get through each day.
When three semitrailers full of supplies arrived at St. Katharine Drexel parish in Cape Coral on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and no forklifts were to be seen, a call went out for help. And help arrived in the form of dozens of volunteers, including many from the Parish Youth Outreach. These teens stepped up to help. The Cape Coral region experienced extreme damage and flooding and, even a week later, less than 20 percent of the city had power and few had drinkable water. The supplies being unloaded were desperately needed, even by some of the teens helping. Pastor Father Ricky Varner praised the youth for assisting in the difficult conditions.
Some of the worst damage in the northern portions of the Diocese was to the roof of Incarnation Parish Church. Large chunks of copper roofing peeled off and were scattered everywhere. Some landed in the parking lot, others into carefully manicured gardens. One large piece that flew off the church building landed in a prayer garden where a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands and can be seen through a window as the faithful enter church. A post on social media from the Parish read: “Several large pieces fell here surrounding our Blessed Mother statue, but thankfully causing no harm!”
St. Vincent de Paul Society in Naples delivered Meals on Wheels amid Hurricane Ian’s destruction. Thanks to volunteers and staff, the Society was able to deliver shelf stable food to those who rely on Meals on Wheels for their daily meals. The Society posted to social media a day after Ian passed, “The destruction that was seen while delivering was truly heartbreaking.”
“Catholic Charities and The Diocese of Venice are working together to ensure that we are doing all we can,” said the Bishop Frank J. Dewane. “There are many in need of help, and we are grateful for those who have volunteered their time, talents, or resources in the service of our brothers and sisters in need. Please join me in continuing to pray for the safety and recovery of those affected by the hurricane, and for all the first responders and helpers. May God bless you.”
For more information, to donate, or volunteer, visit Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice online at 
These emergency plans were established to create policies to ensure an ease of preparation when tropical weather threatens. This includes checklists and basic guidance to ensure that the people and the buildings within the Diocese are secured and rendered as safe as possible before a storm arrives. In addition, the emergency plans also direct actions needed to respond to the impacts of a storm.
