It was on the night of Nov. 9-10, 1938, when members of the Nazi party sponsored anti-Jewish riots (pogroms) which attacked Jewish persons and destroyed Jewish owned property in Germany and Austria. Known as “Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass,” this event is regarded by historians as “the Night the Holocaust began” in Europe, which ultimately led to the murder of more than six million Jews.
To remember those events and to stand united in saying “Always Remember!” “Never Forget!” and “Never Again!” the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County (CJD) hosted its 21st annual “Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass” on Nov. 17, 2024, at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples. The event was co-sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, GenShoah of SWFL, and the Holocaust Museum and Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center.
On behalf of the Diocese, Bishop Frank J. Dewane said the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue has really demonstrated a forward-looking vision, forming an ongoing relationship despite what is found in our own society.
“We cannot let the differences between us threaten the depth of the bond that is religious, theological, spiritual, and personal in many ways,” Bishop Dewane said. “We the people of our respective faiths have travelled the long and winding road in terms of history. The shared history has seen some dark days and many bright days. We are, and must continue to be, men and women of dialogue.”
The featured speaker was John Koenigsberg, who shared his Holocaust survival story. Koenigsberg was 5 when the Gestapo took away his grandfather and forced his family into hiding in occupied Holland. He would spend the next two years in the care of a Catholic family who took him in, while the fate of his parents remained unknown to him.
Koenigsberg was nearly eight when Allied forces liberated the Netherlands in 1945 and he later reunited with his parents, but he never saw his grandfather and many other family members again. During those two years in hiding, his home was a small cottage in a Nazi-controlled village in southern Holland, hidden away by the Snijckers, a sympathetic couple with four children of their own.
“I am one of the very, very fortunate ones,” Koenigsberg said. “Only seven percent of children under the age of 16 survived the Holocaust. By recent estimates, there are probably less than 75,000 fellow survivors left in the world.”
Following a lengthy application process, the national Holocaust memorial in Israel granted the “Righteous Among the Nations” honors to the Snijckers and added their names to the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous in Jerusalem in 2009. This is the highest honor Yad Vashem bestows upon non-Jews who risked their lives to come to the aid of the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
“If it was not for the bravery of Mom and Pop Snijckers – I, my children, grandchildren and generations of descendants in the future would not exist,” Koenigsberg said. “The reason I speak about my experiences and relive these memories is because I believe the lessons of the Holocaust should not become a footnote in history. We must educate younger generations and imbue them with a spirit of remembrance as well as the mission to combat all forms of racial, religious and ethnic hatred before it’s too late.”
A poignant moment during the annual commemoration was a candle lighting ceremony. Six candles were lit by Gen Shoah (first- second- and third-generation Holocaust survivors). Each lit their candle for the victims of the Holocaust and for a brighter future. A seventh candle was lit for the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks in Israel and included a call for the return of 95 remaining hostages.
The CJD is affiliated with Jewish Federation of Greater Naples and the Collier County Parishes of the Diocese of Venice. Its purpose is to engage Catholics and Jews in understanding history and advancing the cause of mutual understanding and appreciation of differences as well as commonalities.
The guest speaker is John Koenigsberg, who will share his Holocaust survival story. In the spring of 1943, 5-year-old John was brought to the home of Johannes and Anna Snijckers by the Dutch resistance. The Catholic family protected John despite the risk of great personal danger by the occupying Nazis. Koenigsberg was lovingly accepted by “Mama and Papa” Snijckers as their fifth child and was welcomed by the couple’s other four children as their little brother. He attended the same Catholic primary school as the other children and was reunited with his parents at the end of the war.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the Knights and Dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on Oct. 29, 2024, at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice. The Order is entrusted with the mission to serve as witnesses to the Christian faith, and as supporters and protectors of the Church and the living Christian communities in the Holy Land. Bishop Dewane praised their commitment to the people of the Holy Land, which is needed now more than ever as war continues in the region. The annual Mass is celebrated as close as is possible to Oct. 25, the Feast of Our Lady of Palestine, the Order’s Patroness.
The Legion of Mary Manasota Curis held a day of prayer Sept. 28, 2024, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. The day included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation and talks. Bob Wilson, Director of St. Paul Street Evangelization, spoke about how to speak with family and friends who have questions about the faith. Wilson said those who disagree with Church Teachings on any topic, disagree with God. “Jesus and the Catholic Church are one entity. Jesus is the head and Church is the body.” Wilson also discussed common questions Catholics face regarding our beliefs, such as praying to saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary. “We do not worship Mary and the saints, we honor them. When we are praying to Mary, we are asking her to intercede on our behalf. Asking her Son to pray for us.”
St. Michael Parish in Wauchula celebrated the Feast of the Archangels as part of a larger celebration on Sept. 28, 2024, the eve of the Feast Day. The celebration included a process around the Parish grounds leading into a bilingual Mass (English and Spanish). This was followed by a Parish festival. The three archangels whom the Church honors by name are Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. St. Michael was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Within the Diocese of Venice, there is also a St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Sarasota. St. Gabriel announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, “Hail, full of grace,” is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people. St. Raphael is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey. There are two Parishes in the Diocese which have been bestowed with that name, one in Lehigh Acres and the other in Englewood.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has produced two new voter resources for the faithful to consider during the November 2024 General Election. First, is the Florida Conference Voter Guide which provides information about Catholic teaching, offers considerations on key topics, and poses questions regarding current issues to assist voters in evaluating candidate positions or political party platforms: 
Calling all Catholic engaged and married couples! Join Bishop Frank J. Dewane for the fourth annual Diocesan “Together in Holiness” marriage conference, 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Oct. 19, 2024, at Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers. The Conference, a collaboration between the Diocese of Venice and the St. John Paul II Foundation, is a great opportunity for all Catholic engaged and married couples in the Diocese to gather for a day dedicated to prayer, conversation, fellowship, and reflection on the beautiful vocation of marriage. Registration is now open for the day-long event which includes a Mass and Marriage Blessing celebrated by Bishop Dewane, and inspirational talks by Catholic speakers Renzo & Monica Ortega, Rev. Alex Pince and Mallory Smyth. Childcare, as well as full and partial scholarships, are available. To register or for further information, please visit 
To learn what authentic, non-confrontational, joyful evangelization looks and sounds like, be sure to attend the upcoming workshop with Adam Janke, Vice President of St. Paul Street Evangelization. The workshop is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sept. 28, 2024, at Church of the Resurrection Parish, 8121 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers. Mass will be offered at 8 a.m. in the Parish Chapel. There will also be an optional “Live Lab” experience from 4 p.m.- 5 p.m., giving participants the chance to put into practice what they have just learned. Saint Paul Street Evangelization is a non-profit, grassroots organization that has mobilized thousands of ordinary Catholics to take the Gospel to the public square and be instruments of God in the salvation of souls. The one-day Basic Evangelization Training is open to all adult parishioners from any Catholic Parish. Registration is $25 and includes a light breakfast, lunch and all training materials. Please register at 
Kristallnacht recounts the attacks on Jewish communities throughout Germany on Nov. 9-10, 1938. The Kristallnacht commemorative event memorializes the six million Jews and millions of others who were exterminated during the Holocaust.
Girl Scout Troop 71404, which is located in North Royalton, Ohio, and is composed of 16 kindergarten girls who recently had a lesson on hurricanes, made “Blessings Bags” for moms and kids in the Diocese of Venice after hearing about Hurricane Ian. The girls made 46 bags including 13 bags for moms with personal hygiene items, six bags for babies including items such as pacifiers, rattles, and hooded bath towels, and 27 bags for children, which included toys, writing pads, and crayons. The “Blessings Bags” were distributed to moms, babies and kids at Our Mother’s House in Venice on Nov. 17, 2022. The Catholic Charities programs provides residential support for new mothers who might otherwise be homeless. Upon receiving the “Blessing bags,” Shannon Hoyt, Our Mother’s House Program Manager said, “What an amazing, thoughtful thing for them to do! Thank you so much!”
St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers celebrated a multicultural Mass on Nov. 20, 2022, the Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. Prior to the Mass, women of the Vietnamese Catholic community performed a ceremonial dance in honor of Christ the King. The Mass included readings in Spanish, Filipino, and English, and music from each of the cultures. This Mass was originally scheduled for early October but was delayed due to the destruction caused to the Fort Myers area during Hurricane Ian. The celebration was one way to mark the ongoing recovery as well the diversity and unity of the Universal Church.
The Safety Patrol team at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton received a surprise visit on Nov. 16, 2022, from deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Each Safety Patrol member was presented with a Junior Deputy Badge and AAA Certificate. A Sheriff’s representative spoke to the Safety Patrol member to recognize the hard work and commitment these fourth-grade students have put into their positions.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School theology students in Fort Myers recently learned about prayer ropes and made them during an outdoor lesson on Nov. 15, 2022. These ropes are typically made with intricate knots, 33 of them to be specific – one for each year of Jesus’ life. A prayer rope is a loop made up of complex woven knots formed in a cross pattern, usually out of wool or silk. The students learned a little more about this tradition and got to enjoy some time outside of the classroom in the process during their theology class. Most commonly part of the practice of Eastern Orthodox monks and nuns, the prayer ropes are used to count the number of times one has prayed to Jesus.
To remember those events, the Catholic-Jewish Dialogue of Collier County hosted its annual “Kristallnacht: The Night of Broken Glass” Nov. 5, 2022, at Temple Shalom in Naples. The event was co-sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and Jewish Federation of Greater Naples, GenShoah of SWFL, and the Holocaust Museum and Janet G. and Harvey D. Cohen Education Center.
“Each one of us has a responsibility to take action when we see anti-Semitism,” Bishop Dewane continued. “It isn’t just for the Dialogue group to resolve. It isn’t just for a Parish or synagogue. It’s for all of us to come together when we see the negativity that can rears its head, just as it did so many years ago when Kristallnacht foreshadowed what the world never thought could happen (the Holocaust) – and it did happen. You and I have responsibilities to speak out and to speak up.”
The City Council approved a proposed proclamation condemning a June 25 incident during which anti-Semitic flyers were distributed to lawns and driveways of residential homes in the City of Venice. Shortly after the that disturbing event, Venice Mayor Ron Feinsod received an e-mail in the form of anti-Semitism hate mail.
