Called to serve God
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for students at Incarnation Catholic School on Sept. 21, 2023, and Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers on Sept. 26. The Bishop encouraged the students to reflect on the call of God in their lives and to live that call to holiness each day. This can be accomplished through prayer and reflection on the Word of God, which will open their hearts as they go forward in service to the Lord.
Neocatechumenal Way holds prayer service
Bishop Frank J. Dewane presided over a prayer service of the Neocatechumenal Way on Sept. 20, 2023, at Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers. The gathering included a sending forth of several in the group for the next phase of their formation process. The Neocatechumenal Way was initiated in Madrid in 1964, and is dedicated to post- and pre-baptismal formation of Christians, based on the Word of God, the Eucharist and the Christian community. The Way engages families who through their witness and life of service to establish the presence of the Catholic Church in countries where the Church is absent or tiny, or to revive and strengthen the presence of Catholic communities in difficult and highly secularized areas. During the prayer service the candidates were called to be sent forth and be witnesses to God in the community, announcing the Good News of His resurrection. They also committed to live their lives according the Nicene Creed, and agreed to let the Holy Spirit drive out their sins of doubt and guide them through their lives.
Fun Run supports schools
St. Mary Academy and St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota share facilities and work together to offer a quality education to their students. In the 10 days before Sept. 22, 2023, the students collect donation commitments as part of a Boosterthon which culminated in a Fun Run, where the students ran in circles either getting sprayed with water or covered in colored dyes. Run and laughter prevailed as more than $115,000 was raised to help update the school’s outdoor lunch and learning spaces. Way to go everyone who supported this cause.
Legion of Mary gathers
The annual Manasota Curia Legion of Mary Retreat was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice on Sept. 16, 2023. About 75 people took part in this event. The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization of lay Catholics focusing on Marian spirituality and apostolic works. It has been active in the United States since 1931, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members. Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. Works include door-to-door evangelization, parishioner visitation, prison ministry, visitation of the sick or aged, religious education, visiting the newly baptized, Pilgrim Virgin Statue rotations, and meeting the other spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a spiritual director who is appointed by the Pastor. The Legion is, in essence, an extension of the heart and hands of the Pastor. The keynote speaker for the retreat was Jim Gontis, Diocese of Venice Director of Evangelization. For a list of Parish praesidia (chapters) in the Diocese of Venice, please visit http://www.legionofmarymiamiregia.com.
Sister Marianne Baehr, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and longtime teacher at St. Mary Academy and St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota, died at St. Joseph’s Provincial House, Latham, New York on July 10, 2022, at the age of 80. Sister Marianne entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1960, professing vows final vows in August 1967. She gained a degree from the College of Saint Rose, Albany, New York, and an advanced degree in education from SUNY Cortland, New York. For many years Sister ministered as a teacher and administrator in the schools of the Diocese of Syracuse, Sister Marianne moved to the Diocese of Venice when her brother, Father David Baehr, retired to the area. Within the Diocese, Sister Marianne was a teacher at both St. Mary Academy and St. Martha Catholic School between 2005 and 2017 before her retirement retiring to the Provincial House in Latham. A Mass of Christian Burial took place on July 20, 2022, at the St. Joseph’s Provincial House. Sister Marianne was predeceased by her parents and brother, Father David. Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sister Marianne Baehr.
Hundreds gathered for the 3rd Congress of Emmaus (Emaus) held July 16, 2022, at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs. The event, which was in Spanish, was for those who have completed an Emmaus weekend retreat in the past and served as an opportunity to renew and recapture the fire that grew in them during their first retreat. This was the first Congress of Emmaus since 2019. The gathering at St. Leo the Great included music and reflections with a particular focus on the Eucharist, with Adoration and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The day culminated with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Emmaus retreat program is a Diocesan-approved retreat weekend that takes place three times a year in both English and Spanish. It is open to all men and women ages 20 or older seeking to grow in their relationship with Christ regardless of their present level of faith and practice. To learn more about Emmaus retreats across the Diocese, contact your local parish or email 
Two members of the Knights of Columbus, Father John J. Walsh Council 7052, of Venice, presented a check for $4,550 to Bishop Frank J. Dewane at the Catholic Center in Venice on July 12, 2022. The money was collected to support the Ukrainian Relief Fund of Catholic Relief Services, which is the designated agency in the U.S. to work with local Church partners to distribute lifesaving supplies like food and water. Anyone interested in supporting Ukrainian Relief can send Donations to the Diocese of Venice, with “Ukraine” indicated in the memo or note line at the following address: Diocese of Venice in Florida, Ukraine Relief, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285, or visit 
Every day, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., serves its most vulnerable population by feeding, housing, empowering, and helping all in need. This summer, you can be the one that makes a difference. Your acts of kindness have the power to transform lives and leave a positive impact in our community. The Catholic Charities Summertime and the Giving is Easy Appeal is asking for your support. The giving is easy! Your gift will make a positive impact on our less fortunate brothers and sisters! Please visit 
Would you know how to help a pregnant woman in need? Maybe it’s your daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, sister, or neighbor. Maybe it’s someone you see in a store, restaurant, or church. Perhaps she is crying, looks distraught or is obviously being treated poorly by someone. Through a new national initiative from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called Walking with Moms in Need, now you will know how to help. Walking with Moms in Need teaches the faithful how to help pregnant women in need, starting by letting them know they are not alone. The nationwide Catholic program calls every parishioner to learn the names of their local pregnancy help centers, the first responders for women with unexpected or difficult pregnancies. If you know of someone who is pregnant and needs help immediately, visit 
A three-year revival of devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist begins with the Diocesan phase, from June 19, 2022, through June 11, 2023. During the Diocesan Year, there will be a series of events and retreats that encourage the renewal of the Church “by rekindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.” The pinnacle of the coming year will be a Diocesan Eucharistic Congress on March 24 and March 25, 2023. This event, which is in the early planning stages, will take place at the Convention Center and Luminary Hotel on the Fort Myers riverfront. The National Eucharistic Revival is a focused effort by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to revive a devotion to and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. To learn more about the National Eucharistic Revival, visit 
Most women who choose abortion eventually realize that they made the wrong choice and face a lifetime of regret. Even if they confess this sin to a priest, they often find it difficult to accept God’s forgiveness and forgive themselves. They will often confess the same sin over and over. Project Rachel is the Catholic Church’s program to help women and men come to terms with an abortion decision and find the hope and healing they need. Watch for more on post-abortion healing in the next edition of The Florida Catholic. For confidential help in English and Spanish, call 941-412-5860 or email 
At total of 29 women took part in the three-day retreat with their family and others taking part on the final day for the closing Mass. This makes more than 1,000 who have returned to the faith in the Diocese of Venice through the John XXIII Movement.
The Movement is constituted according to the canons of Canon Law of the Catholic Church and inspired by the principles that emanated from the Second Vatican Council. The Movement, from its origins, goes out in search of the forgotten and the marginalized, of those, who due to their problems, live in the anonymity of life thinking that the Gospel cannot be preached to them. In addition to the John XXIII Movement, the Diocese has eight additional lay outreach efforts, many of which are directed toward the Hispanic faithful.
“They come to this retreat not expecting anything and leave with everything, the love of their family, the love of the community, the love of Christ,” Father Stewart said. “It is an emotional journey as they must seek the Lord’s forgiveness for sins they have done to themselves and those done to others. This is not easy.”
“This is a well-organized and transformative program,” Father Stewart said. “The people on these retreats have many reasons for being away from the Church, but with the support and encouragement they are given, their return is a true celebration for the individual, their family, their friends and everyone who is part of the Movement and the Church in the Diocese of Venice.”
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Mass for the gathered members which represented 10 different Legion of Mary praesidiums from across the region.
Janine Marrone, who serves as President of the Manasota Curia and a member of the praesidium at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice, said the gathering is a great boost of energy and vitality for the Legion of Mary.
The Legion of Mary is a worldwide organization of lay Catholics focusing on Marian spirituality and apostolic works. It is the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with millions of members in nearly every country of the world.
The advisory council includes three spiritual directors – Father Jiobani Batista, Father Luis Pacheco, and Father Luis Albarracin – as well as 10 lay faithful. Meeting topics also included refresher presentations on “The vision and mission of Emmaus,” “What does Emmaus mean?” as well as updates on Diocesan regulations and guidelines. It has been more than two years since Emmaus retreat leadership met.
The Conference brought together English Charismatic Renewal groups from across the Diocese to share in a day of uplifting talks, encouraging everyone to answer their personal call to holiness.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated a Mass on Aug. 7, 2021, at St. Michael Parish in Wauchula, to mark the anniversary and thanked the participants for bringing the faithful closer to the Lord by being that example for others to follow.
The keynote speakers were Jose Sanchez, Cursillos Region Vll Coordinator, and Ángel Delgado, who started Cursillos in the Diocese of Venice in 1986 at St. James Parish in Lake Placid. Both were pleased to witness such a strong lay movement with the Diocese. They also offered encouragement to the members to not rest on their laurels and to continue their effort to spread it and to bring others to the movement in the future. The day-long celebration also included prayer and music.
Cursillo (pronounced ” kur – see – yoh”) or Cursillo de Christiandad is a Spanish term which means “short course in Christianity.” Cursillo begins with a three-day experience, which takes a New Testament look at Christianity as a lifestyle. It is a highly structured weekend designed to strengthen and renew the faith of Christian people and through them their families, Parishes and the world in which they live.
These questions came Nov. 24 during a visit by Bishop Dewane to a Spanish-language Youth Catholic Charismatic Renewal Retreat at the Lake Placid Camp and Conference Center. This was one of several retreats taking place during late November for Spanish-language participants in a number of movements.
On Nov. 24, the MDS, (Matrimony, Dialogue and Accompaniment) group gathered at Campo San Jose for a retreat. This is a Catholic based enrichment program directed to all married couples; which is designed to improve communication and the conjugal life for the couple. About 60 couples participated in the retreat.
Bishop Dewane celebrated Mass, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, for the retreatants and praised the effort of the leadership in promoting the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony to others. The Bishop noted that by joining in the Sacrament the couples come together by sharing their life with each other and place themselves before Christ the King. “Let the Lord be the King of your marriage and put your focus there.”
The Bishop also hosted a gathering of priests who serve the Hispanic community in the Diocese for a meeting at the Diocese Chancery in Venice on Nov. 26. This meeting provided the Bishop an update on the engagement of Hispanic Catholics, including success stories and the challenges faced in the Parishes, Diocese and on the national levels.
Emphasizing that this is an imperative issue for him, Bishop Dewane said more needs to be done to reach Hispanics throughout the Diocese. He is working to do that in a variety of ways, including increasing the number of Spanish-speaking clergy, and by having more Spanish-speaking presenters come to the Diocese and to parishes. The first part of that effort in the Diocese has been the rapid expansion of the Hispanic Apostolate.
