The Diocese of Venice relies on dedicated men who have committed their lives to serving God. Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan have answered that call and will be ordained to the priesthood.
Deacons Roldan and Scanlan have completed their priestly formation and have been called to ordination by Bishop Frank J. Dewane, who will be the ordaining prelate. The ordination will be at 11 a.m., July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice.
In addition to Bishop Dewane, the Mass will include a number of priests, deacons, religious, family and friends from across the Diocese. The ordination is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend, A reception following the ordination will be held in the Epiphany Parish Center.
“This is one of the most beautiful and rarely seen Sacraments in the Church,” Bishop Dewane explained. “The Diocese of Venice is blessed that these men have heard the call of the Lord and this comes with great responsibility and accountability. At ordination these men are joined to the Bishops in the priestly office and are called to serve God’s people. It is important that the faithful support each ordination as the priest being ordained is a future link to the continuation of the Sacraments.”
During ordination to the priesthood the ordinandi freely present themselves to serve God, the Church and the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice and his successors. They will also make a renewed commitment to celibacy and promise obedience. The reward for that choice is to have their lives filled with the message of God.
Deacon Roldan, 29, a native of Columbia, approaches the ordination with great inner peace, knowing that he is blessed by gifts granted to him by God after nearly 11 years of discerning his vocation. “It is a gift I receive from God not because of my abilities but because of His great mercy and love towards me.”
A pivotal moment in the life of Deacon Alejandro was receiving his First Holy Communion, what he called one of the happiest days of his life. “It was at that moment and going forward that I experienced the love of God in a special way. That awakened my desire to become a priest.”
At the age of 17, Deacon Alejandro discerned a vocation with a religious order for a time, but the Lord allowed him to make a detour along the way. He ultimately continued at university studying theology and earning a degree as a lay person. Unfulfilled in life, God continued to call him toward a priestly vocation, and this led him to the join the Diocese of Venice as a seminarian in 2019. He first studied at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami before going on to St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.
As a seminarian, Deacon Roldan served pastoral assignments at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish on Longboat Key and a pastoral year at St. Thomas More Parish in Sarasota where he will celebrate his first Mass as a priest.
Meanwhile, Deacon Scanlan, 28, was born and raised in Fort Myers in a large family, the seventh of 11 children, before they moved to Ave Maria. When he was 13, he had his first thought about becoming a priest when he heard his oldest sibling tell the family about his own discernment to the priesthood.
“I think I was fascinated because I never considered how one became a priest. I didn’t even know what a seminary was… this was a big moment in my life because the thought that my own brother might become a priest made this vocation become real and personal to me.”
It wasn’t until later in high school when the idea of a discernment surfaced again. It occurred during a Steubenville youth conference in Orlando, when at the end, all men and women who were discerning were asked to come up to the stage.
“My heart began pounding when I heard those words. I never really spoke about the priesthood to anyone and when they invited everyone up: I had to make a choice… This was the first time I had to acknowledge to myself: ‘yeah… I am discerning the priesthood.’”
That vocation journey will reach a culmination in two weeks, when his eldest brother, Father Eric Scanlan, Pastor of Incarnation Parish in Sarasota, will be vesting him during the ordination.
Deacon Daniel first studied at Ave Maria University before deciding to follow his heart to become a Diocesan seminarian at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. He later studied in Rome at the Pontifical North American College and received a degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. Most recently, he initiated his studies in moral theology at the Pontifical University of Santa Croce. Following his ordination, he will transfer to the John Paul II Institute in Washington, D.C., to study for his licentiate of Sacred Theology of Marriage and Family.
Since joining the Diocese as a seminarian, Deacon Scanlan has served pastoral assignments at the following Parishes: St. Vincent de Paul in Fort Myers; Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles in Bradenton; St. Francis Xavier in Fort Myers; St. Joseph in Bradenton; and St. Katharine Drexel in Cape Coral.
While Deacons Roldan and Scanlan are being ordained on July 15, there are several men who are at various stages in their priestly formation, either in college or at a seminary where they continue their studies toward the ordained priesthood. The seminarians are currently engaged in various summer pastoral assignments.
Seminarians are supported by the Diocese of Venice through the Catholic Faith Appeal, the Knights of Columbus, the Council of Catholic Women and the generosity of individual parishes and parishioners. Parishioners from around the Diocese are encouraged to help support the seminarians in their studies and choice of vocation.
To contribute to the education of the seminarians, send a check to the Diocese of Venice, Office of Vocations, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285 or go to www.dioceseofvenice.org/ways-to-give. For more information about the seminarians or Vocations, contact Father Roser at 941-484-9543.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the Faithful of the Diocese of Venice to attend the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the faithful to the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Alejandro Giraldo Roldan and Daniel Scanlan. The Ordination will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this important event in the lives of Deacons Alejandro and Daniel as well as the Diocese of Venice. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.
Deacons Dougherty and Roldan were among 11 ordained at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Boca Raton by Most Rev. Erik T. Pohlmeier, Bishop of St. Augustine. The men, from different Dioceses across Florida, are studying either at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach or Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts.
Celebrated by Bishop Austin A. Vetter of Helena, Montana, the ordination of 23 men from the Pontifical North American College is one of the final steps toward priesthood.
“I think I was fascinated because I never considered how one became a priest. I didn’t even know what a seminary was… this was a big moment in my life because the thought that my own brother might become a priest made this vocation become real and personal to me.”
Deacon Scanlan said “when we follow God’s plan for our lives, we know that is what will be most fulfilling, most rewarding, and most satisfying because it is the mission He created us for while in our mother’s womb. People often come up to me and thank me for my ‘yes’ to the priesthood. I always appreciate their sentiment but at the same time, it is easy for me to say ‘yes’ because I want to serve and give myself to the Church.”
The poignant and emotional Rite places Fathers Chami, Portorreal and Young in a new rank as they are raised to the Order of the Presbyterate where they will now celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, confer the Sacraments and teach the Gospel.
“Holiness has to be the greatest gift you developed within your relationship with Jesus Christ – you took it into the seminary, and you bring that out to be here today,” the Bishop said. “It is your holiness that will be supported by your daily prayer life… Let that holiness be present always in your life… Let it be a mark of who you are as an example for others.”
When the Rite of Ordination began, the elect were called forth by Father Shawn Roser, Diocesan Vocations Director, and upon hearing their names, each stood and answered “Present.” After the homily, individually, the ordinandi knelt before the Bishop so as to promise respect and obedience to him and his successors. They then prostrated before the altar for the Litany of Supplication/Litany of Saints. The whole assembly joined in the prayer which invoked the intercession of the Saints in heaven.
The Bishop then laid his hands on the head of each man and prayed silently. All of the priests present followed to participate in this part of the Rite. Next was the Prayer of Ordination. These combine to form an essential part of the Liturgy of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
The palms of the new priests were then anointed with the Sacred Chrism by Bishop Dewane, the sign of the special anointing of the Holy Spirit who will make their ministry fruitful. Next, the Bishop presented each new priest with the chalice (wine) and paten (bread) which they are called to present to God in the Eucharistic sacrifice saying: “Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.” He repeated this commission, once each for the newly ordained priests.
During the ordination, Deacons Chami, Portorreal and Young freely presented themselves to serve God, the Church and the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, and his successors. They also made a promise to celibacy and a promise to obedience. The reward for that choice is to serve the people of God.
Father Chami, 28, was born in Montreal, Canada, but raised in Naples, Fla. since the age of 4, and was an accomplished swimmer in high school and is a longtime parishioner of St. William Parish in Naples. He first seriously heard the call to the priesthood while at Florida State University. Since joining the Diocese as a seminarian, Deacon Chami graduated from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami and then studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Within the Diocese, he has served pastoral assignments at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs, Incarnation Parish in Sarasota, Sts. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish in Bradenton, and St. Francis Xavier Parish in Fort Myers. Father has been appointed as Parochial Vicar of Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto, effective July 18 until September 30. Father then returns to Rome to complete his Licentiate Studies at the Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane invites the faithful to watch, via a livestream, the Ordination to the Priesthood of Transitional Deacons Christian Chami, David Portorreal, and Michael Young at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 16, from Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The Ordination, presided over by Bishop Frank J. Dewane, will be livestreamed via the Cathedral at 
Sister Maureen Carroll is a Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC) and is marking 60 years of religious life in 2022. A teacher at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples since 1989, Sister Maureen has taught grades 1 to 4 in Catholic schools in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois and Florida. Sister is a Support Teacher and teaches 2nd grade Religion at St. Ann and says her greatest joy is to lead the children to Jesus through the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. Congratulations Sister Maureen!
St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Port Charlotte hosted its annual Fourth of July Family Picnic which drew hundreds to celebrate our nation’s freedom and the opportunity to enjoy some good food made by the parishioners.
The Knights of Columbus Ave Maria Assembly 3862 hosted the 6th annual “God Bless America” Independence Day Bike and Golf Cart Parade in Ave Maria. The ceremony began in the Piazza on the steps of the Church and included patriotic songs, prayers for our country, then a “Blessing of the Bikes.” The parade, which drew more than 500 people of all ages, include motorcycles, bicycles, trikes, golf carts, skateboards, and strollers all led by a fire truck.
Dutka processed into Holy Cross Parish in Palmetto on June 18, 2022, dressed in the white alb of a candidate. It wasn’t until Bishop Frank J. Dewane laid his hands upon the head of the candidate that Dutka was officially ordained a Permanent Deacon. During this moment, in silence, Bishop Dewane placed his hands on Dutka’s head and prayed for an outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The imposition of the Bishop’s hands confers grace and spiritual power.
During his homily, Bishop remarked that the new Deacon’s “soul has been indelibly marked; be conscious of the change that has taken place within you. As a Deacon you are loved by Jesus Christ in a particular way that comes with a grace from your response to His call. Be the instrument of Jesus Christ in response to that love.”
At the start of the formal Rite, the candidate was called before Bishop Dewane by Father Kristian Villafana, temporary Administrator of Holy Cross Parish, and then presented to the Bishop for his examination. The election by Bishop Dewane includes the following prayer: “Relying on the help of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, we choose this, our brother, for the Order of the Diaconate.” The gathered deacons, priests and faithful responded: “Thanks be to God.”
Father Villafana then placed a Deacon’s stole and a dalmatic on Deacon Dutka. Once vested, Dutka knelt again before the Bishop and then the last part of the Rite, the Handing On of the Book of Gospels took place. The Mass continued as usual at this point with the newly ordained Deacon Dutka serving as Deacon of the Altar.
