By Father John Belmonte, SJ – Diocese of Venice Superintendent of Catholic Education
As happens in many families, our Catholic schools can display this year’s report card proudly on the refrigerator! The nation’s Catholic schools received their report card (in mid-November) as the results of 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the Nation’s Report Card, were released.
Catholic schools outpaced the public schools in overall average NAEP scores. Nationwide only 33% of public school fourth graders and 31% of public school eighth graders read at or above grade proficiency. Amid widespread declines in public school scores, Catholic school achievement was a bright spot. As Kathleen Porter-Magee said in the Wall Street Journal, “If all U.S. Catholic schools were a state, their 1.6 million students would rank first in the nation across the NAEP reading and math tests for fourth and eighth graders.”
The story told by these test scores suggest an answer to why so many new families enrolled in Catholic schools during and after the pandemic: excellence and responsiveness to student needs matters to families. Simply put, our Diocesan Catholic schools managed the pandemic well with in-person classes, adapting better and more quickly than the public schools. The Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools were in-person throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, never closing a school.
The academic benefits are clear. Across our Diocesan schools over the past two years, scores in Reading, Science and Math all increased. On average our Diocese of Venice students tested 3.6 years above grade level in Reading. 79% of our students scored above the 50th National percentile in Reading, Math, and Science.
In addition to strong test scores, despite the pandemic, Bishop Frank J. Dewane led the Diocesan schools by initiating the only Diocesan-wide K-12 STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) curriculum and Robotics program in the country.
Parents have responded. During that two-year period, Diocese of Venice Catholic schools have enjoyed a 25% increase in enrollment.
Beyond a very good report card and innovative curriculum, we can be especially proud that our teachers, principals, and pastors who all stayed focused on our mission to teach Christ by leading young people to the “yes” of faith.
Father Belmonte can be reached at 941-484-9543 or belmonte@dioceseofvenice.org.
Third grade students at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring explored different forms of energy during a lesson on Jan. 13, 2022. One of the more joyful parts of the experiments was learning about static electricity when they used a few balloons to cause some hair to stand on end.
It was in December 2021 when a group of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School students received assistance crossing a busy intersection with the aid of the Fort Myers Police Department in their patrol cars and using their lights and sirens to the delight of the children. As a way of thanks, the fourth graders invited members of the Fort Myers Police Department to personally thank them for their support and service in celebration of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Jan. 7, 2022.
It was some 25 years ago when the groundbreaking on the 250-acre property took place with the first buildings opening within a year. Since that time in 1995, untold thousands have visited the OLPH grounds either to visit or to take part in one of many retreats.
Of course, the number of large groups using OLPH remained low for much of 2020 and into early 2021 as retreat size restrictions were necessary due to social distancing and other safety guidelines for all retreatants. Even when in-person retreats returned, the retreats were different, as the Sacrament of Confession was necessarily from a greater distance than was normal. “We adjusted to create an environment where everyone was comfortable,” Father noted.
Of course, OLPH continues to offer 3, 5, and 8-day individual retreats. Each retreat begins with a meeting with a priest spiritual director, and dinner. Mass is offered each day, as well as a meeting with the director, spiritual reading assignments, and peaceful time for introspection and contemplation. The final day concludes with a meeting, Mass, and lunch. For those with less time, OLPH also offers a 1-Day retreat (often referred to as a Desert Day). There are also Ignatian Preached Retreats (the next one is May 20-23) which are silent and introduce participants to the Spiritual Exercises in a group setting.
In the coming months there will be the Ordination to the Priesthood of three men, the Diocesan Phase of the Synod on Synodality, Masses for couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries, a first-time joint Men’s and Women’s Conference, a continuing initiative to curb the impacts of pornography on society, opportunities to promote the sanctity of life, and learning experiences of various types.
The Office of Respect Life will be busy throughout 2022 with a variety of activities, all to raise awareness about important issues regarding the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. First up is the 24th annual Sarasota Prayer Walk for Life on Tuesday, Jan. 18, outside of the Planned Parenthood in downtown Sarasota. Bishop Dewane will celebrate Mass at 8:30 a.m. at St. Martha Parish, 200 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota. A bus will shuttle participants to the abortion center on Central Avenue to circle the block in prayer as many times as desired. The walk coincides with the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade court decision which paved the way for legalized abortion in the U.S.
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., will be hosting several events to support its more 30 than programs throughout the Diocese. First up on Wednesday, Jan. 19, is the “Celebration of Hope Luncheon” to benefit the programs in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties, The Luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m., at the Lexington Country Club, 16257 Willowcrest Way, Fort Myers. For tickets to this event, please contact Victoria Guevara at 
While some events were modified, delayed or even postponed, the Diocese was blessed to have two men Ordained to the Priesthood; welcome hundreds into the Church at the Easter Vigil; start a massive robotics program in its Catholic schools; host a successful Youth Rally, as well as Women’s and Men’s Conferences; honor the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony; continue to pray for victims of abuse; honor our veterans; prayer walks for an end to abortion; assist tens of thousands with food and other support; evidence major enrollment gains in its Catholic schools; dedicate a new Parish Church and Retreat Center Shrine; continue to expand the outreach to the Hispanic Catholic community; inaugurate the Diocesan Phase of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” and conclude the “Year of St. Joseph.”
One of the most important building blocks of the Catholic Church is the ordination of men to the priesthood. The Diocese of Venice was blessed to have two men ordained in 2021 presided over by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at Epiphany Cathedral. Three other seminarians were ordained to the Transitional Diaconate in 2021 and are expected to be ordained to the priesthood in 2022.
During Holy Week the priests of the Diocese gathered for the annual Chrism Mass; a powerful sign of unity with more than 100 priests on the altar with Bishop Dewane at the Cathedral. This annual Mass is one of the most critical and unifying moments for the Diocese during Holy Week. At the Chrism Mass, priests and deacons who celebrate milestone anniversaries were honored. To accommodate the latest guidance on social distancing and limiting the size of gatherings at the time, only priests and Permanent Deacons and their wives were present for the Mass. The public was able to view this Mass via livestream.
Two major dedications took place in the first half of 2021. First was the Dedication and Blessing of a new Parish Church for St. Paul Parish in Arcadia on March 21, 2021. The building more than quadrupled the capacity of the previous church and offers room for future Parish offices, classrooms and a Parish Hall. The project followed strict guidelines to ensure the building is energy efficient is the context of Laudato Si. A centerpiece feature of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice was dedicated and blessed by Bishop Dewane before an enthusiastic crowd on June 6, 2021. The Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a fitting memorial to the Blessed Virgin who serves as the exemplar for all to follow.
In a letter of congratulations to the 15 Diocesan Catholic School principals, Father Belmonte said the enrollment success in the Diocese is impressive compared to the rest of the state but should come as no surprise to them.
It was during the 2019-2020 election cycle that Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, encouraged all to take a Pledge entitled “Civilize It!” for a more enlightened political season. On September 7, 2021, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) relaunched Civilize it: A Better Kind of Politics, to address the polarization in society. Join Catholics across the Diocese of Venice in taking the Civilize It Pledge to engage individuals, families, and communities in a dialogue of bridgebuilding. Visit 
Brenda Dolan, Immediate Past President of the Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, has been installed as President, Provincial Director-Elect Florida Council of Catholic Women (FCCW) Board. The new Board members were installed at the Province Dinner on Aug. 26, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. This was part of the 101st National CCW Convention. In June 2021, Dolan, of St. Therese Parish in North Fort Myers, completed a two-year term as Co-President of the Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. She was President for two years before that. Several women from the Diocese of Venice also serve on FCCW committees, including Iris Gomez, Legislative Advocacy Co-Chair; Ellen Bachman, Our Lady of Good Counsel Co-Chair; Dolan, By Laws Committee Chair. The current Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women President is Josephine Weiss.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, joined by Father Eric Scanlan, Chaplain of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, receives the gifts presented by students during the school Mass held on September 14, 2021.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane installed Father Elbano Muñoz as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Bradenton on June 11, 2021, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. The installation was within the context of the Mass, celebrated in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, reflecting the different cultural members of the community.
Father Muñoz expressed his gratitude to Bishop Dewane for having the confidence in him as the new Pastor. He thanked the faithful for their support and understanding since his arrival. Father also recognized his fellow priests, nine of whom concelebrated Mass with several having had connections to the Parish.
