Tag: parish life

News Briefs for the week of December 10, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Appointments

After consultation, Bishop Frank J. Dewane announced the following appointments:

 Father Jonathan Romanoski, F.S.S.P., relieved of his duties as Chaplain of the Latin Mass Community in the Fort Myers/Naples area, effective Nov. 21, 2021, and thus, has returned to his Religious Community.

Father Timothy Van Zee, F.S.S.P., as Chaplain of the Latin Mass Community in the Fort Myers/Naples area, effective Nov. 21, 2021.

Father Pablo Ruani, I.V.E., relieved of his duties as Parochial Vicar of St. Leo the Great Parish, Bonita Springs, effective Nov. 23, 2021. Father Ruani has taken an assignment in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Father Robin Sierra Quiroz, relieved of his duties as Parochial Vicar of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Naples, effective Dec. 4, 2021, and thus, has returned to his home Diocese.

Father Wilian Montalvo Tello, I.V.E., as Parochial Vicar of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Naples, effective Dec. 4, 2021.

Father Charles G. Ruoff, as Parochial Vicar of San Marco Parish, San Marco, effective Nov. 1, 2021, and at the same time he is relieved of his duties as Parochial Vicar of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Port Charlotte.

Father Emmanuel E. Saint-Hilaire, as Parochial Vicar of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, Port Charlotte, effective Nov. 1, 2021.

Bishop Dewane announces the new members to the Presbyteral Council, and as a result of recent elections and appointments, are the following:

Monsignor Patrick Dubois, Member at Large

Father Luis Pacheco, Representative of Eastern Deanery

Father Casey Jones, Representative of Southern Deanery

Father Jack Costello, Appointed Member

Father Teofilo Ramirez Moreno, Appointed Member

Father Ananda R. Anki Reddy, Appointed Member

Father Franckel Fils Aime, Appointed Member

Congratulations to the new members. At the same time, an expression of gratitude is extended to those who served on the Presbyteral Council in their respective categories:

Monsignor Joseph Stearns

Father Vincent Clemente

Father Jean Marie “Fritz” Ligonde.

Seminarian Instituted as Lector

Gregory Dougherty, a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Venice at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Weston Massachusetts, was among a group of nine men who were Instituted as Lectors on Dec. 1, 2021. Most. Rev. Frank J. Caggiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, was the presiding prelate. The men who are in formation to become priests must be instituted as Lectors, in part because they must be formed and prepared to be proclaimers of the Word of God. This role includes not only their duties in the celebration of Mass and other liturgical rites, but also by witnessing to the Word of God now and in their future ministry. The main duties of the lector at the Sunday Mass includes proclaiming both the first and second readings. During the institution ceremony, the bishop instructs the candidates, saying, “You will proclaim that word in the liturgical assembly, instruct children and adults in the faith and prepare them to receive the sacraments worthily.” Through these words, the bishop is making known to the men and the faith community the new expectations in their responsibilities in the Catholic Church. Previously, Seminarian Dougherty received Candidacy for the Orders of Diaconate and Priesthood on Oct. 27, 2021.

Do the Right Thing Award for helping student pass test

Congratulations to St. Ann Catholic School fourth grader, Mia Matusz, for winning the November 2021 Do The Right Thing Award from Naples Police Department! She was presented with a trophy and bag of goodies sponsored by Sotheby’s Realty on Dec. 1, 2021. Mia was nominated by her teacher for the award for going out of her way to help a classmate. She volunteered to give up her recesses to help a new student learn Spanish. No teacher asked her to do this, Mia simply saw her classmate needed help, and sacrificed her free time to help her. This act of Citizenship not only helped her friend pass her test, but also motivated her classmates to show random acts of kindness towards others! Congratulations Mia on your award!!

Annual Walk for Life a success

The annual St. Agnes 5K Walk for Life was in person and huge success this year in Naples on Nov. 20, 2021. The purpose is to promote a respect life message and to raise funds for the pro-life cause which encourage healthy living (body and soul). Among the walkers was the Pastor, Father Bob Kantor. The 2020 event was a virtual walk.

Parish dedicated statue of St. Joseph

 

 

As part of a continuing devotion to St. Joseph, the faithful of St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers have a newly blessed statue of the Saint holding the Child Jesus. The statue is in the Memorial Garden and the blessing took place Nov. 28, 2021. The original idea was from the Parish Women’s Guild to have a statue in connection to the Year of St. Joseph. The generosity of the faithful made the idea a reality in a ceremony presided over by Father Robert Tabbert, Pastor of St. John XXIII.

8th grade retreat focuses on service

The eighth graders of St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Catholic Academy in Sarasota had a very special Retreat Day on Dec. 3, 2021. They spent time in service to Caritas, Casa Santa Marta, Bethesda House and Resurrection House. In addition, donations from students, families and parishioners helped to provide 120 blessing bags for the homeless, restock several food pantries, donate over 350 pairs of socks, scarves, gloves to five local charities, 144 “St. Nicholas Gift Bags” for Parish students and provided 130 gift certificates for the residents of Casa Santa Marta. Way to go everyone!

Students use trash to create meaningful art

An amazing creation was built by the St. John Neumann Catholic High School Creative Arts class of Cindy Brewer. This project was entered into a competition hosted by Community School of Naples that aimed to encourage all students to be both more environmentally responsible and creative, at the same time.  The students spent over a month collecting trash and transforming it into “A Window to the Sea.” The theme of the competition was “Preserving Our Oceans.”

Students visit high school for Christmas crafts and fun

Traditions continued when Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers hosted second and third graders from St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers on Dec. 2, 2021. They were there to create Christmas crafts, gingerbread houses, and Christmas cookies. A shout out goes to the National Honor Society and Art Club for their talented assistance!

Giving back for Thanksgiving

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Catholic schools and Parish youth groups across the Diocese of Venice learned a valuable lesson ahead of Thanksgiving: to be thankful for what they have and how wonderful it feels to give to others.

Thousands of cans of food and other non-perishable items were collected and then delivered to various Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. food banks or those of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

For example, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers the students took part in the school’s annual “Share Your Blessings” canned food drive. The drive was led by the National Junior Honor Society in partnership with the Knights of Columbus and collected more than 3,500 items for the nearby St. Vincent de Paul Society which helps feed those in need. Top collecting classes earned a prize of holiday cookies.

This important lesson of giving back resonates with students of all ages and is a strong representation of the Catholic Social Teaching regarding charity, where one doesn’t just give but gives from the heart to everyone in need regardless of their race or religion because “Christ is all and in all.”

Although many world religions uphold charitable work, it is specially emphasized in the Christian Faith and is a central message found in the Gospels. For example, in Colossians 3:11 we are instructed to love our neighbors because they are the children of God as we are all part of the same human family and share the same nature, needs and dignity.

This is why the smiles on the student faces last a little bit longer as they learn to appreciate that their combined hard work translates into food on the table for many families in the community who are less fortunate.

When organizing food drives, many Catholic schools often have friendly competitions amongst the different classrooms and grade levels.

This went to an extreme level at Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria, where the whole school took part in a massive, canned food drive competition to help the Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities in Immokalee.

How massive? One local store had to stay open two extra hours as the students were buying so many cans. Then, when the stores ran out of cans, the students collected rice, pasta and more. This created a temporary counting problem as the faculty tried to figure out the equivalent value of a canned item versus a bag of rice or box of pasta.

The result was a massive 6,000 items of food. So much that it took more than one trip to deliver everything to the grateful staff of Catholic Charities.

The competition was also fierce at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers where students put their donated food items into large cans labeled with the name of favored teachers or faculty members. The name which had the most food was obligated to wear a turkey outfit after school on Nov. 19, 2021 – the start of the Thanksgiving break – and wave to all of the families and students. The “winner” was Matt Hiller, Assistant Dean of Students who gladly wore the outfit and held a sign as he waved and gobbled – “Save a TURKEY – Eat PIZZA!”

At St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples the students, faculty, and staff delivered a total of 6,474 items to Catholic Charities. In addition to the school-wide food drive, the Celtic baseball team decided to go above and beyond and host an additional food drive, donating more than 200 items to another area charity.

Nearby, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School students collected over 1,000 pounds of food and over $250 from a dress down (non-uniform) day collection.

Not to be forgotten, the St. Columbkille Parish Youth Group & Faith Formation families came together to donate and assemble many large baskets of food. This was in addition to turkeys donated by the Knights of Columbus.

These were just a few examples of the generosity and charity from the students and youth of the Diocese of Venice leading up to Thanksgiving. The lessons of charity were well learned and countless families were the beneficiaries of their generosity.

Parish named after Saint tries to live up to name

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Visit St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton and you will find something taking place at nearly all hours of every day of the year.

What you will discover will vary. It could be the faithful coming or going to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; people praying in the Adoration Chapel or partaking in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. You might also find people at the Parish participating in the more than three dozen different outreach programs; then again maybe they are heading into the growing Catholic school and even others are there to stock shelves in the food pantry.

“St. Joseph has a certain welcoming feeling that draws people – it is a family,” said longtime parishioner and member of Parish Advisory Council, Mary Miller. “There is a connection here that people get that is down to earth. Everyone is so welcoming and warm.”

Their Pastor, Father Rafal Ligenza said that since his arrival in 2019 the faithful have been on a journey together building the Kingdom of God. Faithful come from far distances in Manatee County to attend Mass at St. Joseph, something Father credits to the faithful.

Named after the Protector of the Universal Church, and Foster-Father of Jesus, the Parish has roots dating back to 1869 when missionary priest served the area. The Parish dates to 1926 and the Catholic school to 1954. Bishop Frank J. Dewane consecrated the Diocese of Venice to a “Year of St. Joseph” on March 19, 2020, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, in the context of the COVID-19 global pandemic. That year was extended upon Pope Francis creating a Universal “Year of St. Joseph from Dec. 8, 2020 to Dec. 8, 2021.

Bishop Dewane has often said St. Joseph, who never says a word in the Bible, but who is a model of obedience of what God asks of him. “St. Joseph freely and willingly accepted a vision he was given in life… to be the foster father of Jesus, but also the head of the Holy Family; the provider and the Protector.”

Father Ligenza said he is humbled to be at a Parish named after St. Joseph.

“There is so much faith in God here,” Father said. “Every day we have people using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in service to God. There is a passion about this Parish that the community has, and it is wonderful. We are growing together, obedient to the teachings of Christ.”

This support manifested itself when a big change was recently made. The tabernacle was moved to the center of the church, behind the altar. Previously, the tabernacle was in a Chapel at the back of the church building. The was because the choir sits behind the altar and no appropriate location was identified when the church was built. After some explaining and work, the tabernacle has a new home, properly at the rear center of the altar.

“Everyone understood because this puts the focus where it needs to be, on Our Lord at all times when we are in the church,” Father Ligenza said.

The Parish is home to the largest food pantry in Manatee County serving more than 1,000 families each month. There is also has a huge choir and vibrant religious education and youth program. In fact, the Middle School Youth Group, CTG (Called to Greatness), had a mini retreat on Nov. 17, 2021, in honor of November being the month of Holy Souls. The group talked about what living like a Saint means, what purgatory is, played a fun Saint game, focused on teamwork, and ended with a candlelight vigil for loved ones that passed away.

“There are great things happening here,” Father Ligenza said.

Miller has been a witness to many of those happenings since her family first came to St. Joseph in the 1970s, a time when the Parish was part of the Diocese of St. Petersburg prior to the establishment of the Diocese of Venice in 1984.

She tried to enroll her children into the Catholic school, which was led by a religious order of sisters and there was a waitlist. Eventually they were enrolled, and the Millers never left.

“When we came, we felt like we belonged,” Miller added. “After our children were enrolled in the school my husband and I became more involved in the Parish and volunteered wherever we were needed.”

Miller’s husband, Walter, served many years on the Parish Advisory Council and the School Board and was pivotal in spearheading many efforts to support the Parish and school. The last major project he worked on before his death in 2020 was the installation of a new electronic sign in front of the Parish. His local ties helped make it happen and the sign is dedicated to his memory.

Mary Miller was so involved as a volunteer in the Parish that she became a paid staff member for 20 years. When the time to retire came, she remained active in the Parish  as a money counter, assisting in the food pantry and recently rejoined the Parish Advisory Board.

‘St. Joseph is where my heart is,” Miller said. “I pass other Catholic churches to come here. I know many other do as well. This is where the faith is and holds so strongly for many people.”

The Parish has about 1,600 families and is located at 3100 26th Street W. Bradenton. Daily Mass is Monday to Saturday at 8 a.m., and weekends Masses are 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information about St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton, please call 941-756-3732 or visit https://www.sjcfl.org/. For more information about St. Joseph Catholic School, please call 941-755-2611 or visit  or visit www.sjcsfl.org.

 

Avon Park faithful welcome Pastor

Posted on by Bob Reddy

An installation of a new Pastor is a punctuation mark in the life of a Parish, a moment defined by its lasting impact on the People of God.

In the context of the Mass on Nov. 21, 2021, the Solemnity of Our Lord, Christ, King of the Universe, Bishop Frank J. Dewane installed Father Ronnie Sison as Pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Avon Park.

When Bishop Dewane noted that a Pastor can make a lasting mark on a Parish, the faithful responded with applause when it was suggested that the time in Avon Park could be marked with an exclamation point. “I now know how you feel about your new Pastor, Father Ronnie.”

As well as his installation was received by the faithful at Our Lady of Grace, Bishop Dewane encouraged the faithful to continue to offer advice to their Pastor, but they must accept that he may sometimes make decisions that are not popular.

“As he helps you to become more centered on Christ, be connected to your new Pastor, and be willing to support him and uplift him in his sacred work,” the Bishop concluded.

Father Sison has been serving as Administrator of Incarnation Parish since Oct. 1, 2019, and Bishop Dewane said it was an appropriate time to install him as Pastor. During his time at Our Lady of Grace, Father Sison has overseen the replacement of the roof to the Parish church and hall. Work was completed in October on the renovation of the interior of the church with new flooring and altar space.

During the installation, the priest begins with selected words leading to the start of the Creed at which point he is joined by the faithful. At the end of the Creed, the new Pastor has extra lines which are exclusive for him. In addition, the Pastor takes an Oath of Fidelity to the Bishop and his successors; formalized by his placing his hand upon the Book of Gospels.

Following the installation, two members of the Parish, representing the entire congregation, served as witnesses and signed the formal documents, copies of which are left at the Parish, placed in the Diocesan archives and in the personnel file of Father Sison. Bishop then introduced the new Pastor to a rousing applause.

Father Sison was emotional when thanking Bishop Dewane for having the confidence and trust in him as the new Pastor. He also expressed his deepest gratitude for the joyous support the community has given him since his arrival in Avon Park.

After the installation, a reception was held in the Parish Hall.

News Briefs for the week of November 26, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Bishop helps distribute food

Bishop Frank J. Dewane assisted in loading turkeys into cars at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Naples on Nov. 22, 2021. The drive-thru Thanksgiving food distribution was coordinated by St. Matthews House with more than 700 families being feed and donations coming from across the region including nearby Parishes and Catholic schools.

Christmas Day Televised Mass for the Homebound

The televised Christmas Day Mass for the Homebound with Celebrant Bishop Frank J. Dewane will air for a full hour on Christmas Day. For viewers in the northern portions of the Diocese (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, and Sarasota counties), the Mass will air at 9:30 a.m. on the CW Network. In the southern portions of the Diocese (Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee counties), the Mass will air at 6 a.m. on WFTX-TV (FOX-4). Please check your cable provider for channel listings. The Mass will also be available on the Diocesan website at dioceseofvenice.org/televisedmass. Leaflet missals are available upon request by calling Gail Ardy at 941-486-4714 or by writing: TV Mass, Diocese of Venice, 1000 Pinebrook Road, Venice, FL 34285. For more information email ardy@dioceseofvenice.org. Also, please check the Dec. 17 e-Edition of the Florida Catholic for a complete listing of Diocese of Venice Christmas Mass times. The times will also be posted on the Diocesan website by Dec. 13, 2021.

Essay about priest earns state recognition

A Sarasota student was recently recognized for his writing skills in the First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest. Giacomo Mutti, a Booker High School senior, wrote his essay about Father Celestino Gutiérrez, Pastor of St. Jude Parish, who supports the Sarasota County community through his volunteerism. Giacomo was recognized by Gov. Ron DeSantis during a ceremony held on Nov. 12, 2021. The theme for the 500-word essay was limited to “celebrating Hispanic-American Community Leaders and Champions.” A ceremony honoring Giacomo was held Nov. 21, at St. Jude Parish where he was able to show off his prize and directly thank Father Gutiérrez for being an inspiration to him and others in the community. For winning the contest, Giacomo earned a four-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. Well done!

Students continue service project

During November, fourth graders at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers lead the school wide/year-long “Breath of Life – Help Our Heroes,” service project. The students created colorful Thanksgiving canvas art for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Respiratory Team at Golisano Children’s Hospital. They also provided these dedicated caregivers with sandwiches, chips and beverages to enjoy when they take a well-deserved break!

Naples students learn science of parade balloons

Second graders at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Naples leaned all about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade the week of Nov. 15-19, 2021. The students read “Balloons Over Broadway”, completed literacy activities and conducted a science experiment showing how combining a liquid and solid created a chemical reaction causing the gas to inflate the balloons. The students designed and created their own balloons for our very own “Balloons Over Broadway” parade.

Thanksgiving Feast for parents and students

St. Mary Catholic Academy in Sarasota hosted its annual Thanksgiving Feast on Nov. 18, 2021. School board members, Home and School Association assisted in making this tradition a success for the students and their families.

School endowment campaign unveiled in Naples

On Nov. 16, 2021, the Saint Ann School Foundation held a launch party to publicly announce their plans for a $10 Million Campaign to provide students scholarships for the students of Saint Ann Catholic School in Naples.

“We are grateful to all who joined us for a spectacular evening in celebration of our formal launch of the Faith Family Future Endowment Campaign for the Saint Ann School Foundation,” said Pamela Marcia, Foundation Executive Director. “It was a beautiful and joyful evening for Catholic Education.” The big news of the night was the thrilling reveal of the “Faith Family Future Endowment Campaign.”

In six months, 16 generous donors have committed $7.7 Million of the $10 Million campaign goal. We are extremely grateful and humbled by the generosity of our faithful friends of the Foundation for their trust and belief in our mission. To learn more about the Saint Ann School Foundation, please visit www.foundationstann.org.

Unraveling the Roots of Men’s Trauma – Post Conference reflection and looking ahead

Posted on by Bob Reddy

By Nathan Misirian, Special to the Florida Catholic
Whether you are new or have been active since the start of the Pro-Life movement, it is common to see women as leaders, facilitators, counselors, and participants in healing. Looking more broadly at our culture, the predominant conversation in the media and in politics is that “abortion is a women’s issue.”

However, at the beginning of 2021, the leadership team of Support After Abortion had the vision to reach men who are hurting after abortion. Through two national, consumer research studies that represent the U.S. demographics, men impacted by abortion confidentially completed statistically valid surveys.  It was found that, in fact, men are hurting from abortion and have been stuffing or ignoring their hurt for years. Men shared that:

  • 71% of men said they were adversely impacted by abortion
  • 44% of men shared they did not have a voice in the abortion decision
  • 90% of men did not know where to go for healing after abortion

The Men’s Conference

So, with more than 22 million men having been impacted by abortion in the U.S. and 90% do not know where to turn to heal, Support After Abortion planned and launched the virtual Unraveling the Roots of Men’s Trauma Conference on Oct. 16, 2021.

Enlightened by the consumer research, Support After Abortion invested hours of first-hand interviews with men and clinicians to design and deliver a conference both to teach leaders how to reach men and provide an avenue for men to start their healing process.

Support After Abortion also launched a weekly podcast teaching and exploring how to help men heal from trauma with more than 250 downloads a month.

There were more than 700 people who attended the virtual Conference and 50% were men, a 40% increase in male participants compared to the previous online, live conferences. All the speakers were live and their Ted-talk-style videos are available for free online.

For the Men’s Conference, Support After Abortion worked closely with ecumenical partners to share and promote the message of hope and healing to clergy and leaders.

With an entire day’s worth of new content and insights on helping men heal, some of the most engaging aspects of the conference were the live Q&A between the speakers and the participants. Illustrating the pent-up demand for abortion healing, within the conference’s first hour, participants, both men and women, were sharing their abortion story – most for the first time!  It was heart-moving to watch Conference leaders listen and share compassionately that those impacted by abortion do not have to bear shame or hide any longer. Other participants reached out confidentially through Support After Abortion’s HopeLine (844-289-HOPE) to start their healing process.

Looking Ahead for Men Healing After Abortion

With more than 6,000 views from over 20 countries of the healing content from the one-day conference, Support After Abortion is dynamically leading the charge to sponsor and advocate for more healing programs to be implemented throughout the US and the world.

Lisa Rowe, LCSW and Nathan Misirian, Conference Producer, led a series of train-the-trainer events for leaders based on the Support After Abortion curriculum called Unraveled Roots and Keys to Hope and Healing – a collaborative project with Word Among Us. Leaders not only are introduced to the curriculum, learn and watch how to facilitate but they also join in and experience the dynamics of a healing group for men.

Support After Abortion’s vision remains focused on healing those impacted by abortion, especially men who are seeking but can’t find abortion healing programs. The focus in 2022 is to train more leaders on both curricula and facilitating skills to plan and implement healing groups for men worldwide. To learn more, please reach out to www.supportafterabortion.com.

News Briefs for the Week of Nov. 19, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Parish has Family Weekend

St. Michael Parish in Wauchula had a Family Weekend on Nov. 13-14, 2021. Each day include talks in English and Spanish for the adults and children, fun for the whole family, dinner, prayer time, the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Mass. Some 150 participated each day. Speakers included Alejandra Ruiz, Gregory Stearn, Andrea and Spencer McSorley, Dr. Alenjandro Carvallo and Msgr. Mark Svarczkopf.

School robotics team gets first test

The St. Catherine Catholic School Warriors Robotics Team traveled to Fort Myers on Nov. 13, 2021, to participate in a robotics scrimmage “coopertitions” with other schools. This was a great experience for the students as they learned the fundamentals of operating their robots with the stress of a competition as well as how to work as team. Great Job Warriors!

Anniversary celebrations in Port Charlotte

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School hosted a weekend of activities Nov. 12-14, 2021, as part of the ongoing 60th anniversary celebrations. This included a Food Truck Friday with music for alumni, parishioners and families; an Alumni Cocktail Hour on the Saturday; and then an Alumni and Family Barbeque on Sunday. A great time was had by all.

Disguising turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving

Kindergartens at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers disguised turkeys in art class on Nov. 11, 2021, in the hopes that it would help the turkeys to not be eaten on Thanksgiving. The young artists went all out on their designs.

High school open house draws big crowd

Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota hosted an Open House of prospective students and their families on Nov. 10, 2021. Current student ambassadors gave tours of the school and shared their experiences. Faculty and staff were on hand to answer any questions for the more than 140 families. It was a great night sharing all the special things about Mooney.

News Briefs for the Week of November 8, 2021

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Bradenton students do well in Knights soccer challenge

Three St. Joseph Catholic School students in Bradenton won awards at the Knights of Columbus State Soccer Challenge on Nov. 6, 2021 in Melbourne, Florida. Connor and Karol placed 2nd in the state in their age division, and Cooper placed 3rd in the state! Congratulations!

Student wins top junior horsemanship title

Alexa Dahl, a junior at St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples, won the 2021 World Championship for American Saddlebred in the 17 and under Three Gated Country Pleasure Division which she won with her mount CH Undulata’s Satchmo on Aug. 27, 2021 at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Kentucky. The Fair is host to the World Championships and the team made two top notch performances in to claim the title of Junior Exhibitor Country Pleasure 14-17 World’s Champion and World’s Champion of Champions! This team captured numerous other wins earlier in the year and is sure to continue their show ring success.

Students mourn classmate

Bishop Verot Catholic High School students, faculty, and family gathered Nov. 3, 2021, in the Senior Courtyard for a candlelight prayer vigil to remember senior Juan Roa, who died unexpectedly. The vigil included students sharing stories of Juan and the impact he had on so many lives. On All Soul’s Day, Nov. 2, the entire student body, along with members of the Roa family, took part in a Mass in his memory.

Three-year-olds dig for dinosaurs

The pre-kindergarten-3 students at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota played Jr. Paleontologists on Nov. 3, 2021 during a dino dig. A packed sand pit was created for the children to dig through in their own grip section as they happily searched out the “dino bones” and then tried to figure out how to put them together to assemble a “full-sized” dinosaur. Afterwards the whole group took a well deserved nap.

Volunteers at local soup kitchen

Junior girls at the Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School took part in a Nov. 5, 2021, service day volunteering at the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen at Guadalupe Social Services of Catholic Charities in Immokalee. The students set up the dining room tables, served the food and washed the dishes, learning valuable lessons about giving back and seeing first-hand the need of the poor in the community, some 10 miles for their home.

School hosts Fall Festival

St. Ann Catholic School in Naples hosted a Fall Festival on Nov. 6, 2021, put on by the school PTA. Beautiful weather brightened everyone’s day there were lots of fun activities and good food too.

Department of Education holds marketing and development workshop

The Diocese of Venice Department of Education hosted a Catholic Schools Marketing & development Collaboration Event and Workshop Nov. 8, 2021, at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice. Some 30 school representatives took part in the day which included sharing best practices, learning new strategies and brainstorming on how to continue to work together. The workshop was presented by John Carkeet, Department of Education Marketing Coordinator. Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education was also present and encouraged that continuing to build the Catholic culture at their respective schools must be a large part of any marketing and development plan.

Parishes, schools help bring Saints to life

Posted on by Bob Reddy

In the days leading up to and following Nov. 1, 2021, the Solemnity of All Saints, Parishes and Diocesan Catholic schools took time out to put a special emphasis on the Saints.

At some Masses children dressed as their favorite Saint. In some schools, presentations were made to allow the young “Saints” to share the story of these holy men and women of God.

The most popular activity this year was the Trunk-or-Treat which provided a safe environment for the little ones to come and get candy and have a little fun.

Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Parish in Bokeelia supported the Pine Island event by supplying 162 kids prepackaged bags of candy that had a label that said “Never Stop FALL-O-WEEN Jesus for Heavenly Treats. Have a Happy Halloween from OLMM Catholic Church.” The parishioners donated the candy for the event as the Parish Trunk-or-Treat Theme was: “FALL for Jesus, He Never LEAVES.”

Meanwhile, St. Michael Parish in Wauchula decided to host a carnival/trick-or-treat event in the field behind the Parish. Children dressed as priests, angels and a variety of superheroes and other characters each had to complete a carnival game to receive candy. One game had children try to identify images of saints with only a small hint to help. All the candy was donated by the faithful at St. Raphael Parish in Englewood.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane often describes the saints as women and men who do ordinary things extraordinarily well.

An example of this occurred in Bradenton, where second graders from St. Joseph Catholic School shared candy, homemade cards, and sang their favorite songs for the residents at nearby Truewood Assisted Living. Thanks to a donor who supplied candy, the students also enjoyed Trick or Treating throughout the facility.

The Beta Club of St. John Neumann Catholic School in Naples also did a little thing well when they delivered treats to the faculty and teachers at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples in thanks for their dedication to education. Each bag also featured a bible verse chosen by the Beta Club – “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” James 1:12.

Back at the high school, the seniors escorted pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students from St. Ann and St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Schools for trick-or-treating to each of the classrooms.

Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers hosted kindergarten students from St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers on Oct. 28 for pumpkin decorating and a few treats.

At Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria the children in grades Pre-k through third came to Mass on Oct. 29 dressed as their favorite saint. After Mass had concluded, the costumed children took turns announcing to the assembled students, teachers, parents and visitors which saint they were.

On the Solemnity, Nov. 1, St. Andrew Catholic School students wore a wide variety of “saint” costumes to Mass with many Blessed Virgin Mary’s, several angels, and a few Popes.

Pope Francis said true happiness does not come from being young, rich, or successful, as the world thinks, but from the counter-cultural idea to follow Jesus Christ. The Holy Father made his remarks during a special Angelus address for the Solemnity of All Saints, celebrated by the Catholic Church on Nov. 1, 2021. This year the obligation to attend Mass was abrogated in the United States because the Solemnity fell on a Monday.

In addition, schools also took time out on All Soul’s Day, Nov. 2, to pause to remember deceased family and friends. Middle school-aged students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton created images made from sugar with prayers for deceased relatives and friends written on the back of each one. This was part of a special Family Night celebrating Día de los Muertos on Oct. 29.

At Bishop Verot, for many years Fathers Joe and John Beattie, Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, would have a book for staff and students to record the names of loved ones to remember on All Souls Day. That tradition continues to this day with students and staff invited to participate this year.

Parishes also did the same with several dedicating evening Masses to the reading of the names of deceased parishioners from the previous year. The entire month of November is dedicated to all the Souls in Purgatory.

Workshops promote authentic femininity

Posted on by Bob Reddy

Each woman is uniquely beautiful and made according to God’s “image and likeness,” that is God’s design. With this in mind, the Diocese of Venice Office of Family Life hosted a series of workshops in late October to help instill a deeper appreciation for authentic femininity and the way God designed the female body as taught in the Theology of the Body from St. John Paul II.

Christina Valenzuela, a national speaker who provides lifelong learning and support for Body Literacy and Natural Family Planning, addressed three very different audiences using Sacred Scripture and the rich theology of the Catholic Church to help women develop a renewed appreciation for their unique role in God’s plan.

Valenzuela first spoke Oct. 21, 2021, to more than 150 young women at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, in a talk titled, “Language of the Body,” which was directed toward single women.

During the evening, she spoke about cycle charting and opened a window into Original Solitude and an opportunity to better understand what St. John Paul II calls the “mystery of woman? “That was done in the context of the liturgy, devotions, and rich theology of the Catholic Church.

Kateri Millword, President of Ave for Life, Ave Maria University’s Pro-Life Club, described the evening as a very enriching experience. This included hearing Valenzuela “talk about true femininity through the lens of fertility and cycles. She focused on their spiritual aspects, highlighting the dignity and beauty instilled in each woman by God. In the light of the “Theology of the Body” from St. Pope John Paul II. She explained how each woman can truly find herself through learning about her body in respect to what makes up her ‘feminine genius.’”

Then on Oct. 23 at St. John XXIII Parish in Fort Myers, she took time to train representatives from several Parishes to develop Natural Family Planning (NFP) “Ambassadors.” The idea was to build confidence by talking about NFP with others while gaining tools for expanding NFP support at the local level. Valenzuela also offered a perspective on discerning the unique role each Parish plays in supporting the family. And the importance of becoming well-versed in various types of NFP and resources.

Workshop participant Lori Crawford, of Our Lady of Light Parish in Fort Myers, explained how Valenzuela guided the group to reflect on the “next steps for sharing the good and hard news about Natural Family Planning. I felt the call while we were there to minister to young girls as they grow into young women and navigate the difficult teen and young adult years. I appreciated the clarity that this workshop brought as well as the camaraderie – a network of people that feel love for this relevant and difficult, but true teaching of the Church.”

The third workshop by Valenzuela took place Oct. 24, also at St. John XXIII Parish and was for mothers with daughters (ages 9-12) and designed to teach the science behind a women’s cycle, and how to create a “Culture of Care” for one another as a woman’s body grows and changes. More than 50 attended the “Cycle Prep Workshop” which receive high praise from the mothers who attended.

Elizabeth Andrews, of St. John XXIII Parish said “the Cycle Prep class offered by our Diocese was exactly what mothers of young daughters needed! There was so much information that moms weren’t aware of prior to this session, given in a fun and relatable way, plus we were given tools to assist our daughters as they mature.

Andrews said she would highly recommend any of the Pearl and Thistle’s programs Valenzuela created, and she was grateful to Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Office of Family Life for bringing the workshop to the Parish.

Lastly, Valenzuela recorded a presentation on “Pastoral Accompaniment and NFP”, which Carrie Harkey, Diocesan Office of Family Life Director, said would be shared with Parishes to provide an overview of various NFP methods, resources and accompaniment techniques to help couples through difficult fertility situations.

In addition, The Family Life Office offers pastoral planning packets “NFP in Our Parish: A Guide to Building Family Support in your Pastoral Plan” with the goal of building support in the family and where that falls in the parish plan

Harkey noted that the success of the presentations by Valenzuela does not end the efforts of the Diocese to help women develop a renewed appreciation for their unique role in God’s plan while also continuing to support families who strive to authentically live Church teaching.

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