Father Antony T. Lukka has been with the Diocese of Venice for the past six years but will soon be returning to his native India for an assignment as principal of a large school in Enamely, Kerala, India, on the southwestern tip of the country along the Arabia Sea.
Father Lukka will leave his post as Parochial Vicar of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice in early February, having previously served as Parochial Vicar at St. William Parish in Naples and Spiritual Advisor to the English Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
The recall to India brings with it profound sadness for Father Lukka as he will miss the many wonderful people he has come to know and appreciate during his time in the Diocese.
“During my time in the United States I have found a deep love for God through the Blessed Sacrament,” Father explained. “There is a great compassion and generosity in the people here and I return home rejuvenated in all aspects of my life, both physically and spiritually.”
When asked about what he will miss the most of his time in the Diocese of Venice, Father Lukka said it was the visits to the homebound and nursing homes, which he found very rewarding.
“The idea of a nursing home doesn’t really exist in India because there is a family spirit as older generations live with their children,” Father said. “This is the way the Faith is handed down from generation to generation. My grandmother was my strongest example of the Faith and I carry that legacy of compassion with me to this day.”
The eighth of nine children, (two sisters are women religious), Father Lukka was born in Kanjirapally, Kerala, India. He holds advanced degrees in chemistry and education and eventually discerned a vocation to the priesthood and studied at the Papal Seminary in Pune.
Ordained on May 30, 1995, for the Diocese of Kanjirapally, Father Lukka said there is a strong Catholic community there which traces its history to the time of St. Thomas the Apostle, who came to the region in the 1st century to spread the Good News of the Lord. Father is part of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic Rite based in Kerela, India, which is in full communion with the Pope and the worldwide Catholic Church. The Syro-Malabar Church is the second largest Eastern Catholic Church after the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
In his first few years as a priest, Father served at Parishes in several communities before being asked to be an assistant principal and later principal at a large school in Enamely. The Catholic school has about 4,500 students from kindergarten – 12th grade, with about 20 percent being Catholic.
During his first stint as principal, Father said it was a joyful, yet stressful experience which eventually led for him to request an assignment in the United States. Through a connection to the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, he received permission to go to Michigan in 2011.
Aside from the obvious culture shock of the U.S., with its wide-open spaces, abundant everything and development which makes life easier, the hardest adjustment for Father was the weather. It was shortly after he arrived that he experienced snow and bitter cold for the first time. “Where I am from, it is very hot and humid year-round, so snow took some getting used to. I even learned to drive in it so I could reach people in need including at two different prisons.”
Eventually, Father sought reassignment and because he had heard wonderful things about Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Diocese of Venice in Florida, he sent his request, which was accepted.
“It was a little bit about the weather but really I heard about the large Parishes and the growth taking place here in Florida so this was where I wanted to serve the People of God,” Father Lukka said.
Now, upon receiving a request from his home Diocese in India, he is heading home.
“Through the years I have learned to appreciate that you are sent out and go and be where you are at; it is the flow of life which God decides,” Father said. “I will go back to India and be close to my family, taking all the gifts of the Holy Spirit I have received and all I have learned. While I was surprised by the recall and the assignment, I am calm and content, taking the prayers of many well-wishers with me and have an attitude with gratitude.”
Father Lukka will say farewell at all of the Masses at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish on the weekend of Jan. 29-30, 2022, before leaving for India on February 2. After 20 hours of flying time and enduring several quarantines, Father will begin his new position as principal by the end of February.
The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School community in Naples celebrated its 100th day of classes on Jan. 21, 2022, with a special “dress like you are 100 years old” dress-down day for a donation of 100 cents! All proceeds from the day will be donated to the nearby Golden Gate Senior Center run by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School hosted more than 130 eighth grade students from its partner schools, St. Mary Catholic Academy, St. Martha Catholic School and Incarnation Catholic School, each in Sarasota, and St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton. This Jan. 19, 2022, retreat was more than just a tour of the high school; it was also a chance to learn about what attending Cardinal Mooney would be like. Mooney students led the eighth graders in a variety of activities including prayer, games and team building exercises. Throughout the day, the boys and girls were separated into smaller groups and given the opportunity to ask their hosts questions about the school.
The Diocese of Venice held a collaboration session and workshop for Catholic schools Marketing & Development Committee personnel on Jan. 24, 2022, at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The meeting began with a greeting and prayer from Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese. John Carkeet from the Diocese’s Education Department led the sessions, which included several guest speakers. Guest speakers presented information about marketing, branding and social media, and included Mindy Purvis, Catholic Faith Technologies; Monique Day, Target Digital Marketing; Angie Prokes, Digital Diagnosis Marketing; and Kevin Murphy and Jud Cavey from Ave Maria University. Carlee Colonneso, Development Consultant at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton and Carkeet led development and marketing workshop sessions. The collaboration session and workshop were Part II of a four-part series focused on establishing marketing plans at Diocesan schools.
Middle school students in American History at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring completed a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) project on Jan. 20, 2022, which focused on the Revolutionary War and the Culper Spy Ring. Not only did the students learn history, but also the chemistry behind invisible ink, which the Culper Ring used during the Revolutionary War.
There are few better ways to teach a lesson to a third-grade student than through the use of food as a prop in the classroom. That is exactly what happened on Jan. 19, 2022, at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples where the students used Oreo cookies to learn about the phases of the moon. This edible prop was easily handled by the students to match the different phases of the moon by splitting apart the two sides of the cookie and removing some of the filing. This exercise also has the benefit of having a handy snack after the lesson was completed.
Father Mattingly was raised in Washington, D.C., and later studied electrical engineering before training at the National Security Agency in computer research before converting to Catholicism. He discerned a vocation to the priesthood and studied at Niagara University in Lewiston, N.Y., and then St. Mary’s Seminary and University as well as Loyola University, both in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 18, 1968 for the Diocese of Savannah. He served in Catholic schools and Parishes in the Savannah Diocese before entering the Benedictine Abbey in Pecos, New Mexico where he did retreat work and coordinated the School for Spiritual Directors. It was in June 1990 that he requested assignment within the Diocese of Venice in Florida to be near his aging parents.
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.
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.
For some 8 hours on Nov. 6, 2021 teens heard from inspirational speakers, rocked to spiritual music, and participated in Eucharistic Adoration and the Mass. At the same time, they bonded with each other and learned how they are an important part of the Universal Church.
The theme for 2021 Diocese of Venice Youth Rally was “Sent” which comes directly from the Bible – “As you sent me in the world, so I sent them in the world” (John 17:18).
Throughout the day, the 2021 Youth Rally included an exciting line-up of speakers including David Calavitta and Kelly Colangelo. They each shared their unique Faith journey while also offering poignant advice to the teens as to how they can keep their focus on the Lord. Both stressed that the mid-teen years are a critical time as it is when the tumultuous world is trying to lure them down a darker path. At one point the young men were moved to a separate part of the facility thus allowing talks geared more personally toward the young women and men. The split sessions also included vocations talks.
Participating in the Mass were more than a dozen priests, as well as some 300 people from across the Diocese, representing many Parishes, various movements, Third Orders and many more.
The sessions are being planned to allow for the maximum opportunity for as many of the faithful to participate as possible. A complete schedule of the listening sessions will be announced soon.
“While what comes from our Diocese will go to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we are not tasked with putting together a document. We are tasked to listen, to get input, put it together and ensure the points that are made at the Diocesan level.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the students at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring on Oct. 18, 2021. The Mass is the latest in a series of Masses celebrated by the Bishop for students at each of the 15 Diocesan Catholic schools. During the Mass, which took place on the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Bishop Dewane encouraged the students to focus on developing their prayer life each day.
The Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women hosted a retreat on Oct. 16, 2021 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The bilingual retreat included talks from Father Janusz Jancarz, Spiritual Moderator for the VDCCW and Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice; Father Claudio Stewart, Diocesan Director of Hispanic Ministries, and Father Thomas Heck, a retired priest of the Diocese. The women also participated in Mass, adoration and praying of the rosary.
From time to time a Parish requires a new Pastor and on this occasion the Bishop will appoint – after consultation with the Priest Personnel Board – and install this new leader marking a new chapter in the life for the faithful.
As part of the installation process, Bishop Dewane first introduces the priest as Pastor to the parishioners. The priest later begins the Profession of Faith for all to hear, including an additional part solely for him. The new Pastor then recites an Oath of Fidelity and promises to “adhere to the teachings, which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise authentic magisterium.” The installation also includes prayers to provide the new Pastor the wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit to lead the Parish.
Father Fitch has served as Administrator of the Parish and for Bishop Dewane the installation as Pastor would solidify in the minds of the faithful that Father was there to continue serving the Parishioners. Outwardly, there will be no changes in the operation of the Parish but nevertheless the Bishop noted this was an important moment for all of the faithful and for the community at St. Charles Borromeo.
The ceremony concluded with the signing of documents by the Bishop, the new Pastor, and two official witnesses of the Parish community, who serve as witnesses for all of the parishioners. Those documents are split between the Parish and Diocese as well as the Pastor’s personnel records.
