The South Pacific, home to idyllic remote islands, is often considered by many to be a tropical paradise and the ideal vacation destination.
A vacation will be far from the mind of Sister Maria Madre de le Alborada Quizhpe, a Servant Sister of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara, when she begins her long journey to Wagina Island in the Diocese of Gizo in the Solomon Islands. That is the location of her next missionary assignment.
Sister Alborada will be leaving her current assignment on Dec. 20, 2021, after three years at St. Michael Parish in Wauchula. She will have the opportunity to visit her home in Ecuador for the holidays and then in early January 2022, she will fly to the Solomon Islands which are southeast of Papua New Guinea and was the location of extensive fighting throughout World War II. Upon arriving, Sister, and two fellow missionary sisters from her Religious Order, will be in COVID-19 quarantine in a hotel for 21 days.
After that long delay, it is a plane ride and a boat ride to where her new home will be, Wagina Island. The island is home to approximately 1,700 people who speak Pidgin and Kiribati and where English is seldom used. The Religious Family of the Incarnate Word, which includes the Servant Sisters, have been given the task to evangelize the island, with the first priest arriving in early 2018.
While the journey will be long in time and distance, it pales in comparison to how long Sister Alborada has been waiting for clearance to go to Wagina Island. She was weeks away from leaving is the first quarter of 2020 when the global pandemic put everything on hold, until now.
“It is when God wants you to be there,” Sister explained. “It is time. I did my best here in Florida, and am sad to leave, but I am happy to be going, as my next missionary adventure awaits.”
Sister Alborada is no stranger to missionary work in remote places, having served for eight years in Guyana before arriving in the Diocese of Venice in 2018. While in Wauchula, Sister said “the people of St. Michael welcomed me as part of their family, and they are a part of mine. In a way, they will be taking this journey with me.”
Part of her time has been running the food pantry, which became an even greater task during the global pandemic as the needs dramatically increased. “It was a physical and mental workout and a special time when you see the need and have the opportunity to help people in a fundamental way.”
Admittedly, her favorite part of life in Wauchula has been as a catechist, teaching young children about the Catholic Faith.
Sister described that experience: “Teaching the little ones is special, because you know how much they can learn. When you place before them good information, they will never forget about that. And the little faces when they realize who is God. Wonderful! Or when you are telling of the story of the Angel appearing before the Blessed Virgin Mary. They don’t question. They have such pure minds. It’s amazing when their little eyes just shine when they learn something new. Beautiful!”
While in Wauchula she learned from her fellow Religious and the faithful new and fun ways to evangelize, such as through festivals and games. In her return to a more remote missionary life, Sister will be helping with catechism and formation in her new Parish and beyond.
“As a missionary, you have to help people keep the Faith alive because Father is not always there,” Sister Alborada said. “We are going to have a kindergarten next to the Parish Church and begin religious education classes while also helping with the health center.”
While much of her work will be focused in one location, there are several Chapels on the island where she will visit and evangelize either alone or with other sisters or the priest.
In preparation for her journey, Sister Alborada has been praying a 30-day Novena to St. Joseph. She has also been gathering a variety of supplies for her missionary work and for her basic needs. The island is so remote that a two-hour boat ride and similar plane ride just gets one to the nearest large town. It is also very expensive to ship items and it can take days or weeks for specialized items to arrive, if at all. In addition to water filters, toiletries and clothing, Sister’s admittedly overloaded luggage will include a ciborium, chalice, crucifix, and statues of St. Joseph and Our Lady.
Sister Alborada said the Children’s Christmas Pageant – an annual elaborate nighttime recreation of the Nativity with live animals and a baby is scheduled for Dec. 18 and will be the last big event she sees before leaving Florida two days later.
“It will be wonderful to see, and a little sad. I will be leaving a piece of my heart behind after having the opportunity to be with such wonderful people.”
The Cardinal Mooney chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society collected new toys to support Andrew’s Toybox in partnership with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. The donated toys by Cardinal Mooney students will benefit the 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida Guardian ad Litem Program. Donations were picked up by the Sheriff’s Department, Dec. 13, 2021. That’s not all, the Sunshine Meadows Nursing Home in Sarasota will be receiving Christmas gifts that are purchased by the Cardinal Mooney staff and families. The 38 residents will be receiving the needed items on their Christmas list. Mooney students also volunteered to assist the Longboat Key Kiwanis fundraiser for the Children’s Charity Scholarship Luncheon on Dec. 4 by assisting guests and serving food to attendees. The Cardinal Mooney band performed for shoppers at the University Town Center on Dec. 6 to showcase members of the band and experience the sounds of the season.
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.
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.
Principals, athletic directors and coaches from Diocese of Venice Catholic schools heard a presentation Oct. 12, 2021 at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples, titled “Play Like a Champion.” This is a comprehensive education program aimed at encouraging true character development while showing off core Catholic values in sports and being proactive in creating a positive environment for all levels. The group heard from Kristin Sheehan, Program Director, who explained how the outreach targets coaches, sport parents and athletes, teaching the positive character of sports with the aim of giving the game back to the children. St. Ann Principal Michael Buskirk shared his positive experience with implementing the “Play Like a Champion” program in his previous school and how it sets expectations and switches the current emphasis on sports from the “me” to the “we.”
The Knights of Columbus of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 15821, led by Grand Knight Anthony Hopfinger, presented a dialogue with the Cub Scouts about the Ten Commandments held on Sept. 25, 2021, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. The Cub Scouts hiked around the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament to 10 different points to discuss the Commandment with the Knights. Patches were blessed and distributed by Father Lawton Lang, Diocesan Scout Chaplain. A light lunch was provided by the staff at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. All were pleased with the weather, the program, and the presentations.
The Mass was celebrated on the Feast Day of St. Clare of Assisi, foundress of the Poor Clare Order and a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Poor Clare Nuns are a religious community of women begun 800 years ago when Clare Offreduccio, a young noble woman of Assisi, Italy, cast off her rich garments and donned the simple garb of St. Francis to live as he did the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The San Damiano Monastery is located on the same property as Ascension Parish on Fort Myers Beach which that have called their home since 1988. The Monastery became independent in 2009. Although the Sisters never solicit donations, many parishioners bring them groceries and send them money each month. There is a daily Mass which is open to the public.
The newly ordained responded to a particular call in their life and evidenced their response in a profound way by coming forward for ordination. The two men reflected afterwards about the powerful emotion of the moment that brought about an inner calm. They also expressed the genuine joy and love for the Lord they each witness.
Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a priest is transformed and marked indelibly as an instrument through which others receive the Sacraments, Bishop Dewane added. It is through ordination that Harris and Pince have a new beginning, configured to Christ.
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 ordinand 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 God’s Grace and the intercession of the Saints in heaven.
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 and paten 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.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist then followed. The new priests joined all the priests for the first time in concelebrating the Eucharist with Bishop Dewane, reciting together the words of Consecration. For the first time, they offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, acting in the person of Christ. From this sacrifice their whole priestly ministry will draw its strength.
Father Harris, 54, was born in Miami and spent his childhood alternating between living in Florida and Connecticut. He earned degrees in Commercial Art and then Business Marketing and Management from Florida Metropolitan University, before earning a Master’s in Education from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., and worked at interior design, marketing, career development and teaching.
