The winds, rain and storm surge have long passed since Hurricane Milton struck the Diocese of Venice on Oct. 9, 2024, but the recovery process is only just beginning.
Most Diocesan Parishes and Catholic schools were spared severe impacts but there are clear exceptions, most notably Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Boca Grande; St. Bernard Parish in Holmes Beach; St. Joseph Parish and Catholic School in Bradenton; and Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane has been at the forefront in ensuring the response to Hurricane Milton continues to be effective throughout the Diocese.
Once access to Boca Grande was possible, the true extent of the damage done to Our Lady of Mercy Parish was evident. More than five feet of storm surge swept through the property, inundating the church, Boca Grande Preschool and the rectory. The new Parish Hall was spared damage having been built in 2022 to a higher elevation.
The Parish was still recovering from storm surge damage during Hurricane Helene in late September and the mitigation of that water was completed before Milton’s arrival. Unfortunately, Milton’s water was several feet higher. In the church, the water reached the top of the pews and spread into the sanctuary. The preschool, where drywall had been cut following Helene, now has all walls cut to the bare studs.
In addition, Milton’s water reached the rectory. While the water did not reach the flooring, it did damage the garage and crawlspace where various utilities were located.
Father Anthony Hewitt, Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy, said the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass returned on Oct. 13, with daily Mass taking place at noon instead of 8 a.m., as access to the island community is restricted. It is deemed too hazardous to stay in the community as there is no running water. Early each morning there are long lines of traffic going through checkpoints. This is occurring even though access is restricted to residents, business owners, recovery workers, and contractors.
Working under the direction of staff from the Diocese of Venice Buildings and Construction Office, contractors have removed all the debris from the church, preschool and rectory as part of the mitigation work. How best to proceed with the reconstruction of each building will be determined in the coming days and weeks.
Huge piles of debris, or dumpsters, stand in front of each residence and business in the community, a testament to the force of the water.
“The parishioners, as well as the community, are all turning to God in this difficult time and the comfort and strength from the Holy Eucharist has been a tremendous blessing,” Father Hewitt said.
The same can be said in many other area island communities.
St. Bernard Parish in Holmes Beach had additional damage to the rectory and Parish Hall during Milton, as the area was also still recovering from Hurricane Helene. The latest storm damage set back the progress of mitigation and reconstruction efforts by several weeks, if not longer, as resources for the cleaning and rebuilding are being stretched to the limit by the widespread destruction caused by back-to-back hurricanes.
Diocesan Building and Construction Director Joe Rego said the Diocese was well prepared to cope with the impacts of the hurricanes, but the recovery process takes time.
At Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda, the mitigation work to remove storm surge water from the Parish Center and rectory is progressing well. The same is true at St. Joseph Parish and Catholic school in Bradenton where the damage was limited to roofs and some water leaks. Each of the roofs has been temporarily sealed while repairs await plans and contractors.
While some of the focus has been on the damage caused by Hurricane Milton, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., is focusing on the human impact of the storm, the thousands who have lost homes or jobs because of the flooding. These include service workers at restaurants, businesses, hotels, resorts, and more.
Catholic Charities very quickly set up several different points of distribution in Palmetto, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs. These sites allowed people to drive through and receive food, water and other disaster supplies.
The Catholic Charities Disaster Response Team also includes case management services which are being offered for survivors of the disaster with the goal to meet an individual’s or family’s immediate need. Many are in need of permanent housing, rental assistance or utility payments. This effort also assists those in need to cope with changes while home repairs are being made and helps them access available resources.
In the first 10 days following Hurricane Milton, Catholic Charities assisted more than 7,000 people. This help included water and food, as well as emergency financial assistance.
In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the Diocese of Venice has activated its Disaster Relief Fund to aid in the necessary repairs to churches and schools. To support this fund, you can visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/disasterrelief.
To learn how you can help support the disaster relief efforts of Catholic Charities, please visit www.catholiccharitiesdov.org.
“What a wonderful day,” Principal Nicole Loseto proclaimed. “When the hurricane struck everyone rallied together to salvage what we could to relocate classrooms all over the campus in just two days. It was a challenge to move everyone to a new location and it was seamless and beautiful… Now everyone came together to get us back into our main building. Thank you, everyone!”
Only the pre-kindergarten students were not displaced by Hurricane Ian. The disruptions were extreme as kindergartners were housed in the library; first and second grades were placed in the cafeteria with a divider; fourth and fifth graders were in the Parish Hall; and middle schoolers were split between the Soy Hall and two gymnasium locker rooms.
She also gave a shout out to the many people who helped support the recovery effort through financial support which helped ease the burden on the school.
Ahead of the reopening, a team of faculty staff and parents moved all of the desks and other educational items from their temporary rooms to the main building. The upper grades were allowed in the building on Jan. 6, the 100th day since Hurricane Ian struck Venice.
