Life on Gasparilla Island and the island community of Boca Grande appears to be back to normal seven months after Hurricane Ian. Businesses are open, streets are bustling with visitors and the recent snowbird season was robust.
But a closer look and it becomes clear that much needs to be done as this island community works to recover from the storm that lashed the area with winds estimated at 155 mph. Tarps still cover many roofs, exposed siding is commonplace, and there are signs everywhere marking where contractors are working on the interiors of homes.
Father Jerome Carosella, Pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish, explained how the aftermath of Ian still affects everyday life on Boca Grande.
“Even when people don’t talk about Ian directly, you know that each person is fighting with their insurance company or awaiting work to be completed. They are frustrated and want work done but people also know everyone else is going through the same thing, so it has united us in a strange way,” Father Carosella said. “This shared experience has brought about so many good people. Strangers helping strangers. Neighbors getting to know their neighbors. We all realize that whatever damage we have, it could have been so much worse.”
Islands immediately to the south of Gasparilla Island, such as Captiva, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach, were inundated by up to 15 feet of storm surge, causing catastrophic damage.
“Make no mistake, parts of Boca Grande were badly damaged, so much so that some people are never returning and deciding to sell. But about 80% or more are determined to stay and rebuild. Our Lady of Mercy is doing that rebuilding alongside everyone else,” Father Carosella added.
The Parish had roof damage to the church, rectory, and pre-school. Each had water intrusion from the heavy rain that came with Ian. The pre-school also had water flow into the building when the nearby street flooded. The new parish hall, which was nearly completed by the time Ian struck on Sept. 28, 2022, had only superficial damage.
“The pre-school roof was hit by the best mango tree on the island, and flood water also went right through the front door,” Father Carosella explained about the school which has 30 children and is run by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., while the Parish covers all costs. “We focused on getting the interior fixed so we could be here for the children and their families. And three months later we reopened.”
The corner of the roof that was hit by the mango tree is still in need of repairs, as are the church and rectory roofs. Each was covered with a protective padding that is water-resistant, but regular weather is stressing the temporary fixes.
“We had a big windstorm last night and it pulled some of the covering off the church roof,” Father Carosella said on April 28, 2023. “But we are expecting the roofs to be repaired sometime in June. That is great considering where we were right after Ian.”
Delays in repairs are being caused by a lack of material and contractors.
Unlike during Hurricane Charley in 2004, Father Carosella evacuated ahead of Ian when friends in the fire department and Sheriff’s Office told him they too were leaving the barrier island.
So, Father put the storm shutters in place and took the Blessed Sacrament, the consecrated Communion hosts, to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Grove City for safekeeping. Then he went to stay with parishioner-friends in South Gulf Cove on the mainland in Charlotte County.
Father Carosella returned to Boca Grande on Sept. 30, two days after the storm struck, having to wait until the waters on the island receded enough to allow passage of trucks.
What Father found was heartbreaking but not nearly as bad as he had feared. Other nearby churches, businesses and homes suffered much worse. Within a block of Our Lady of Mercy a cellular tower collapsed and cut a bakery in half, while a Baptist church had its roof, steeple and a wall blown out, and nearly every home in view had serious damage. Debris was everywhere and although he was not sure where to begin the cleanup, a guardian angel was soon coming to the rescue.
“A guy with a big truck and trailer pulled up and asked, ‘Can I help you?’” Father Carosella said he was amazed that a stranger would offer to help, but quickly accepted. “Gary Chelli is from St. Petersburg and had visited Boca Grande before, but I didn’t know him. He said he came down because he wanted to help. He had asked someone at the fire department where help was needed and they asked if he was Catholic and directed him my way. And Gary kept coming back for days with tarps, gas and water while helping to clear debris and make temporary repairs. He was a big help and we have become good friends.”
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated the first day back on the island with just a few people, and repair work at the parish has been slow, but steady as each milestone is celebrated.
“We are getting there,” Father said. “They recently finished the work on the front rooms of the rectory and that is great. They had to replace the floors and walls and are now putting the finishing touches on the paint. You can’t even tell there was any damage.”
With that work behind, Father Carosella said only a few items need to be taken care of, such as repairing and reinstalling the old-style wood shutters, and of course the installation of the new roofs.
“We have come a long way since Ian. A big turning point for the community was the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the town square. Everyone gathered for this quiet moment in between all of the reconstruction to thank the Lord for what we have. We are all so blessed.”
If you would like to support the Diocese of Venice in its recovery from Hurricane Ian, please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/hurricaneian.
Pregnancy Solutions, a help center for pregnancy women with three local locations (Port Charlotte, North Port and Venice), had a grand re-opening of its Venice offices on Jan. 31, 2023. The location utilized creative options to continue serving women in need during repairs needed after Hurricane Ian caused water and flood damage in September 2022. Pregnancy Solutions’ three locations served more than 1,300 in 2022 alone. A big thanks went out to the amazing staff and volunteers. Present for the reopening were Diocese of Venice Respect Life Director Jeanne Berdeaux and Father Shawn Monahan, OMV, assistant director of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. The Venice location is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you would like a tour, please call 941-408-7100 or to learn more, please visit 
The difference in 2023 is that on June 24, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization effectively overturned five decades of unlimited access to abortion.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane, who was in DC and Ave Maria, said he was impressed by the signs in DC carried by the young people which proclaimed, “Our Generation Is Pro-Life.”
Annabella Augustine, a pilgrim to DC from Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, is taking up the call to spread the word of life.
The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a Jan. 22 statement, the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, that the Dobbs decision “is a fruit of prayer, born of a commitment to justice.”
There will be a third annual March for Life on Jan. 20, 2024, because “we will continue to march so long as the life of any unborn child is threatened in the world.”
The 25th Annual Sarasota Prayer Walk for Life is Feb. 7. The event begins with the 8:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at St. Martha Parish, 200 N. Orange Ave. A bus will shuttle people from the church to 7th Street where walkers will circle the block around Planned Parenthood in prayer. The shuttle will run between 9 a.m. and noon. Light refreshments will be available near the bus stop on 7th Street. Questions? Contact Jeanne Berdeaux at 
Fourth grade students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers are learning about the seven Sacraments, and the role water plays in the sacraments. The students renewed their baptismal promises Jan. 11, 2023, while working on a craft project related to the Sacraments.
The Jr. Thespians Troupe from St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton received four Superior Awards and four Excellent Awards at the Jan. 12-14, 2023, Florida State Junior Thespian Festival – Thespian Jam, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Some 6,000 participated in the festival which gives theater lovers the chance to celebrate the best middle school theatrical work and have an unforgettable experience. The students put in many hours of practice and hard work, which definitely paid off.
St. John Neumann Catholic High School basketball player Sophia McCartney reached the 1,000-point milestone during a game on Jan. 14, 2023. After the home game in Sarasota, the star player was honored and recognized for this remarkable achievement, something that is rare in high school basketball.
Middle school students at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral were able to hone their robotic coding skills on Jan. 17, 2023. They worked on coding and working with Lego Spike Prime Robots. These small robots are made out of Lego pieces and can follow paths on an established course. The robots can be coded to perform various tasks as well. These skills are being learned as part of a larger Diocesan-wide robotics STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, math) curriculum which helps students learn the skills needed to excel in a high-tech modern society.
