rosary Archives - Diocese of Venice

Most Blessed Sacrament and Rosary focus of 2025 Diocesan Rosary Congress

Posted on October 14, 2025October 14, 2025 by Bob Reddy

While the Diocese of Venice Rosary Congress has concluded, the entire month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

The Rosary Congress began Oct. 4, 2025, and concluded on Oct. 10, with 60 different Parishes in the Diocese participating in this important evangelization effort.

The faithful were encouraged to place all prayer intentions and needs into the loving arms of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A special emphasis on praying for peace in our nation and the world was also offered. Parishes also included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and the hourly praying of the Holy Rosary. The Congress was hosted at some Parishes for a full 24 hours, while others for a large portion of a day.

In its fifth year, the Rosary Congress was introduced by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization in response to Our Lady of Fatima’s call to prayer and conversion. The theme this year was “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46). This is Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s exulting in God’s supreme power, her recognition of her own lowly status and the understanding that all honor belongs to God, not to her.

Initiated in 2021, the Rosary Congress is presented by Bishop Frank J. Dewane as a unique opportunity to place all prayer intentions and the needs of the faithful into the loving arms of Our Blessed Mother.

Bishop Dewane said praying the Rosary is, and can be, a key component in one’s spiritual/prayer life. Citing the example of St. Mother Teresa, Bishop Dewane referred to the power of the Rosary, calling everyone to pray it, live it and persevere.

“We pray the Rosary to honor Our Mother, who said that glorious ‘Yes!’ to God, bringing His Son into the world for our salvation,” Bishop Dewane said. “The Rosary Congress encourages us to renew our relationship with Our Lord, through Mary!”

At Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, the Rosary Congress started with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The main celebrant was Parochial Vicar Father Chris Piotrowski.

Father Piotrowski said it is true that the faithful will pray the rosary and adore Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, but that they need to remember their true identity as beloved children of God whose names are written in heaven.

“Jesus says, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.’ What do our eyes see; not only white bread, but Jesus himself, alive in the Eucharist,” Father Piotrowski said. “During the next 24 hours Christ will be living in our midst in a special way.”

Father said St. Francis of Assisi adored Jesus in the Eucharist with a burning love, saying that humans should tremble, the world should quake, and all heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.

At the conclusion of his homily, Father Piotrowski kicked off the Congress by saying, “May St Francis of Assisi intercede for us; May Mary guide us through the rosary; and may Jesus Christ, who is truly present in the Eucharist, be our strength of peace, and our joy during these 24 hours.”

Following the conclusion of the Mass, Father Piotrowski led the faithful in praying of five decades of the rosary while the Most Blessed Sacrament was exposed in a monstrance on the altar. Next, a Eucharistic Procession took place from the church, through the parking lot to the Parish Adoration Chapel. This was repeated following the evening Spanish-language Mass. The Congress celebration concluded with Mass on Sunday morning.

At Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Lakewood Ranch, participation in the Congress took place on Oct. 7, the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Following Mass was the praying of the devotion of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. First initiated by St. Bridget of Sweden, where the faithful pray and meditate on the seven sorrows (dolors). By doing this, Our Lady promised to grant seven graces upon those who honor her and her Son every day. On display at the front of the sanctuary was a painting of St. Bridget and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a large wooden rosary draped over her shoulders.

Students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton participated on Oct. 3, with the entire student body gathered in the Parish church for praying of the rosary and Eucharistic Adoration.

The Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, Oct. 7, directly commemorates the 1571 naval Battle of Lepanto. The Holy League (a naval coalition of European Catholic maritime states) defeated the vastly superior Ottoman navy in the Gulf of Patras near modern day Greece, overcoming tremendous odds after Pope Pius V called upon all Catholics to pray the Rosary for victory. This victory successfully halted the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Rome and beyond. The Feast Day is also referred to as Our Lady of Victory.

To promote praying of the rosary, Pope Leo XIV has invited everyone to pray the Rosary for Peace, each day of the month of October, individually, as a family, or as a community. On Saturday, Oct. 11, at noon Florida time (6 p.m. Rome time), Pope Leo will lead the praying of Rosary from St. Peter’s Square. This coincides with the vigil of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, while also recalling the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Diocesan Rosary Congress Oct. 4 to 10

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Bob Reddy

56 Parishes of the Diocese of Venice hosting opportunity to pray as a community

The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. Yearly, on Oct. 7, the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in honor of the Blessed Mother. October was also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, urging them to “say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.”

In celebration of the Blessed Virgin, the Annual Diocese of Venice Rosary Congress will take place at 56 Parishes between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10, 2025.

The theme for the 2025 Diocesan Rosary Congress is, “My Soul Magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46). This is Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s exulting in God’s supreme power, her recognition of her own lowly status and the understanding that all honor belongs to God, not to her.

During the 2025 Rosary Congress, the host Parishes will lead the hourly praying of the Holy Rosary as well as present Eucharistic Adoration. Many of the Parishes taking part will also have the celebration of the Mass at the opening and closing of a 24-hour period of Adoration, while others will have at least a large period of time dedicated to the praying the rosary and Adoration. In addition, several Parishes will make the Sacrament of Reconciliation available during specific times of the Rosary Congress.

All the faithful are welcome to participate at any location at any time. For a list of participating Parishes, and how you can be part of this beautiful opportunity to adore and grow closer to our Lord, visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/offices-departments/evangelization/rosary-congress-2025/.

Initiated in 2021, the Rosary Congress is presented by Bishop Frank J. Dewane as a unique opportunity to place all prayer intentions and the needs of all the faithful into the loving arms of Our Blessed Mother.

Bishop Dewane said praying the Rosary is a key component in one’s Faith life. Citing the example of St. Mother Teresa, Bishop Dewane referred to the power of the Rosary, calling everyone to pray it and live it and persevere.

During a general audience in May, Pope Leo XIV invoked the Blessed Virgin Mary’s words at Fatima as he called upon the faithful to pray the rosary daily for peace.

More recently Pope Leo emphasized, “Mary is the Mother of the faithful here on earth and is remembered as the Queen of Peace. In entrusting our prayers to her, we recognize that peace is not achieved through human effort alone, but through God’s grace.”

In this spirit, the Holy Father announced on social media that he invites everyone to pray the Rosary for Peace, each day of the month of October, individually, as a family, and as a community. On Saturday, Oct. 11, at 6 p.m. (Rome time), or noon, Florida time, Pope Leo will lead the praying of Rosary from St. Peter’s Square. This coincides with the vigil of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, while also recalling the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

Bishop prays rosary on national radio broadcast

Posted on February 21, 2025February 21, 2025 by Bob Reddy

Bishop Frank J. Dewane was a special guest of Relevant Radio – the largest Catholic radio network – which hosted a live national broadcast on Feb. 18, 2025, of the “Family Rosary Across America” in conjunction with Ave Maria University and Ave Maria Parish.

The special broadcast, hosted by Father Francis J. Hoffman (best known as “Father Rocky”), executive director and CEO of Relevant Radio, was intended to pray for Pope Francis and for his recovery from his current serious illness, for unity and peace in our families, in our country, in the Church, the Holy Land and throughout the world.

During the broadcast, Bishop Dewane led the praying of the rosary, while Father Rocky described the Sorrowful Mysteries (used each Tuesday on the program). Those present, including leaders and students at Ave Maria University, were able to offer their prayer intentions, forgoing the usual option of taking prayer intentions from callers across the country.

Bishop Dewane also offered his own prayer petition, “I’d like to pray for the priests throughout this Diocese of Venice, that the Lord continue to guide them, to bless them, to fill their heart when they have loneliness – or some challenge – that He be present there for them.”

Father Rocky estimates that between 50,000 and 100,000 pray the rosary in that half hour, daily at 8 p.m. (EST) on 223 AM/FM stations, with about 40,000 watching the livestream in their homes. Many of the listeners are on the west coast, where it broadcasts at 5 p.m., the peak of rush hour.

“The more people praying the rosary at the same time, the more powerful the prayer,” Father Rocky said.

This was the fourth time Bishop Dewane has joined Father Rocky in the “Family Rosary Across America” broadcast. The first time was for a special joint broadcast with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, of Minneapolis – St. Paul, which took place in March 2022 from St. Isabel Parish in Sanibel. That broadcast also included an interview with the two guests. The second time occurred on Ash Wednesday, in February 2023 from Ave Maria and the third time was February 2024, also from Ave Maria.

Bishop Dewane said it is always an honor to be asked to participate and lead the praying of the rosary.

Relevant Radio can be heard on 106.7 FM and 1410 AM in Fort Myers and 93.3 FM and 1660 AM in Naples and is also available online at https://relevantradio.com/.

Bishop Dewane has a monthly radio show “Witnessing Faith with Bishop Dewane,” which can be heard on Relevant Radio at 8:30 a.m. on the last Friday of each month. The next broadcast is Feb. 28 and will include a discussion about the upcoming Lenten Season. Outside of the listening area, access to the program is available at https://dioceseofvenice.org/our-bishop/relevant-radio-podcasts.

Diocesan Rosary Congress runs Oct. 5-11

Posted on October 4, 2024October 4, 2024 by Bob Reddy

The month of October each year is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. Yearly, on Oct. 7, the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in honor of the Blessed Mother. October is also the month in which Mary appeared for the last time to shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal, urging them to “say the rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.”

In celebration of the Blessed Virgin, the Annual Diocese of Venice Rosary Congress will take place at more than 40 Parishes between Oct. 5 and Oct. 11, 2024.

The theme for the 2024 Diocesan Rosary Congress is, “Do Whatever He Tells You” (John 2:5), Mary’s last utterance in Scripture, in which she speaks to the servants at the Wedding Feast at Cana.

Each host Parish will offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass prior to the hourly praying of the Rosary. Many Parishes will include the Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with five decades of the Rosary being prayed aloud by the faithful. The length of time will vary and could last up to 24 hours. All the faithful are welcome to participate at any location at any time. For a complete list of host Parishes and times, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/offices-departments/evangelization/rosary-congress-2024/.

The primary public intention for the Rosary Congress in 2024 will be for the defeat of Amendment 4, an extreme and dangerous proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution that would radically expand access to abortion. To learn more about the amendment, please visit https://dioceseofvenice.org/offices/offices-departments/respect-life/amendment4/. Personal intentions are also welcomed.

Initiated in 2021, the Rosary Congress is encouraged by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization as a way to present a unique opportunity to place all prayer intentions and the needs of all the faithful into the loving arms of the Mother of God.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane said praying the Rosary is a key component in one’s Faith life. Citing the example of St. Mother Teresa, Bishop Dewane referred to the power of the Rosary, calling everyone to pray it and live it and persevere. In addition, the Bishop noted how Pope Francis frequently describes praying the Rosary as armor to be used in the spiritual battle we all face each day.

“We pray the Rosary to honor Our Mother, who said that glorious ‘Yes!’ to God, bringing His Son into the world for our salvation,” Bishop Dewane said.

Carol O’Neill of Incarnation Parish in Sarasota said the 2023 Rosary Congress inspired her to spend several hours in prayer. “Our Lady means so much to me. She is a true inspiration. She is who I pray to when I seek guidance or counsel. I felt this was a great opportunity to spend more time in focused prayer. The world needs prayers. We all do.”

Announced on Oct. 2, Pope Francis has called for a global day of prayer and fasting on Oct. 7, the Feast of the Holy Rosary, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack of Israel amid escalating violence in the region. Pope Francis will personally go to Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major on Oct. 6 to pray the rosary on the eve of the Feast Day, “to invoke the gift of peace through the intercession of the Most Holy Mary.”

The Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary directly commemorates the 1571 naval Battle of Lepanto. The Holy League (a naval coalition of European Catholic maritime states) defeated the vastly superior Ottoman navy in the Gulf of Patras near modern day Greece, overcoming tremendous odds after Pope Pius V called upon all Catholics to pray the Rosary for victory. This victory successfully halted the spread of the Ottoman Empire into Rome and beyond. The Feast Day is also referred to as Our Lady of Victory.

Traveling Rosary Congress inspires

Posted on October 13, 2023October 13, 2023 by Bob Reddy

A unique opportunity to place all prayer intentions and the needs of the faithful into the loving arms of the Mother of God was made available throughout the Diocese of Venice from Oct. 6 to Oct. 14, 2023, during the Traveling Rosary Congress.

The Rosary Congress was hosted by 31 Parishes and always included the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and the praying of the Holy Rosary.

The Rosary was said for intentions such as the Church, Pope Francis, the faithful of the Diocese of Venice, our country, and difficulties throughout the world. The faithful were also encouraged to renew themselves to the Blessed Mother and for a greater love for Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Praying the Rosary has developed over time, with the combination of the beads telling the story of Salvation History, helping to open one’s heart to a great love of the Lord.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane said praying the Rosary helps create a pathway for everyone to open a conversation with the Lord and Blessed Virgin, a key component in one’s Faith life.

Citing the example of St. Mother Teresa, Bishop Dewane referred to the power of the Rosary, calling everyone to pray it and live it and persevere. In addition, the Bishop noted how Pope Francis frequently describes praying the Rosary as armor to be used in the spiritual battle we all face each day.

“We pray the Rosary to honor Our Mother, who said that glorious ‘Yes!’ to God, bringing His Son into the world for our salvation,” Bishop Dewane said.

The Diocese of Venice has continually fostered its devotion to the Blessed Mother. Our Lady of Mercy is the Patroness of the Diocese. Under this patronage, the Diocese was formally consecrated to Our Lady during Advent of 2017.

The Diocese has included the Rosary Congress as a key component of the ongoing National Eucharistic Revival which is in its Parish Year phase and concludes with a national pilgrimage to Indianapolis in July 2024. The Revival is an initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to put an emphasis on the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

At Incarnation Parish in Sarasota, the Rosary Congress took place in the Chapel Oct. 10-11, with a continuous 24-hour Adoration. Parishioners registered for hour-long blocks, promising to spend time in prayer.

At many Parishes, groups such as the Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women and many others volunteered for specific times of devotion.

Carol O’Neill of Incarnation Parish said the Rosary Congress inspired her to spend several hours in prayer. “Our Lady means so much to me. She is a true inspiration. She is who I pray to when I seek guidance or counsel. I felt this was a great opportunity to spend more time in focused prayer. The world needs prayers. We all do.”

At Epiphany Cathedral Parish in Venice, the opening Mass of the Rosary Congress took place on Oct. 7, and was followed by a Eucharistic Procession around the Parish grounds.

Students at St. Joseph Catholic School participated in the opening Mass on Oct. 6, with students offering the readings, general intercessions, and presenting the offertory gifts. The student choir led the singing for Mass and then Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. For this special event, every student received a new handmade rosary from the parishioners of St. Anne Parish in Bismarck, North Dakota.

The Rosary Congress was coordinated through the Diocesan Office of Evangelization, and the first Parishes to host began their observance on Oct. 6, the Vigil of the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Many Parishes bracketed the Congress with the celebration of the Mass at the opening and closing of a 24-hour period of Adoration. Other participating Parishes ensured there was at least a long period of time dedicated to the praying the Rosary and adoration following an opening Mass. In addition, several Parishes made the Sacrament of Reconciliation available during specific times of the Rosary Congress.

When possible, the Rosary Congress included the Parish Catholic school. In the case of Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice, the entire school took part in a “Living Rosary” prayer service on Oct. 10, as the Parish hosted the Congress on Oct. 7, a weekend day. During the service, older students led everyone in prayer, while children in younger grades brought forth roses for Mary.

Other commemorations

As October is dedicated to Our Lady, and Oct. 7 is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, other commemorations took place throughout the Diocese to honor Our Lady.

At Ave Maria Parish, in Ave Maria, there were two “Rosary Walks” on Oct. 7, one in the morning, the other in the evening. The walks led from the Parish and onto the neighboring Ave Maria University campus and both included large numbers of people.

The evening walk followed a Mass celebrated by Bishop Dewane. Following the Mass, the Bishop blessed the participants in the walk and praised them for honoring Our Lady and her saying “Yes!” to the Lord.

Diocesan Catholics schools use the entire month of October to help instill a greater appreciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for praying the Rosary at all grade levels.

As an example, second graders at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota learned how to make and then pray the Rosary as part of a class project. They ultimately learned what each bead stands for, as well as the special prayers that are recited. These students are part of the school’s First Communion class who will receive the Sacrament in May 2024, another month dedicated to Mary.

News Briefs for the week of March 10, 2023

Posted on March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 by Bob Reddy

St. Patrick’s Day Dispensation

With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Friday (March 17) during the Lenten Season, Bishop Frank J. Dewane is granting a one-day dispensation of abstaining from meat on that Friday alone. The Faithful are encouraged to choose another day in the same week to abstain from meat and to perform some other penance or work of charity on March 17 to assist in their spiritual Lenten journey. Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics who are 14 years of age or older. Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent (including Good Friday) are days of abstinence. Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the three traditional disciplines of Lent.

Seminarian receives Ministry of Acolyte

Diocese of Venice Seminarian, Joseph Corboy Doherty was one of 19 seminarians to enter into the Ministry of Acolyte on March 5, 2023, in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College, Vatican City State. Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville was the main celebrant and spoke the following words as he handed the paten to each candidate: “Take this vessel with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.” In his homily, Archbishop Fabre encouraged the seminarians, saying, “The ministry of an acolyte has a special connection to the altar and to the Eucharist. It is the duty of the acolyte to assist in serving the altar during liturgical celebrations and to attend to the Eucharist in certain functions and capacities. This is certainly an important ministry since it involves service to some of the most important elements of our Catholic faith, if not the most central element.” Representing the Diocese of Venice were Father Christian Chami and Transitional Deacon Daniel Scanlan.

Verot send two to state wrestling championships

The first ever wrestling state qualifiers from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers competed in the State Championships on March 3-4, 2023, in Kissimmee. Gabriella Vasquez, who wrestles at 105 pounds, and became the first female wrestler in Verot history to make states, placed third in the regionals on Feb. 21. At the state competition, Gabby fell in the first round and was injured and unable to finish in the consolation round of the double-elimination tournament. The second Verot wrestler to make states is Jack Benaitis who won the regionals to qualify for the 1A 285 competition. Jack won his open match, but fell in the second round, and again in the consolation round. These two worked hard all season long to earn a spot in the state championships, and Verot couldn’t be prouder!

Medical professionals meet with Bishop

The leadership of the Southwest Florida Guild of the Catholic Medical Association met with Bishop Frank J. Dewane on March 2, 2023, at the Catholic Center in Venice. The group provided Bishop Dewane with their annual report on their latest activities, including plans for a Catholic medical educational seminar in the fall.

Support children this Easter

Catholic Charities Diocese of Venice, Inc. in Arcadia is seeking help in giving the gift of an Easter Basket for children of Casa San Juan Bosco farmworkers housing, local families, and migrant farm workers. Supporters can donate Easter Basket supplies, gift cards, or check to help the program bless children this Easter! Drop off or deliver items ordered online to Catholic Charities, 1210 East Oak St., Arcadia, FL 34266, by April 5.

First graders show off reading skills

First graders at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral showed off their reading skills in February by completing 225 books in one month. Laurie Pistorio’s students were recognized for their hard work on March 6, 2023. Well done young readers!!

Verot grad returns to Jeopardy!

Claire Sattler, a Bishop Verot Catholic High School 2019 graduate, recently joined 27 former teen Jeopardy! contestants as they faced off in the Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament. The players competed for a $100,000 grand prize and a spot in the next Tournament of Champions. Sattler, now a senior at Yale University, won the 2018 Teen Tournament of Champions. In the opening quarterfinal round, which aired Feb. 27, 2023, Sattler was able to secure her win in the Final Jeopardy round because of a research paper topic that was given to her by her freshman English teacher – Lynn Chervenok Knox. In honor of her former teacher, Sattler drew a smiley face next to the winning question and wrote, “Thanks, Mrs. Knox!” With her victory, the native of Bonita Springs next appeared in the semifinals on March 6. Sattler, who had been in the lead with $8,600 going into Final Jeopardy. All three contestants failed to get the correct solution, so when Sattler bet $8,201, and dropped to $399, she ended up in third place. Well done as she continues to proudly represent Bishop Verot.

High schoolers pray “Living Rosary”

On March 3, 2023, the Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School community gathered in the gymnasium to pray the “Living Rosary,” led by Father Eric Scanlan, Mooney Chaplain and Pastor of Incarnation Parish in Sarasota. During the “Living Rosary,” students stood in the form of a rosary, each standing for a bead, with each class represented in a decade, including one in Spanish. This beautiful prayer was brought to life by involving everyone – body and soul.

Grandparents recognized in Ave Maria

Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria took time on March 3, 2023, to recognize grandparents with a special day. This event included a delicious breakfast, talk from principal Dr. Daniel Guernsey, high school choir performance, Mass with grandkids, Eucharistic Adoration, and classroom visits. Whew! See more in our stories today.

Field Day fun at Cathedral school

A day filled with indoor and outdoor fun made for a great field day on March 3, 2023, at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice. There were many different games and contests between individual students, between different classrooms and even between different grades. A great time was had by all.

Fort Myers students learn about Everglades

The Environmental Studies classes at Bishop Verot Catholic High School have been working on a course component with the Florida Everglades Foundation. Students recreated a diagram of the Everglades to show the impact of water levels and what we, as humans, are doing to the surrounding environment. The foundation’s mission is to work to restore and protect America’s Everglades through science, advocacy & education.

Fort Myers rosary garden blessed

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Bob Reddy

The work of young hands and inspiration of an American Heritage Girl helped create a new steppingstone rosary garden at St. Cecilia Parish in Fort Myers.

This new garden, located on Parish property across the street from the main church building, was blessed and dedicated on Jan. 8, 2023, by Father Paul Dechant, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, Pastor of St. Cecilia.

American Heritage Girl Samantha Mitchell (Troop 1203) proposed creating the garden as a special place to pray the rosary. Once approved by Father Dechant, Samantha, along with fellow American Heritage Girls and friends, installed the steppingstones in the shape of a rosary.

American Heritage Girls is a Christian-based Scouting-like organization which was founded in 1995 and has several troops within the Diocese of Venice.

The garden starts with the base of the cross (20 stones) pointing directly toward the church. Each bead is marked with a stone, with the decades having larger stones and the medal a cluster of four stones. The garden was placed primarily in the shade of pine trees to allow the faithful to enjoy peace and quiet while praying the rosary.

As part of the blessing and dedication of the garden Samantha led the faithful in praying the Joyous Mysteries of the Rosary.

The American Heritage Girl program is dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country and currently has about 52,000 members.

Girls across the nation and the globe participate in badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences, all with an emphasis on Christian values and family involvement.

Samantha Mitchell has been with the American Heritage Girls for several years and has earned numerous badges including several earned through the Diocese of Venice Scouting Award program. The rosary garden service project is similar in scope and importance to projects done by Boy Scouts who seek to become Eagle Scouts.

Rosary Makers promote devotion to Mary

Posted on October 20, 2020October 20, 2020 by Bob Reddy

By tradition, the Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to a certain devotion, with the month of October being dedicated to the Holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions.

Throughout the Diocese of Venice, there are Parish-based rosary maker groups which dedicate their time to ensuring the rosary is available for all.

One of the newest of these groups is based at Our Lady of the Angeles Parish in Lakewood Ranch. Founded in 2019, there are more than a dozen who are active in the rosary makers outreach.

“Our mission is quite simple,” outreach founder Susan Nedeau said. “To promote the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary through prayerfully making and teaching others to make cord and bead style rosaries.”

The rosaries are distributed throughout the Parish, the Diocesan Mission Office, various missions in the U.S. and abroad (mostly Africa), charitable organizations, groups that work with incarcerated, nursing homes, and assisted living communities. In just one year, the group has distributed more than 3,000 rosaries.

The global Pandemic did not prove to be much of a challenge for the group, as they developed a system for supplies to be picked up and dropped off, Nedeau explained. They also went from communicating by email to gathering twice a month socially distanced in the Parish parking lot.

“We all brought a chair, our masks and our rosaries,” Nedaeu said. “We would offer special intentions and pray our rosary together and pick up fresh supplies. This was an incredible morale booster especially for our members who live alone… We did not miss a beat! We even experimented and learned how to make twine-knotted rosaries, the single decade rosary/chaplet and rosary bracelets.”

Throughout October, the rosary maker group has been placing announcements in the Parish bulletin to allow everyone to know about this creative outreach while also encouraging others to join.

While the Our Lady of the Angels Rosary Markers are relatively new to this unique outreach, the group at St. William Parish in Naples has been going strong for 27 years.

In that time, the group has made and distributed nearly 2.5 million rosaries, said Sandy Turner, President of the St. William Rosary Makers. In 2020 alone, more than 50 dedicated rosary makers at St. William have made some 50,000 rosaries. In addition, there are some who make rosaries on occasion while still others who provide support for the overall effort.

The group annually provides rosaries for participants in the annual Diocesan Youth Rally (1,200 for 2020), nursing homes, hospitals, the Universal Living Rosary Society based in Texas, as well as to a group which helps to bring hope for impoverished children in New York City.

“We’re still producing many rosaries during the Pandemic,” Turner said. “The shipping to missionaries overseas stopped, but we are still making them. We don’t meet like we have in the past, but we still do the work. For many, the act of making a rosary is part of a powerful personal devotion to the Blessed Virgin.”

Pope Francis, speaking at the Vatican on Oct. 7, 2020, the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, invited “everyone to rediscover, especially during this month of October, the beauty of the prayer of the rosary, which has nourished the faith of the Christian people through the centuries.”

The Holy Father said that the Blessed Virgin Mary has urged the recitation of the rosary in her apparitions, “especially in the face of the threats looming over the world… Even today, in this time of Pandemic, it is necessary to hold the rosary in our hands, praying for us, for our loved ones and for all people.”

The Our Lady of the Angels and St. William Rosary Makers are just two examples of the dedicated people who work tirelessly to ensure, even during a pandemic, that rosaries are made available to all who desire one. Both groups rely on donations for supplies and mailing costs to keep doing their work.

How to help

To support the Rosary Maker groups mentioned in this article, please send your donations to:

Our Lady of the Angels Parish, c/o Rosary Makers, 12905 E. SR 70, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202;

St. William Parish, c/o Rosary Makers, 601 Seagate Drive, Naples, FL 34108.

Celebrating the Month of the Rosary in different ways

Posted on October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 by Bob Reddy

A determined group in Bradenton braved the rain to be sure to participate in the annual America Needs Fatima Public Square Rosary Crusade on Oct. 10, 2020 in front of Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles Parish seeking prayers for our country.

A dozen such prayer rallies were scattered throughout the Diocese of Venice, joining some 21,000 others nationwide. The goal of the America Needs Fatima rallies is to win the heart and soul of America for Mary by spreading Our Lady’s Fatima message and promoting devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

The rallies are scheduled at noon on the closest Saturday to the different recorded Our Lady of Fatima apparitions, the last of which occurred Oct. 13, 1917. While rallies earlier in 2020 were cancelled because of the global pandemic, the number of nationwide October rallies exceeded all expectations and appropriately take place during the Month of the Holy Rosary.

One of the participants in Bradenton said that now, more than ever – with a global pandemic and social unrest in the U.S., prayers are needed for our nation to seek the intercessions of Mary and make God a more central part of life. While the rain kept some away, she added the presence of people praying the rosary on a major road is an important image for all to see. As some drivers and passengers waved or honked their horns in support, others looked curiously upon the group. “We are making a difference by being out here. It’s wonderful.”

The rosary rally in Parrish, organized by the Knights of Columbus based at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, gathered at the intersection of U.S. 301 and Fort Hammer Road. At the same time a group of more than 50 prayed at the Venice Beach pavilion where organizers said prayer intentions were for every federal, state, county and local government worker.

A few days earlier, Oct. 7, 2020 marked the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and once again several commemorations took place.

Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers held a vigil and celebration on Oct. 6-7, as the Feast Day is a national holiday for the Guatemalan Catholic community. The pandemic curtailed the usual larger Parish-wide fiesta. However, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father Patrick O’Connor explained the vigil and commemoration were too important to cancel altogether.

“We still held our Las Mañanitas (prayers and song in honor of Our Lady) and Mass,” Father O’Connor explained. “Afterwards, there was a small reception and people were provided with bags of food and drink so they could continue the celebration at home with their family.”

Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice had a special dedication of sacred art, a painting depicting Our Lady of Fatima, which was placed in the school office lobby. Father Richard and Father Robert Beligotti donated this artwork to the school, Principal Nicole Loseto explained. Tom and Nancy Murphy donated the frame in memory of Nancy’s sister, Lois. Father Richard Beligotti led the blessing and dedication ceremony which was streamed live to the entire school.

Meanwhile, students and faithful from throughout the Diocese joined the Diocese of Venice in participating in a virtual rosary event hosted by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The event was led by Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, President of the Conference, who had called for this moment of prayer with the intention of uniting Catholics across the country at this time when there is much unrest and uncertainty.

Scout builds walking rosary garden for Parish

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Bob Reddy

When it was time for Cameron Yedlin to choose an “Eagle Scout Project,” it was natural for him to decide to do something for St. William Parish. It was also a natural idea to help promote the praying of the rosary. This was the beginning of a passionate effort that has culminated in the blessing of a new Walking Rosary Garden.

St. William Parish Pastor, Father George Ratzmann, blessed the prayer garden on Feb. 2. Located on the northwest corner of the Parish property, the garden includes a walkway bridge, a full rosary with a cross laid into the ground with pavers, and there is a statue of Our Blessed Virgin Mary overlooking the entire area. There are also two benches for rest and prayer as well as a sign which serves to guide people in how to pray the rosary.

In addition to Cameron’s proud parents, Bruce and Bonnie Yedlin, a small group gathered for the blessing and congratulated the young man for a job well done.

Cameron is an active member of the Parish, an altar server at the 7 a.m. Sunday Mass each week, he also participates in Youth Group. Cameron has taken part in various mission trips and service projects and has taken part in the last several Diocesan Youth Rallies. He also joined the Diocese of Venice group that travelled with Bishop Frank J. Dewane to World Youth Day Panama City in 2019 and Krakow in 2016.

Joining the Scouts in first grade, Cameron worked his way through the ranks during the the next 11 years. He is a Boy Scout and has earned dozens of merit badges for Troop 243, far exceeding the minimum requirement for becoming an Eagle Scout, something he has dreamed about for many years.

“This has been a goal of mine for a long time,” the junior at Gulf Coast High School explained. “When I knew it was time to do an ‘Eagle Scout Project,’ my mind went right to what I could do for St. William Parish.”

Creating a proposal, Cameron approached and received an enthusiastic approval from Father Ratzmann. The proposal included designing the different components of the Rosary Prayer Walk and raising money for the supplies. He then spoke to the Council of Catholic Woman, the Knights of Columbus, the Parish Rosary Makers group, as well as the parishioners, seeking support for the project. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

“This has been a great experience.” He further explained how “so many people came together to help me with this; from the Parish staff to people I didn’t even know. It is humbling to have that support.”

During four weekends, the Rosary Prayer Garden took shape as Cameron cleared out the area of brush and dug the places for each stone paver, marking the location of each bead in the rosary or connection to take the shape of the cross. Utilizing the small space to maximum effect, and to enhance the prayerful nature of the setting, the pavers form a flowing arc around a tree and the statue of the Blessed Virgin.

The Walking Rosary Garden is an important legacy for Cameron, who said he prays the rosary as often as he can, even keeping a rosary close to him. “The rosary gives me great comfort because it is a way for me to pray to Christ through His Blessed Mother. At night, I will pray a decade or more and I have a rosary wrist band as well, so it is always with me.”

Next up for Cameron is completing the paperwork and giving a formal presentation to an “Eagle Scout Project” review board which will then determine if he will earn the elite Eagle Scout status.

Thanks to Cameron, the parishioners of St. William Parish in Naples now have a lasting legacy created by one of their own young people. Great job Cameron!!!