Damage caused by Ian repaired within 100 days
Patience, teamwork, hard work, perseverance, and faith were all needed to overcome the destructive impacts of Hurricane Ian at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice.
In less than 100 days, repairs to the main school building were far enough along to ensure all students would safely and joyfully return to their original classroom. It was Sept. 28, 2022, when Hurricane Ian tore off the roof of the main building, allowing water to pour into the classrooms. Replacement of the roof, HVAC and other items, as well as the ceiling tiles and floors of nearly every room, were needed before a return to the classroom could take place.
A celebration of this momentous accomplishment occurred during the morning assembly on Jan. 9, 2023. Students, faculty, staff, and parents gathered as everyone cheered the reopening of the building which houses grades one through eight.
“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!”
Loseto singled-out several maintenance and support staff who went above and beyond in their help during the crisis. She also praised Bishop Frank J. Dewane and his Diocesan staff for overcoming many issues since the storm. Also recognized were Cathedral Rector, Msgr. Patrick Dubois, and Operations Manager Wendy Barraso, for overseeing the logistics of the repairs.
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.
Loseto said the students and faculty handled the transition well, adjusting and surmounting any difficulties, comforted in the knowledge that mitigation and repairs began within days. While everything was not perfect, Loseto said patience and understanding was shown in all.
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.
Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education, was present for the morning assembly and was quick to acknowledge that Loseto herself led everyone through the storm and its aftermath.
“When we first talked about how we were going to open school, even though you didn’t have the main school building, a lot of good ideas came forth on how to do that, and certainly, most coming from Mrs. Loseto. So, I think we owe her a big applause,” Father Belmonte exclaimed as everyone joined in that acknowledgment.
Msgr. Dubois led a prayer service and blessed the repaired building. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony took place before everyone entered the building.
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.
The younger grades, including Nicole Semlow’s second grade class, got their first look at their refurbished classrooms after the morning assembly. They were impressed.
Lots of oohs and wows were exclaimed as they entered the classroom to the smell of fresh paint and newly laid flooring. The smiles were radiant as they returned to their own room, their own desks, a place they had come to love before Ian. Now the classroom, without any outside distractions, was a place of normalcy for the students.
The students, faculty, staff and parents of Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School started the first full week of school in 2023 with a celebration they won’t soon forget. It marked an opportunity to turn the page beyond the immediate aftermath and recovery of Hurricane Ian into what is a “normal” routine of a Catholic education, including study, fun and prayer.
If you would like to support Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in their continuing recovery, please visit www.ecstigers.com.
The response of Bishop Frank J. Dewane and the Diocese of Venice is to host a special Eucharistic Congress from March 24 to March 25, 2023, at the Conference Center and Luminary Hotel on the riverfront of downtown Fort Myers. (More details and registration can be found at 
“This is an opportunity for Catholics to bring those things which usually happen behind closed doors, in our Parishes, out into the wide open with the larger community,” explained James Gontis, Diocesan Director of Evangelization.
Everyone is invited to be a part of this exciting journey as the timing of this movement and the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress come at a critical moment for the Universal Church. The National Eucharistic Revival explains, this effort comes now, because the Church needs healing, and the world needs the Church.
“Scandal, division, disease, doubt. The Church has withstood each of these throughout our very human history. But today we confront all of them, all at once. Our response in this moment is pivotal,” National Eucharistic Revival documents state. “In the midst of these roaring waves, Jesus is present, reminding us that He is more powerful than the storm. He desires to heal, renew, and unify the Church and the world.”
Epiphany Cathedral in Venice celebrated its Feast Day, the Epiphany of the Lord, with a trilingual (English, Spanish, Polish) Mass on Jan. 8, 2023. Msgr. Patrick Dubois, Cathedral Rector, said the Feast Day is an important moment for the Parish community as well as for the Universal Church. The day marks the moment when the three magi come to pay homage to the Child Jesus, something we must do each day as we celebrated the love of the Lord in our lives. Readings and music alternated between the three languages and at the conclusion of Mass, Msgr. Dubois asked all to wish one another a “Happy Feast of the Epiphany.” A multicultural celebration followed in the Parish Hall.
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School basketball player Olivia Davis reached the 1,000-point milestone during a game on Jan. 6, 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.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers welcomed students from St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Fort Myers and St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral for Mass on Jan. 10, 2023. The younger students led everyone in song and afterwards Principal Suzie O’Grady invited students to participate in the “Three Kings” celebration. Following the Mass, the “Three Kings” went around campus writing the following on every door: 20 + C + M + B + 23. For centuries, faithful Catholics have marked the entrance to their homes with a symbol of faith, asking that Jesus bless all who live within the home. The message is as follows: [the first two digits of the year] + C + M + B + [the last two digits of the year]. The “C”, “M”, and “B” stand for the names of the three Magi – Caspar, Malchior & Balthazar, and the “+” represents the cross. The message also abbreviates the Latin phrase, Christus Mansionem Benedicat, meaning “May Christ bless the house.”
St. Paul Parish in Arcadia held a special “Three Kings” celebration on the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord, Jan. 8, 2023.
Passed through generations, the retelling of the coming of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in such a humble way, born in a manger to reign over the world, should cause everyone to pause and reflect on the gifts of grace that have come to each one of us.
Bishop Dewane also celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. At the Midnight Mass, the Bishop brought forth the Child Jesus and placed Him in the manger as “O Come All Ye Faithful” was sung.
The manger, or Nativity scene, is a celebratory focus of the Christmas celebration. Several Diocesan Parishes and each Catholic school took time to have a retelling of the birth of Jesus with young children and in some cases with live animals.
Meanwhile, the eighth graders at the school and nearby Parish, worked together to learn about Catholic social teachings, to help those in need. The results were amazing. The Sarasota youth created 140 gift cards and handmade Christmas ornaments for the elderly residents at a Catholic Charities facility; donated 100+ blankets for the homeless; made Get Well/Christmas Cards for those in the hospital; collected and donated toys and household items for needy families; stocked pantries with food and supplies; and much more.
Isabella is an eighth-grader at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota and was one of 24 artists to be recognized for her work in the MCA Christmas Artwork Contest. Her artwork, and that of the other winners, is on display through the Advent and Christmas Seasons at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. All winners are featured as MCA eGreetings, which launched on the First Sunday of Advent at 
Father Arthur J. Espelage, OFM, former Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Venice, died Dec. 9, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio at the age of 78. Born in Cincinnati, Father Espelage attended St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati before entering the Franciscan novitiate on Aug. 15, 1962, and then entered Duns Scotus College in Southfield, Michigan, where he made his solemn vows on Aug. 16, 1966. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1971, at St. Leonard College in Centerville. He later earned a JCB, then JCD in canon law from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. As a priest, Father Espelage served in New Mexico, Ohio, and Palm Beach. In 2008, Father Espelage was named Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Venice, a position he held until 2014. He then served at St. Meinrad School of Theology before taking a position as Adjutant Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Tucson. A Mass of Christian Burial Friars is at the St. Anthony Friary and Shrine in Cincinnati on 11 a.m., Jan. 16, 2023.
Two Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School graduates have been recognized for earning perfect scores on their college-level Advanced Placement® Exams in spring 2022, an achievement announced in December. Hallie Monserez and Madalyn Shuck are among an elite group of students, two of the only 306 in the world, to earn every point possible on an AP Research Exam and receive the maximum score on each portion of the exam. AP Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 and they received the top score of 5. Furthermore, both Hallie and Madalyn received their Mooney AP Capstone Diploma, along with six other Mooney seniors, upon graduation in Sarasota in May 2022. AP Capstone is a diploma program from the College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Both courses prepare students for college and career success through the development of critical thinking, academic research, collaboration, presentation, and time management skills.
The St. Vincent de Paul Charlotte District Council recently received a donation of $12,000 from Florida State District 75 Rep. Michael Grant, which includes Charlotte County. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul provides services for those who are struggling with poverty, homelessness and hunger, and has been actively involved in the community and has met the increased demands since Hurricane Ian.
Rhodora J. Donahue, a strong supporter of Catholic education, died Dec. 12, 2022, in Naples at the age of 97. The matriarch of a large family (13 children, 84 grandchildren and 168 great-grandchildren), was married to the late John F. Donahue. Rhodora lived in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area (Ligonier) for many years before settling in Naples in 1986. In Naples, the couple was a strong supporter of St. Ann Catholic School, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School and later the Royal Palm Academy (a school affiliated with the Diocese in Naples), and finally the Rhodora J. Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Catholic School in Ave Maria was established and named in her honor. A Mass of Christian Burial took place Dec. 21, 2022, at St. Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh.
Mary Alice (Manning) Wasmer, co-founder of the St. Ann School Foundation Fashion Show, died Dec. 12, 2022, in Naples at the age of 98. Born and raised in Ohio, she married John “Jack” C. Wasmer, Jr., and they had seven children. Wasmer was active in the arts in the Cleveland area and transferred that passion to Florida, moving to Naples permanently in 1986. A patron of the arts, a gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero is dedicated to the family. Mary was dedicated to the support of children and Catholic education, championing events for inner city schools in Cleveland. In Naples, she continued her work with St. Ann Parish and the St. Ann School Foundation for several decades. Wasmer co-founded the Foundation fundraising fashion shows and was an honorary chair of the Foundation galas. A Mass of Christian Burial took place Dec. 17, 2022, at St. Ann Parish.
Celebrated on Dec. 12, the Feast is often linked to the Dec. 9 Feast of St. Juan Diego, the day in 1531 when Our Lady first appeared to the Saint near modern day Mexico City.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe means so much to me and so many others,” said Olivia Gomez of Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers who participated in the Dec. 11, 2022, Mass and an outdoor festival. “My family has a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin. We pray to her each day. This gives us great comfort.”
That gratitude was magnified this year as the Fort Myers community was hard hit on Sept. 28 by Hurricane Ian. Gomez, whose home had roof and water damage, was out of work until just recently because the business where she worked was badly damaged.
Carlos Diaz, of St. Paul Parish in Arcadia, also had home damage from river flooding after Ian and had to replace nearly the entire contents of his home.
At Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Feast Day Mass. The Mass there was preceded by a procession around the church. Afterwards, the Bishop blessed a variety of religious articles and then everyone enjoyed a celebration in the Parish Hall.
This apparition led to the conversion of Mexico almost overnight, when up to that time Catholic missionaries from Europe had made very little headway. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was built on the site of the apparitions and is one of the most visited religious shrines in the world. It is also home of the actual tilma of St. Juan Diego, which can still be seen, with the image clearly visible, nearly 500 years later.
Father David Portorreal celebrated Mass for the students at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers. Part of his message was a gentle reminder that the Solemnity celebrates the Immaculate Conception of Mary in her mother, St. Anne. The Immaculate Conception does not refer to the original conception and birth of Christ, as is often thought, but rather to the conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was conceived without inheriting original sin.
