On the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick, Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for hundreds of Catholic school students in Collier County.
The Mass was held Feb. 11, 2022, at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish. Among those present were the entire St. John Neumann Catholic High School student body, along with middle-schoolers from St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, St. Ann Catholic School, Royal Palm Academy, each in Naples, as well as those from Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria.
Bishop Dewane opened his remarks by complimenting the students on their uniforms (ties, jackets, sweaters), saying the view from the ambo was impressive. “I see you all here; and be proud to know you are each recognized as a Child of God.”
Stressing that this designation of “Child of God” needs to mean something to each student, the Bishop said the Lord is always present to heal them. “But, you have to be the one who comes to Christ. He is there all the time and knows you.”
The healing powers of the Incarnate Savior are profound, able to set one off to rekindle the graces given at birth and to live a new life moving forward. The Gospel reading of the day recounted the story of Jesus healing a deaf man with a speech impediment, described in graphic details in the Gospel of Mark: 31-37. “He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And immediately the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.”
“You must recognize Christ as the doer of mighty deeds,” Bishop Dewane continued. “Try and understand what the Lord wants you to do when you realize Jesus didn’t just heal this man, He did it out of compassion and affection for another human being – follow that example of Christ.”
“It is my prayer that each one of you will look at today’s Gospel message and learn something about your spiritual wellbeing and the grace you need in your life,” the Bishop said. “We work at helping each other, anyone we see in need – and I know you do that well. However, it is also about looking to ourselves and understanding how Christ wants to help you grow spiritually, using the graces that have been bestowed upon you as you continue to become more the man or woman of God you are called to be in your life.”
Following Mass, many of the students went to St. John Neumann, joining the high schoolers for lunch, and for some fun activities including outdoors games, a dunk tank and several inflatables inside the gymnasium.
The Mass for Catholic students in Collier County usually takes place during Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 30-Feb. 5), but scheduling conflicts among the schools this year moved the celebration to the week following.
Congratulations to Diocese of Venice Seminarian W. Pat Long, who was among 12 Instituted as an Acolyte on Feb. 9, 2022, at Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. The installation was presided over by Cardinal Wilton Gregory of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. The installation Mass plays an important role in the formation of the seminarians in their journey toward becoming priests. As an acolyte, each man’s primary role will be assisting the deacon and priest during Mass. They may also serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass, bring Holy Eucharist to the sick, and participate in other tasks while aiding the priest and deacon during liturgical celebrations. Please join in praying for all of these men, but in particular Pat Long who is discerning his vocation to the priesthood for the Diocese of Venice.
Jordyn Byrd, a Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School basketball player recently reached the 1,000-point milestone in her career. She accomplished this milestone on Feb. 11, 2022, in Sarasota, during a victory which led to a regional playoff win. Jordyn also plays volleyball and in January was named 2021-2022 Gatorade Florida Volleyball Player of the Year. She has maintained a 3.72 GPA in the classroom and will begin her senior year of high school this fall. She has already committed to continuing her athletic and academic career at the University of Texas.
Future surgeons at St. Martha Catholic School in Sarasota showed their skills in Christina Via-Reque’s Kinder Cardiology on Feb. 10, 2022! These doctors scrubbed in and worked on their patients to practice reading, writing, colors, motor skills, sounding out words, math and more!
The Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish boy’s soccer dream season came to an end with a 2-1 loss in the Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal match on Feb. 9, 2022, to Bradenton Christian Academy. The Shamrocks’ Aidan Minter accounted for the only goal in the heartbreaking loss. The Shamrocks had earned a home field game by clinching a district title on Feb. 4. The team should be proud of their success and vow to do better next year.
Some 70 seventh graders from St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy in Sarasota enjoyed a Cougar Experience Day on Feb. 9, 2022, at Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. In addition to a tour, the younger students took part in fun activities across the campus and heard from the high schoolers who shared what makes Mooney so special.
To ensure that students at St. Andrew Catholic School learn the necessary skills to function in a modern world, the use of iPads and technology is standard. However, experience using tools such as a microscope still serve a vital purpose in the learning process. On Feb. 9, the sixth-grade science class in Cape Coral used their microscopes to identify various elements as part of a larger STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) curriculum. Of course, they were able to create images of the slide and save them on their iPads, but using the actual equipment made a real difference in the lesson.
One of the main highlights at many of the schools is Grandparents Day, a time to recognize and honor these key members of the faith community who pass down traditions, values, and the faith to the following generations.
“Our Diocesan Schools are vibrant Catholic communities which work to support children in a very supreme way, recognizing and promoting their greatest potential,” Bishop Dewane said. “God has given individual gifts to the students and our faculty and staff offer the opportunity for each individual to grow and develop into the man or woman of God they are called to be. Grandparents play a vital role in that.”
“In a world where the young are threatened in many ways, grandparents serve a role in the transmission of values and faith,” Bishop Dewane said. “The young respond to you by your presence while helping them strive to answer the call of God in their life.”
At Donahue Catholic Academy of Ave Maria Parish, the week ended on Feb. 5, with a traditional outdoor Eucharistic Procession which included the praying of the rosary and stations for Adoration.
For example, during a Feb. 3 celebration at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School in Naples, Father Belmonte learned how the school is using a Devotional Project to promote a celebration of the saints. To mark the occasion, dozens of students and teachers dressed as their favorite saints and shared stories about the life of the saint they represented.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers celebrated Catholic Schools Week with an all-school Mass at neighboring St. Cecilia Parish, an Academic Quiz Bowl (won by the teachers), and the presenting of academic awards.
Following a 2021 hiatus, the Catholic Days at the Capitol was Feb. 1-2, 2022, wherein Catholics from across the state gather in Tallahassee to put their faith into action. Some 38 from the Diocese of Venice were among some 200 representing each Arch/diocese in the state. Both Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota and Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers sent delegations to the Catholic Days gathering.
The high school groups were allowed a behind-the-scenes tour of both the House and Senate Chambers. The Cardinal Mooney students also had the opportunity to meet two Mooney Alumni, State Senator Joe Gruters and State Rep. James Buchanan, a special chance they enjoyed immensely.
The Competitive Cheer Team at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers took second place at the Class 1A Extra Large Varsity State Championships on Feb. 2, 2022, at University of Florida Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville. Way to go!
The St. Michael Parish 2022 High School Youth Festival gathered more than 80 students in Wauchula on Feb. 5, 2022. The theme this year was “We are made to be great!” The day consisted of three talks given by Greg Stearns, an outdoor games tournament, prayer and quiet time with our Lord, the opportunity for confessions and Holy Mass. It was a beautiful day of fellowship.
Bishop Verot Catholic High School student Cornelia Ovren won BEST OF SHOW for her acrylic painting of The Triangle Waist Company at the Fort Myers Art Fest on Feb. 6, 2022. A team from Verot also won The Golisano Children’s Hospital Sunny and Sparkle award for their clever execution of Chalk Block’s theme: “Choose to Include” in the chalk art competitions. In the same competition, another Verot group took honorable mention for their chalk block “Come Together” tribute.
Several Diocesan Catholic high school sports teams won district titles recently. The Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School girls’ basketball team in Sarasota took the District title Feb. 4, 2022. The Mooney girls’ soccer team earned their own District title Feb. 3. The St. John Neumann Catholic High School girls’ basketball team in Naples also took their District title Feb. 4. Both boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers captured District titles Feb. 2.
During the week of Jan. 30 to Feb. 5, 2022, Diocesan Catholic schools celebrated their schools, their Parishes, the nation, vocations, their families and their teachers in a variety of ways.
The youngest of five children to receive a Catholic school education from kindergarten through high school (St. Joseph and Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota), Roddenberry credits that experience with her ability to overcome many obstacles in her life while achieving success.
Then it was on to meet the third-grade class of Juli Ferguson. There Roddenberry shared her story explaining how she loved going to St. Joseph and later Cardinal Mooney as both schools helped shape her into the confident young woman she is today. She noted that she started participating in pageants through the years and eventually became Miss Florida 2021 last June.
Roddenberry later had lunch with members of the St. Joseph Catholic School National Junior Honor Society, along with Father John Belmonte, SJ, Diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Education. The 22-year-old was Miss Tampa 2020, and an author of a children’s book and founder of “Be a LeadHER: Igniting the Spark Within.” She graduated from Cardinal Mooney in 2017. She represented Florida in the Miss America pageant in December 2021 where she finished in the top 10, her final pageant experience. The Miss Florida pageant is a scholarship program which Roddenberry said will help her finish her education nearly debt-free. She hopes to enter law school after her commitments as Miss Florida 2021 conclude.
During the weekend leading up to Catholic Schools Week, many Parishes throughout the Diocese hosted guest student speakers who were able to share how their school fosters a growth in faith, values, virtues, self-confidence, and much more.
St. Ann Catholic School in Naples had a Community Service Day on Jan. 31, where students collected trash outside City Hall and spent some time with Mayor Teresa Heitmann, helped to clean Cambier Park, Naples beaches, as well as the School and Parish properties.
Things have been busy at St. Andrew Catholic School in Cape Coral where students opened the week participating in a Math Olympics. Students participated in the “bobsled” and dividing and comparing decimals to determine fastest times. Just so everyone understands that Catholic Schools Week isn’t all serious – the second day was crazy hat day.
The Diocesan Hispanic Ministries Formation Program has returned with classes starting in January 2022 at several Parishes. The topic of study for these sessions is “The Christian Virtues” and a total of seven classes will be held weekly through Lent. Those who register and attend 80% of the classes will receive a Diocesan Certification.
A Memorial Mass was celebrated Jan. 27, 2022, for Father Dennis Cooney, longtime Pastor of St. Raphael Parish in Lehigh Acres, who died April 13, 2020. The death occurred during the early phase of the global pandemic and while a Funeral Mass was celebrated it was limited by the Parish to just 10 people at the time. Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Memorial Mass and spoke of Father Cooney’s spirited work in support of life from conception to natural death. Father Casey Jones, Pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Naples, delivered the homily.
Families from all walks of life have recognized the benefits of a Catholic education, particularly those institutions in Southwest Florida. From August 2020 to January of this year, Catholic School enrollment across the Diocese of Venice increased by more than 700 students, over 14 percent. The surge of new residents across Florida certainly helped this remarkable growth. However, why have hundreds of families decided to enroll their children in Catholic schools rather than one of the public or private school counterparts?
CSW – Catholic Schools Week – provides a second key to the Diocese’s successes in enrollment and beyond. This year marks the 48th year nationally celebrating Catholic education. From January 30 through February 5, schools will celebrate their Parishes, our nation, vocations, our families and our teachers. Schools organize activities and public events to provide an opportunity to see the positive benefits of a Catholic education. Interested in attending one of these events? Visit 
These walks took place with a note of hope and optimism as there is a possibility that the Supreme Court might strike down Roe v. Wade. That optimism comes from a pivotal Mississippi abortion case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, that many in the Pro-Life movement see as the best chance to change the law that has led to more than 62 million abortions across the United States. A decision in the case isn’t expected until the end of the court’s term in June.
Bishop Dewane was encouraged by the number of people participating in the Ave Maria event and humbled by the large number of young families and couples as well as youth who will be carrying the Pro-Life message into the future.
The Bishop concluded his remarks by reminding everyone that abortion is a moral problem that occasionally must be dealt with in a political arena to make change happen. “We must be strong and practical in our approach; speaking out courageously and forcefully, as we remain united in our prayer and opposition to this scourge on our society.”
About the same time as the Ave Maria event was happening, a similar vigil was taking place along U.S. 41 in Bonita Springs. There, some 125 people braved similar dreary conditions in a Walk for Life organized by the Pro-Life Outreach of nearby St. Leo the Great Parish.
Among the larger groups in Washington were representatives from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota, St. Michael Parish in Wauchula, Ave Maria University and the Ave Maria School of Law. Several smaller groups from a variety of Parishes also took part including St. William Parish in Naples, Epiphany Cathedral in Venice and Incarnation Parish in Sarasota.
Tomeo first spoke to Verot Director of Religious Activities Mark Latell, who brought a group of 28 juniors and seniors to support life. Latell said a group from Fort Myers annually attends the March and missed not being able to be in Washington in 2021 because of the pandemic. Latell explained that each day on their journey starts and ends with student-led prayer. Upon their return to Fort Myers, the students will put together a video of their experiences and share it with the school community and surrounding Parishes who support the school and the annual trip.
The St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School community in Naples celebrated its 100th day of classes on Jan. 21, 2022, with a special “dress like you are 100 years old” dress-down day for a donation of 100 cents! All proceeds from the day will be donated to the nearby Golden Gate Senior Center run by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc.
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School hosted more than 130 eighth grade students from its partner schools, St. Mary Catholic Academy, St. Martha Catholic School and Incarnation Catholic School, each in Sarasota, and St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton. This Jan. 19, 2022, retreat was more than just a tour of the high school; it was also a chance to learn about what attending Cardinal Mooney would be like. Mooney students led the eighth graders in a variety of activities including prayer, games and team building exercises. Throughout the day, the boys and girls were separated into smaller groups and given the opportunity to ask their hosts questions about the school.
The Diocese of Venice held a collaboration session and workshop for Catholic schools Marketing & Development Committee personnel on Jan. 24, 2022, at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The meeting began with a greeting and prayer from Father John Belmonte, SJ, Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese. John Carkeet from the Diocese’s Education Department led the sessions, which included several guest speakers. Guest speakers presented information about marketing, branding and social media, and included Mindy Purvis, Catholic Faith Technologies; Monique Day, Target Digital Marketing; Angie Prokes, Digital Diagnosis Marketing; and Kevin Murphy and Jud Cavey from Ave Maria University. Carlee Colonneso, Development Consultant at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton and Carkeet led development and marketing workshop sessions. The collaboration session and workshop were Part II of a four-part series focused on establishing marketing plans at Diocesan schools.
Middle school students in American History at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring completed a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Math) project on Jan. 20, 2022, which focused on the Revolutionary War and the Culper Spy Ring. Not only did the students learn history, but also the chemistry behind invisible ink, which the Culper Ring used during the Revolutionary War.
There are few better ways to teach a lesson to a third-grade student than through the use of food as a prop in the classroom. That is exactly what happened on Jan. 19, 2022, at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples where the students used Oreo cookies to learn about the phases of the moon. This edible prop was easily handled by the students to match the different phases of the moon by splitting apart the two sides of the cookie and removing some of the filing. This exercise also has the benefit of having a handy snack after the lesson was completed.
