Saints Devotional Project: Junior Catechist Training
The Diocese of Venice Department of Catholic Education welcomed eighth graders and their teachers and parents from all 15 Catholic schools to its first Saints Devotional Project Junior Catechist Training Oct. 22, 2021, at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice. This Diocesan-wide project centers on hand-picked pairs of eighth graders from each school to catechize their fellow students by traveling classroom to classroom to give formal presentations about the Saints, Name Days and the Catholic devotion to the saints. These students were chosen through their demonstration of outstanding leadership, excellent instruction and unwavering devotion. The Saints Devotional Project offers opportunities to highlight the importance of leadership in the Faith, evangelization, and discipleship. The training seminar gave the junior catechists the tools and resources they need to conduct classes, while their parents and teachers participated in an orientation that outlined the significance of the devotional project.
Science experiments wow students
Science was on the agenda for students at St. Mary Catholic Academy in Sarasota on Oct. 20, 2021. The students had fun using their hands on experiments, mixing substances such as sugar, salt, vegetable oil and sand with water to predict if they were suspensions or solutions. This was followed by a great discussion as the students predicted what they thought would happen and what they saw with their own eyes.
Parish holds living rosary celebration
St. Paul Parish in Arcadia held a special living rosary celebration on World Mission Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. The youth of the Parish led the reading of the different decades of the rosary and stood in for the different beads. They were divided into five different groups, wearing distinctive colors, representing different mission countries throughout the world.
Cathedral students stand up to bullying
Students from Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice took part in Unity Day activities on Oct. 20, 2021, by wearing orange and standing together vowing an end to bullying. Among the lessons learned was that all should follow the example of Jesus Christ and be kind to one another, no matter what. The students also went outside and stood in the soccer field spelling out the words “BE KIND” as a drone took a photo of everyone.
Lego rover helps students explore
Fifth graders from St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring built a Lego rover as part of a STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) project in mid-October 2021. This project helped the students explore ways scientists and engineers reach remote places, create and program “Milo” the Science Rover, and document how Milo can help discover a special plant specimen.
Boosterthon raises money for school
St. Andrew Catholic School students participated in a Boosterthon Fun Run on Sept. 21, 2021, in Cape Coral. The students had fun running while a big thanks went out to families and extended families who helped the school reach its goal of $30,000. The money will go toward allowing more flexible seating options for students in many of the classrooms.
Christ the King Novena Nov. 12-20
On the last Sunday of each liturgical year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, or Christ the King. This year, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urges all Catholics to take part in a Christ the King Novena from Nov. 12-20, 2021. During the nine days preceding the Solemnity, the USCCB asks all to offer their prayers to Christ the King for the freedom of the Church. The USCCB Committee for Religious Freedom, in its core document “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty,” urged that “the Solemnity of Christ the King – a feast born out of resistance to totalitarian incursions against religious liberty – be a day specifically employed by bishops and priests to preach about religious liberty, both here and abroad.” A link to the novena can be found at www.dioceseofvenice.org.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for the students at St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring on Oct. 18, 2021. The Mass is the latest in a series of Masses celebrated by the Bishop for students at each of the 15 Diocesan Catholic schools. During the Mass, which took place on the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, Bishop Dewane encouraged the students to focus on developing their prayer life each day.
The Venice Diocesan Council of Catholic Women hosted a retreat on Oct. 16, 2021 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The bilingual retreat included talks from Father Janusz Jancarz, Spiritual Moderator for the VDCCW and Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice; Father Claudio Stewart, Diocesan Director of Hispanic Ministries, and Father Thomas Heck, a retired priest of the Diocese. The women also participated in Mass, adoration and praying of the rosary.
The prayer concluded the opening ceremony for Epiphany Cathedral School’s (ECS) celebration of National Faith and Blue Weekend conducted Oct. 7, 2021 on its campus in Venice. The event recognized Faith and Blue’s campaign to develop safer and stronger communities across the nation by unifying law enforcement professionals with their local faith-based organizations.
Concluding on a note of gratitude, students gave handwritten thank you cards to every man and woman wearing a badge that day. Usually stoic faces gave way to smiles as the officers opened and read the cards aloud to one another.
Principals, athletic directors and coaches from Diocese of Venice Catholic schools heard a presentation Oct. 12, 2021 at St. Ann Catholic School in Naples, titled “Play Like a Champion.” This is a comprehensive education program aimed at encouraging true character development while showing off core Catholic values in sports and being proactive in creating a positive environment for all levels. The group heard from Kristin Sheehan, Program Director, who explained how the outreach targets coaches, sport parents and athletes, teaching the positive character of sports with the aim of giving the game back to the children. St. Ann Principal Michael Buskirk shared his positive experience with implementing the “Play Like a Champion” program in his previous school and how it sets expectations and switches the current emphasis on sports from the “me” to the “we.”
As a part of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” Pope Francis has invited every Diocese in the world to inaugurate the beginning of the Synod with an opening Mass. In the Diocese of Venice, this opening Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 17, 2021, at Epiphany Cathedral, 350 Tampa Ave., Venice. All are welcome and encouraged to attend this Mass. In this Diocesan Phase of the Synod, Catholics in the Diocese of Venice are encouraged to participate in listening sessions, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
A Catechetical Conference, hosted by Diocese of Venice Department of Education and spearheaded by the Office of Religious Education, provided an understanding as to how to bring Jesus Christ into the classroom as a catechist according to Church teachings.
Anne Chrzan, Diocesan Director of Religious Education, expressed her prayers that the Conference was an opportunity for catechists to learn how to better share the Good News of the Lord in their classrooms.
The Knights of Columbus of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Council 15821, led by Grand Knight Anthony Hopfinger, presented a dialogue with the Cub Scouts about the Ten Commandments held on Sept. 25, 2021, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice. The Cub Scouts hiked around the Lake of the Blessed Sacrament to 10 different points to discuss the Commandment with the Knights. Patches were blessed and distributed by Father Lawton Lang, Diocesan Scout Chaplain. A light lunch was provided by the staff at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. All were pleased with the weather, the program, and the presentations.
