By Nicole Loseto, St. Catherine Catholic School, Sebring
St. Catherine Catholic School in Sebring has enjoyed an AMAZING start to the new year. We worked tirelessly preparing the school for the upcoming year by continuing to improve both the facility and academic programs. Many students participated in a fun and interactive Vacation Bible School that explored our Catholic Faith through art, sports, music and literature. We also offered the first STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Education, Arts, Mathematics) camp which provided many hands-on activities for students to explore and research science and math concepts.
Kick-off for the new school year was a Welcome Back BBQ. Guests were delighted by the new improvements we made to the main school building and the promise of a challenging and rewarding year ahead. The students were also excited to meet their teachers and looked forward to joining newly established clubs such as the Rosary Club, the National Junior Honor Society, and Student Council, which launched a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society called Pennies for Patients. We are so grateful for all the support received from our families and community to make it a great success.
The eighth graders were recently surprised with a Senior Sunrise Breakfast to begin their graduation year. It is an exciting year for them as this is the first graduating class from St. Catherine’s since the school’s inception in 2008, the first Catholic School located in the Eastern Deanery. Several of these students have been with the school since it opened when they were in preschool. This is also the first year of the VPK program.
For our efforts, the school was rewarded with the Gold Seal Accreditation as a Gold Seal Quality Care program. This Seal is awarded when a preschool demonstrates a high level of educational professionalism and commitment to quality standards and excellence. This year also saw the introduction of academic coaches who meet regularly with students for extra help with their coursework. The guidance and mentorship the coaches provide builds our students’ confidence and self-esteem.
The Fall Season was dedicated to the people who serve our country. In September, we conducted a Constitution Day where the children had a chance to meet a Constitutional Scholar. In October, we held a Red Mass to honor judges, lawyers, law school professor, and other members of the legal profession. On Veterans Day, we paid tribute to those who served in all branches of the military. Our students were honored and delighted to meet such amazing individuals who are role models in their community. Celebrating their service and sacrifice helps our young men and women aspire to greatness and a life of service.
In this 35th Anniversary year of the Diocese of Venice, we have been actively teaching about the history of the Diocese and the concept of how to be “A Disciple of Christ,” using resources provided by the Diocese of Venice. Everything we see, hear and do at St. Catherine shows our children how they can live as “A Disciple of Christ” and it is our mission to demonstrate how they can live in God’s image and serve others.
Learn more about what makes St. Catherine Catholic School such a special and rewarding place to help your child grow in their faith as a Disciple of Christ at www.stcatheschool.org.
You may reach Principal Nicole Loseto at loseto@stcatheschool.org.
However, on multiple occasions, devoted Catholics have expressed concern about what would happen to their Parish, school or favorite Diocesan program after they have passed away. They have worried about whether or not the next generation will be as devoted to their Catholic Faith, whether they will attend Mass, send their children to Catholic School or be willing to support the programs and ministries of the Church.
For those who struggle paycheck to paycheck or are on the brink of homelessness, thanksgiving has a different meaning. It can mean loneliness, despair and hunger as most places that would offer a caring meal are closed for the holiday weekend.
To meet the need in Manatee County, the St. Joseph Food Pantry in Bradenton uses the first three days of Thanksgiving Week to distribute special bags of food to more than 1,200 individuals and families.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane was in Sarasota on Thanksgiving Day where he joined the Knights of Columbus Council 3358 for the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for the community.
In Immokalee, the faithful of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples offered “Thanksgiving in the Park” which provided more than 2,000 hot meals. Some 100 volunteers helped prepare the meal and even more served the food on Thanksgiving Day in a spot adjacent to the Immokalee Airport.
Catholic Schools throughout the Diocese participated in these efforts with food drives that benefited Catholic Charities, the St. Joseph Food Pantry and other community feeding programs.
Part of that celebration was the Nov. 23, “Enchanted Sea – Second Annual Saints and Sinners Gala” at the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village which brought together parents, faculty, staff and supporters of the school for an evening of fun and relaxation.
The event was supported by priests from several local parishes as well as the principals from Bishop Verot Catholic High School and St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, both in Fort Myers.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane led a prayer service for the staff of the Catholic Center in Venice on Dec. 1. The prayer service included the blessing of the Advent Candle, Christmas Tree and Nativity scene which will be on display in the lobby throughout Advent.
The Mother Frances de Sales Auxiliary to the Homeless held its Fourth Rose Ball Nov. 30 at the Naples Grande Beach Hotel and Resort where 22 young ladies were recognized for their commitment of volunteer service and formation. The event benefited four organizations in Collier County that work to help break the cycle of homelessness. Bishop Frank J. Dewane presented each young lady with a silver Rose Ball medallion of the organizations’ patron, Mother Frances de Sales, known as St. Leonie Aviat, who was canonized on Nov. 25, 2001. The ladies, known as Rose Girls, committed to a two-and-a-half-year volunteer and personal formation program where they make pledges of dignity, charity, and purity and were presented to those gathered as Dignified Ladies of Volunteer Service.
From humble beginnings in 1959 in the Beall Plaza in downtown Sarasota to the evolving vibrant campus at its location today, Cardinal Mooney has provided a college-preparatory education centered on Gospel values for thousands of students over the past sixty years. Embracing the uniqueness of each student entrusted to our care, we provide an educational experience which culminates with graduates who are committed life-long learners ready for college and active examples of their Catholic faith ready for service to the community.
The closing Mass was celebrated at nearby Sacred Heart Church. A time for Eucharistic Adoration led by the Bishop was followed by a public Eucharistic Procession through the streets of downtown Punta Gorda as the youth recited the Holy Rosary and sang hymns. At the church, to accommodate the vast number of participants, an overflow of youth was ushered into the Parish Hall where the Mass where the was live-streamed.
The Taylor Tripodi Band performed throughout the day, opening the Youth Rally and then performing leading up to adoration. Taylor explained that she uses her talents as a singer and a musician to glorify the Lord and to inspire others to feel the same way she does about her faith. The band also served as musicians during the closing Mass.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane noted the Mass was celebrated at the historic location, in front of a Holy Eucharistic Memorial, which was built in the 1960s to commemorate the 1539 Spanish Expedition of Hernando de Soto. The group purportedly landed nearby and included 12 priests and two brothers. Appropriately, there were 12 concelebrating priests and two deacons present for the Mass.
“You must publicly respond and live the answer as a Disciple,” the Bishop continued. “Do this by setting an example to those around you so that others – through your invitation, through your example, through your words, and through your deeds – can understand your answer.”
