The idea of giving thanks, knowing that we are here because of gifts given to us by God, is at the core of what Thanksgiving is all about.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane described the holiday this way while celebrating Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Lakewood Ranch on Nov. 28, 2024.
As hard as we try, Bishop Dewane added, “being who God called us to be is difficult, and we will fail along the way. But, the Bible records the wonderful gifts of God, which we can find within ourselves and in others who are all made in the image and likeness of God.”
The Gospel reading of the day (Luke 17:11-19) was the parable of the 10 lepers, when only one returned to thank Jesus upon being cured of the debilitating illness. Jesus asks where the other nine were. Bishop Dewane stressed how we are all among the missing nine at certain points in our life, but we must always strive to be among the ones who return.
“By your presence at Mass on Thanksgiving, you are counted among those who returned to Jesus, just as you came to give thanks to God today. Know the Lord sees the goodness in you and thanks you,” Bishop Dewane said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Dewane went from the Mass in Lakewood Ranch to take part in a free community Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Victory Council 3358 at their Hall on Fruitville Road in Sarasota.
The Knights delivered more than 200 meals to the elderly and homebound and then served hundreds more meals to those who needed a hot meal or didn’t have anywhere to go for the holiday. Guests were also encouraged to take meals home. Those meals included turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, cranberry sauce, roll, and pumpkin or apple pie with whipped cream.
Bishop Dewane offered the opening prayer for the Knights and other volunteers before the dining room was opened. Then, the Bishop took his traditional spot in charge of serving the corn on a buffet line in the dining room and assisted with the mashed potatoes and gravy as needed. The dining format was a change from previous years of table service which allowed guests to opt in or out on their favorite foods and return for seconds.
Being grateful for what they have was a strong theme during Traditional Thanksgiving activities throughout the Diocese of Venice.
Multiple faiths on Longboat Key came together for the 44th annual interreligious Thanksgiving Worship Service on Nov. 19. Included was Father Robert Dziedziak. Pastor of Our Lady, Star of the Sea Parish. The service and gathering took on a special meaning of healing for the island community which was inundated by storm surge and devastated during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
At several locations throughout the Diocese, turkey giveaways were common. Catholic Charities volunteers provided a hot holiday meal to the homeless on Nov. 26, at the Judy Sullivan Family resource Center in Naples.
At St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Naples, Pastor Father Gerard Critch started the Parish Thanksgiving dinner more than 10 years ago to ensure “no one will spend Thanksgiving alone.” Following a trilingual Mass (English, Spanish, Creole), the annual dinner served hundreds.
For those watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, 14 senior cheerleaders from Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers were part of the Spirit of America cheer team. This was the 10th year in a row a group of cheerleaders from Bishop Verot has received this high honor.
Ahead of the Thanksgiving break, young students at several Diocesan Catholic schools had the opportunity to participate in their own local “Macy’s” parade, with the youngest students dressing up as characters and carrying balloons with some creating floats.
First grade students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton recently used their math skills to complete Thanksgiving themed STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math) games and worksheets. One of the activities included measuring how tall they were compared to the average turkey.
Another holiday tradition takes place at Bishop Verot Catholic High School. Coach Mike Gill’s talented woodshop students crafted wooden turkeys, hand-made treasures for their families that are not only a test of skill but a festive addition to any holiday table. Many alumni of Verot still display their wooden turkey from decades ago.
Gratitude for the many blessings enjoyed by the Diocese of Venice was widespread, and heartfelt!
The Bishops of Florida held an Advent Retreat at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice in early December. The retreat spanned to include the observance of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Dec. 9, 2024. (The celebration of the Solemnity was transferred to Dec. 9 from Dec. 8 to not interfere with the Second Sunday of Advent.)
Bishop Frank J. Dewane was the principal celebrant for a Mass at St. Paul Parish in Arcadia. The Mass included prayers, petitions and music in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A full celebration of the Feast Day, which is Dec. 12, followed and included traditional dancers and music as well as food. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas and is an important symbol of the Catholic faith, particularly among Catholics of Hispanic descent. Large celebrations take place at Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice for this Feast Day each year. Please read the Dec. 20 e-edition of the Florida Catholic for full coverage of the local Our Lady of Guadalupe celebrations.
The latest offering of the St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) Training took place on Dec. 7, 2024, at St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral. Adam Janke, Vice-President of SPSE was the presenter, offering guidance on how to share the faith in the public square. Following the classroom training, participants were offered the opportunity to use what they learned in a Live Lab at the Coralwood Shopping Plaza in Cape Coral to gain practical, hands-on experience in real street evangelization. There were 27 people in attendance at the all-day training and many participated in the Live Lab.
Falestiny explained that the whole basis for the devotional project can be found in Pslam 91:11: “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
Vacation Bible School programs were also offered at 40 Parishes in the Diocese this summer. This weeklong Bible themed camp focused on learning the important lessons of Scripture in a fun and engaging way. The most common theme this summer was “Scuba: Diving into friendship with God.” At Vacation Bible School, children attended daily Mass and participated in Eucharistic Adoration. They also learned uplifting songs and dances, made crafts and generally had a great time.
A dozen different Diocesan groups took part in Camp Covecrest 2024, a Life Teen retreat in northern Georgia which focuses on leading teens closer to Christ. This is an intensive retreat which focuses the teens on building their relationship with the Lord through team activities, reflection, and prayer. The focus of these retreats included Eucharistic Adoration, opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and participating in Mass.
To ensure the devotional project’s success, in October 2023, the Education Department trained the junior catechists, eighth grade leaders from each of the Diocese’s 12 elementary schools. The training stressed the importance for the junior catechists to be leaders in faith, evangelization, and discipleship. These junior catechists then went into the classroom to teach their schoolmates about Our Lady, the Most Holy Rosary and how to grow closer to the Lord.
The winning teams were:
The Remake Learning Days Family Fun Day for residents of Casa San Juan Bosco, a farmworker housing community in Arcadia run by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc., took place April 20, 2024. There were games, food and information booths. There was also the surprise arrival of a Florida Department of Forestry helicopter landing in the soccer field. The two pilots answered many questions and allowed the children to climb up and into the helicopter.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the students at Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School in Venice on April 12, 2024. The Gospel reading for the day was from John and describes the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. In this miracle, Jesus not only provides the nourishment of food, but more importantly spiritual nourishment. “Be mindful when you come here to the Church, to receive the strength from Jesus Christ, like he gave to all of those people on the side of the mountain. Each Sunday, He makes it possible to receive our strength to live our spiritual life.” Following the Mass, the Bishop blessed the pre-kindergarten students in the narthex of the Cathedral.
