Diocese of Venice Seminarian Daniel Scanlan, who is studying for the priesthood at Pontifical North American College in Rome, was among 32 men conferred to the Ministry of Acolyte on March 7, 2021.
As an Acolyte, Scanlan is now charged with assisting at the celebration of the Eucharist, purifying the sacred vessels and when needed to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.
The principal celebrant for the Mass was Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patron Wong, Secretary for Seminaries at the Congregation for Clergy. The ceremony took place in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception at the Pontifical North American College.
Archbishop Wong addressed those to be instituted Acolytes, urging them to “learn all matters pertaining to divine worship and seek to grasp their significance.”
The Archbishop then exhorted them to live out a ‘three-fold zeal’ patterned on the zeal for the Father’s house that consumed Jesus in the Gospel reading of the day. The first zeal is for Jesus himself, who,” as the Archbishop pointed out, “is himself the temple.”
We must have a “personal relationship with the temple, because the temple is a person. Therefore, we can love the temple because we have intimacy with Jesus. We should become like the temple in every way: we conform ourselves to Christ so that we talk like Him, listen like Him, love like Him.”
As part of the Rite, the Archbishop placed the paten, which contains the hosts for the celebration of Mass, in the hands of each candidate. He then said, “take this vessel with bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your life worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.”
Scanlan, currently in his second year of formation at the North American College, has two additional years of theological studies before being eligible to be ordained a priest.
The liturgical celebration utilized standard precautions during the liturgy for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The Knights and Dames of the Order of Malta took part in a retreat which began with Mass celebrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane on Feb. 5, 2021 at St. Ann Parish in Naples. The retreat was led by Father George Ratzmann, Pastor of St. William Parish in Naples.
His family is well represented in the military with his grandfather serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and his father in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, while he has cousins currently enrolled in service academies.
In the coming months there will be the Ordination to the Priesthood of two men, a new initiative to curb the impacts of pornography on society, small and large conferences, Masses for couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries, opportunities to promote the sanctity of life, celebrations of all sorts, as well as the continuation of the “Year of St. Joseph.”
In the coming months, Bishop Dewane will preside over a variety of celebrations which occur each year, including the Rite of Election in February when Bishop Dewane welcomes those in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) who will be fully entering the Church at the Easter Vigil, a Mass for Victims of Abuse, and later in the year a Veterans Day Mass, the 25th anniversary celebration of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center, a Red Mass for legal professionals and more. It is also expected that two men will be Ordained to the Priesthood by the Bishop in early summer.
As the holy season of Advent comes to an end and we look in eager anticipation toward Christmas, there are many preparations to be made. From decorations to gifts, to cards, our lists can become full. Yet, even more importantly, how have we prepared our hearts and souls to receive Christ once more?
Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated Mass for students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bradenton on Dec. 17, 2020. The fifth through eighth graders were present in the Church, while the younger students, and students who a learning virtually, participated via a livestream to ensure social distancing was maintained. Afterwards, the Bishop spoke to the eighth graders.
The Diocese of Venice in Florida Office of Vocations launched a video series titled, “A Seminarian Story,” to celebrate the 16 Seminarians currently in formation. The first four videos have been released and more will follow approximately every few weeks. The most recent video is about Seminarian Juan Contreras who is doing formation at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. Developed with the assistance of the Diocese Communications Department, the goal of the series is to inspire others to follow in the path to the priesthood or religious life, as well as encourage the faithful to continue to support the seminarians as they continue their formation process at different seminaries. “A Seminarian Story” featuring Juan Contreras can be found at 
On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, March 19, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, in the context of the Coronavirus, consecrated the Diocese of Venice to the care and protection of St. Joseph. The Bishop announced a “Year of St. Joseph” beginning March 19, 2020. In light of Pope Francis recently dedicating a “Year of St. Joseph,” the Diocesan celebration will continue through Dec. 8, 2021. St. Joseph, often referred to as the Protector, can be our protector during this time of the pandemic. To pray a Novena to St. Joseph please visit the Year of St. Joseph webpage at 
The Diocese of Venice in Florida Office of Vocations recently launched a video series titled, “A Seminarian Story,” to celebrate the 16 Seminarians currently in formation. The first three videos have been released and more will follow approximately every two weeks. The most recent video is about Seminarian James Gates who is discerning his vocation at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. Developed with the assistance of the Diocese Communications Department, the goal of the series is to inspire others to follow in the path to the priesthood or religious life, as well as encourage the faithful to continue to support the seminarians as they continue their formation process at different seminaries. “A Seminarian Story” featuring James Gates can be found at 
