By Bob Reddy (Florida Catholic)
01/13/2016
Throughout the year the Diocese of Venice is involved in a number of initiatives to support the faithful in their pursuit of achieving the ultimate goal of Salvation with Our Lord in Heaven. In many instances, initiatives planned for 2017 will build upon the success of programs and events which impacted the faithful on many levels during 2016.
The Diocese of Venice World Youth Day 2016 Pilgrims seen with Bishop Frank J. Dewane in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Krakow, Poland.
Further this an appropriate time to “look back” at the highlights and pivotal events of 2016. What follows is no means a comprehensive listing of the initiatives of the Universal Church, the Diocese, Parishes or Schools, but as stated, some of the highlights from 2016.
10th Anniversary of Bishop Dewane
2016 marked the 10th Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Frank J. Dewane on July 25. Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in April 2006, Bishop Dewane was ordained a Bishop at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice. The second Bishop of the Diocese was honored during an informal celebration which took place on July 21 at the Catholic Center in Venice. On Nov. 5, the priests of the Diocese joined the Bishop for a private Mass at Epiphany Cathedral in commemoration of the Bishop’s 10th Anniversary and the Year of Mercy, which was followed by a celebratory reception. This event included a Mass celebrated by the Bishop during which he reflected upon the
past 10 years and personally thanked the staff for their continued effort in serving the needs of the Diocese. Throughout the year, various celebrations included commemorations and honors for the Bishop.
The Diocese of Venice seminarians as seen in November.
During the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Fall Meeting, Bishop Dewane assumed a three-year term as Chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The committee assists the bishops, both collectively and individually, in advancing the social mission of the Church, within a culturally diverse community, through education, poverty awareness, constituency-building, outreach, policy development, advocacy, and the organization of low-income communities. The committee advises the bishops on issues of human dignity, development, and poverty.
Year of Mercy Concludes
The Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which began during Advent 2015, concluded in late November following year-long celebration encouraging the faithful to seek the Mercy of God through frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and by performing Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. During the year, Epiphany Cathedral and Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Boca Grande served as hosts for the “Holy Door of Mercy,” where more than 15,000 people made pilgrimages to go through the doors.
Priestly Ordinations and Vocations
One of the most important building blocks for the future of the Catholic Church is an Ordination to the Priesthood. The Diocese of Venice was blessed to have Grzegorz Klich, Lawton Lang and Charles Ruoff ordained by Bishop Dewane at Epiphany Cathedral in June.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane lays his hands on Father Charles Ruoff during his priestly ordination on June 18 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice.
As encouraging as that is, there are currently 21 active seminarians in the Diocese discerning their vocation to the priesthood, including 8 who began their studies in 2016. One seminarian, Carlos Encinas, is serving a pastoral year at St. Joseph Parish in Bradenton, while Seminarian Krzysztof Piotrowski was Ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop Dewane on Dec. 17.
To promote a call to vocations early on, the Office of Vocations hosted three Vocations Fairs for Catholic School sixth graders at the Diocesan High Schools. These events included fun and games as well as talks from priests and religious women to encourage boys and girls to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious life.
Chrism Mass
During Holy Week the priests of the Diocese gathered for the annual Chrism Mass; a powerful sign of unity for the priests of the Diocese with their Shepherd at the Cathedral. This annual Mass is one of the most critical and unifying moments for the Diocese during Holy Week. At the Chrism Mass priests and permanent deacons who celebrated milestone anniversaries during the year were honored.
In addition, on the World Day for Consecrated Life, religious men and women participated in the annual Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center. Each year several religious jubiliarians are recognized.
Interreligious, Ecumenical Relations
The relationship with the area Jewish communities and the Catholic Church in the Diocese continues to grow. This is demonstrated through a variety of commemorative events including the anniversary of Kristallnacht in Naples and Sarasota in the fall, and Yom Hashoah in Venice in the spring. Bishop Dewane also hosted a special visit of Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a close friend of Pope Francis, who was in the area in November to receive an award from St. Leo University and to take part in an interreligious dialogue in Sarasota. Catholic Schools within the Diocese are taught extensively about the atrocities of the Holocaust with the hope and intention that such attacks on human dignity will never happen again.
Bishop Frank J. Dewane shares the flame of peace during an Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace and Healing on Sept. 7 at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Fort Myers.
Ecumenical relations with other Christian communities throughout the area are also ongoing. New in 2016 was an Ecumenical Prayer Service for Peace and Healing held at St. Francis Xavier Parish in downtown Fort Myers on Sept. 7. The goal of the prayer service was to start a conversation that would move people toward and reconciliation in the community in the wake of a recent spate of violence both locally and nationally. More efforts in ecumenical outreach are in the planning stages for 2017.
Men’s and Women’s Conferences
In what has become a central event in the faith life for many, the Diocese once again sponsored Women’s and Men’s Conferences at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers. Internationally renowned speakers Dr. Steve Hahn and others, drew large crowds and helped to inspire those present to be evangelists for the Faith. The 2017 Conferences will again be at Bishop Verot Catholic High School; with the women gathering on Feb. 11, and the men on March 4. The events are expected to be bigger and better than ever, headlined by popular speakers including Dr. Ted Sri, Rachael Balducci, Lisa Cotter, Jeff Cavins Kevin Lowry and others on the schedule.
Pro-Life campaigns
FILE PHOTO More than 125 people gathered for the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil in Fort Myers on Oct. 8, 2015.
Along the same note, 2016 was a strong year for the number of people who participated in prayer vigils at abortion facilities throughout the Diocese of Venice. The 40 Days for Life campaign was active during Lent in Naples, and runs throughout October in Sarasota, Fort Myers and Port Charlotte. A group of youth and young adults made a pilgrimage to a snowy National March for Life in Washington, D.C. That will continue in 2017 when nearly 500 are expected to represent the Diocese and participate along with Bishop Dewane. Additionally, a prayer walk will be held in Sarasota on Jan. 20 and Port Charlotte on Feb. 21. Also in 2016, Knights of Columbus Councils in Fort Myers, Lehigh Acres and Naples, donated ultrasound machines to pro-life pregnancy care centers. The Project Rachel outreach hosted a number of retreats, bringing mercy and comfort to women who have had an abortion.
Recognizing lasting bond and meaning of Marriage
As the sanctity of marriage continues to be attacked from many different levels, the Diocese of Venice takes time out each year to honor the men and women who have committed their lives to living out the Sacrament of Marriage. Two Mass are held during the year to celebrate and honor couples enjoying significant wedding anniversaries; many celebrating more than 50 years of marriage and some more than 70 years. The couple honored for the longest marriage celebrated their 78th wedding anniversary in 2016. More than 800 couples participated in the two Masses, representing a shining example of this important Sacrament in the face of many attacks on this vital institution. The couples combined to celebrate more than 35,000 years of wedded bliss. For 2017, Bishop Dewane will celebrate two Masses: Feb. 18 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice; and March 11 at St. Leo Parish in Bonita Springs. Couples wanting to register can do so through their local Parish.
Evangelization
To help spread the good work of the Church, the Office of Evangelization brought in guest speakers throughout the year. Topics included: marriage prep, support for the divorced and separated and many others. The popular “Journey Through Scriptures” series drew a good crowd to St. Patrick Parish in Sarasota. Many of the speakers spoke to priests as well as the faithful to spread the teachings that came from the recent Synod for the Family as directed by Pope Francis.
Veterans Support
Honoring our veterans by giving thanks for the sacrifice and the freedoms they have fought to ensure, Bishop Dewane celebrated the seventh annual Veterans Day Mass at Sarasota National Cemetery with the support of the Knights of Columbus. The 2016 event once again drew a larger crowd. Catholic support of Veterans is not limited to Veterans Day. Many events are held throughout the year either at the Parish or Diocesan level to honor those who served this country or who have died for their country in defense of its freedoms. The annual Veterans Gala to support the Veterans Housing program took place in January 2016 to honor those who served in the Vietnam War. The 2017 Venice Veterans Salute will take place March 5 at the Venice Performing Art Center in Venice and will honor veterans of the Gulf War. Please visit www.veniceperformingartscenter.com for ticketing information.
Catholic Charities
The programs of Catholic Charities within the Diocese of Venice helped more individuals and families than ever in 2016. When instability, injustice or poverty exists, Catholic Charities is often the first to address concerns in underserved communities with more than 30 different programs. Catholic Charities strives to respond and be a part of the solution through collaboration and partnership within the community that is essential for the common good and brings dignity to people in need.
Guests tour the Casa San Juan Bosco farm worker housing Phase II folowing a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 4 in Arcadia.
Phase II of Casa San Juan Bosco farm worker housing in Arcadia, with 44 single-family homes, was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Dewane in October. This project is an ongoing success in providing quality housing for an oft-neglected segment of the population.
Catholic Charities is also involved in a private/public partnership in North Port Family Haven, a homeless portal which places the needy in temporary shelters and transitional housing in order to receive the services and support they require to find permanent housing relief. To that end, in 2016 a duplex transitional home was blessed by Bishop Dewane as a key component in this growing effort to address this critical need.
In addition to the annual Christmas and Summertime appeals, several successful Catholic Charities galas were also held to raise money to support the programs in each part of the Diocese.
Youth and Young Adult Outreach
2016 was a big year for the youth in the Diocese of Venice. In addition to a large group going to the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and getting stuck in a blizzard (fun in the eyes of young Floridians), there were many events and activities. Highlights included middle school and high school retreats, the annual Scout Mass.
A Eucharistic Procession during the 2016 Diocese of Venice Youth Rally on Nov. 5 at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda.
A group of 140 from the Diocese of Venice accompanied Bishop Dewane to World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. This transformational experience of being amongst more than 3 million youth from around the world, and seeing Pope Francis in person, continues to have a lasting impact on those who went. The stories they have been sharing since their return have made a difference as well. With World Youth Day fresh on his mind, Pope Francis recently announced the next Synod of Bishops, scheduled for 2018, will consider the theme of “Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment.”
Locally, the 2016 Youth Rally, held in November had the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center in Punta Gorda bursting at the seams with more than 1,900 youth. In addition to speakers and music, the event included a Eucharistic Procession through downtown Punta Gorda. This procession forced streets to be temporarily closed as Bishop Dewane carried the Blessed Sacrament as the young women and men followed him toward Sacred Heart Parish Church, about a half-mile away, where the Mass was then celebrated. The rally is one of the largest gatherings of youth anywhere in Southwest Florida. Planning has already begun for the 2017 Youth Rally which will occur in late October or early November.
Full STREAM Ahead
Students from the Diocese of Venice STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math curriculum) pilot schools returned to the classroom to face new challenges with hands-on explorations in which the outcomes were not always what students expected. Year Two of the Diocesan STREAM educational pilot program has expanded to include additional Pre-K-8th grade schools with a focus on engineering and design. Students are being challenged to “think like engineers.” Involvement in the STREAM pilot program is in keeping with the Encyclical from Pope Francis entitled “Laudato Si: On Care of Our Common Home.”
School dedicates new Center
The new Zazarino Center St. Martha Catholic School and St. Mary Academy in Sarasota was blessed and dedicated during a September ceremony lead by Bishop Dewane. The Zazarino Center is approximately 26,000 square feet and is a multi-faceted enrichment facility built to meet the ongoing demands of the two schools.
More information
While these events only reflect but a small percentage of what happened throughout the Diocese of Venice in 2016, the story did not end on Dec. 31, 2016. This New Year promises to bring even more exciting events to build upon present activities and to foster new initiatives which are sure to have a lasting impact on the Catholic faithful of Southwest Florida.
To learn more about the any Diocesan event from 2016 or planned for 2017, please visit the Diocese of Venice website www.dioceseofvenice.org. To look for specific upcoming announcements please visit www.dioceseofvenice.org/calendar for more details.
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