The luck of the Irish filled the air as St. John Neumann High School hosted its annual Celtic Ball Feb. 23 at the Naples Grande Resort & Club.

“The Celtic Ball marks the seventh year of St. John Neumann’s highly successful fundraising event that benefits our school’s academic programs and financial aid program,” said Principal Laura Campbell.

This year’s gala, chaired by Lorrie Griffin, raised about $85,000.

Revelers applauded as loyal Catholic school supporter Mitzi Magin made the highest live-auction bid for dinner with event honoree Bishop Frank J. Dewane. Bishop Dewane also gave the invocation and welcomed guests to the event.

Fox 4 News anchor Patrick Nolan gave a presentation on his personal Catholic school experience and the importance of Catholic education.

Auction items ranged from a classic Italian meal in the home of Tony Grasso, St. John Neumann’s science department chairman and sports coach, to a sunset champagne plane ride and tour for two above Marco Island. The evening’s sponsors included the Seminole Tribe of Florida; Kraft Construction; St. Leo’s Parish; The Aerial Companies; Cheffy, Passidomo, Wilson & Johnson; Dise Wealth Management and Leslie S. Magin.

St. John Neumann High School was established in 1980 and is Collier County’s only Catholic high school. Students of all faiths are welcome to participate in its mission of providing a strong liberal arts college preparatory curriculum enriched in Catholic traditions.

The ninth annual Venetian Charity Ball Feb. 9 at the Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa raised about $100,000 for Catholic Charities in Lee County.

More than 425 patrons attended the event for a night of auctions, dinner and dancing. Attendance was up more than 100 people over last year’s event.

Guest of honor Bishop Frank J. Dewane thanked ball chairwoman Nancy Bullyan and her committee for hosting an elegant evening. Bishop Dewane also praised ball sponsors, especially the Galeana family, the Schultz family and Father Stephen McNamara of Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Fort Myers.

The evening featured a spirited live auction with several exciting getaways to destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Spain and Italy. Also auctioned off were a puppy and a chance for a dinner with Bishop Dewane.

Father Stan Strycharz of St. Leo Parish and members of the church surprised Martha Vivas, program director of Hispanic Services of Catholic Charities in Bonita Springs, with keys to a new van. The much-needed vehicle will be used for educational programs at the agency.

Catholic Charities of Lee County focuses on self-empowerment for clients by providing direct assistance, programs for children and adults, summer youth programs, translation services, case management, employment assistance, counseling, immigration and citizenship services, prenatal education, crisis intervention, community outreach, support, advocacy and special holiday projects.

Banners bearing images of doves, the waters of baptism and the Eucharist were brought into Epiphany Cathedral Parish here Feb 10 during the annual rite of election of catechumens and call to continuing conversion of candidates.

The rite of election is the church’s formal recognition of catechumens, who will soon receive the sacraments of initiation: baptism, Communion and confirmation.

Claudia Virbes of San Pedro Parish in North Port was one of 313 people who participated in the ceremony, one of the final steps in the journey of becoming a Catholic. The group, representing 38 parishes, will be received into the church during the Easter Vigil.

Virbes has been traveling on the road back to her faith for more than two years, and is excited about receiving the Eucharist and being confirmed at Easter. Pregnant with a baby boy, she hopes her child will “carry forward the faith and teach his children the Catholic faith, as well.”

“The elect” is another term for “God’s chosen people.” In the Old Testament, God chose the Israelites and established a covenant with them. The church teaches that God continues to choose people today through the new covenant in Jesus Christ.

During the rite, the name of each catechumen was called and written in the Book of the Elect, which was then displayed to all present and given to Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

Candidates — those who were already baptized and will receive first Eucharist and confirmation at the Easter Vigil — were recognized and affirmed by their sponsors as ready to receive the sacraments during the call to continuing conversion. As a reminder of their baptism, the candidates were asked to bless themselves with holy water near the altar.

Bishop Dewane encouraged the catechumens and candidates to always look toward Jesus Christ, even in difficult times. He also spoke of the conversion of hearts, especially during the season of Lent, and called upon all in attendance to go forth on their own journey to conversion.

After the rite, candidates and catechumens are called “the elect.” Many said they were moved by the bishop’s homily and that an act as simple as blessing themselves with holy water made them eager to reach their goal of becoming Catholic.

Phil Yonge was attending St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples on and off with his wife, who is his sponsor, when he decided to listen to what his daughter said.

“I was tired of my daughter Kaitlin asking me when I was going to be part of the Mass,” Yonge joked. Kaitlin will receive her first Communion near the same time her father will enter fully into the church.

Tracy Conn from St. Martha Parish in Sarasota said her best friend inspired her to join the Catholic faith. Conn’s husband, Jason, was baptized Catholic, but was not interested in the church as he grew up, she said.

“I definitely believe it was the light of Jesus that has moved me to do this and, in turn, get my husband back into the church,” Conn said.

Speaking to crowd of more than 3,000 at the Naples Depot, Bishop Dewane expressed “heartfelt sorrow for the atrocities committed against our Jewish brothers and sisters during the Holocaust.” He went on to say, “It is up to us to see that this never happens again.”

The 10-ton train boxcar was used to transport millions of innocent victims to various Nazi death camps from 1933 to 1945. The boxcar is one of seven on display around the country and will be used as a tool to educate people about the Holocaust. The United Nations declared Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as it was on that day in 1945 that Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, the largest of Hitler’s death camps.

Recalling his visit to Auschwitz last year, Bishop Dewane said he walked and other spiritual leaders walked along the tracks that led to a concentration camp and “were devastated by what we saw at that factory of death.”

“I was in a boxcar just like that for six weeks,” said Rose Nortman, 80, who attended the dedication. “They (the Nazis) threw us in those cars like sacks of potatoes.”

Nortman said that through the efforts of her son Jack and his family, the boxcar was located and brought to Naples to the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida. The boxcar came to the museum in May 2007 and is on temporary display at the Naples Depot.