Bishop Frank J. Dewane installed Joe Allison, Tom Grant, Kevin McKenney and Epimaco Roca of the Diaconate Formation Program for the Diocese of Venice as acolytes, the final step before the men are scheduled to be ordained as permanent deacons in 2009.

Family and friends gathered, on April 13th at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Spirituality Center, as part of the special Mass, honoring Allison of St. Raphael Parish in Lehigh Acres, Grant of Sacred Heart Parish in Punta Gorda, McKenney of St. Martha Parish in Sarasota and Roca of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice.

The position of acolyte is a step in the formation of a permanent deacon. A man enters formation as an aspirant, which he is for two years. The next step is installation to candidacy, followed a year later by installation to reader, and one year after that by installation as an acolyte. After one year as an acolyte, a man — having completed extensive formation including ministerial work, master’s-level education and training in theology, among many other specialties — can be ordained as a permanent deacon by the bishop.

Permanent deacons perform various ministries, mostly at the parish level. Once ordained, deacons may proclaim the Gospel, preach homilies, baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, and witness marriages and conduct funerals outside of Mass. In the meantime, installed by the bishop as acolytes, the men have the ability to serve at the altar.

“Their main responsibility is to assist the deacon in preparing the altar for Mass and then clearing it following the Mass,” said Deacon Bill Ladroga, diaconate formation director for the Diocese of Venice. “The position of acolyte can be a permanent position — a man who cannot continue to ordination as a deacon can remain an acolyte for life.”

During the installation Mass, Bishop Dewane handed each prospective acolyte a chalice and paten with bread and wine, not consecrated. These symbolize the service that the acolyte can now provide for the church and especially the Mass.

Bishop Dewane incorporated the message of change into his homily, bringing to mind the change that the men are going through in the formation process.

“In order to follow Jesus, we must all be changed,” he said. “These men after their change in their call to follow Christ, they will go out into those pastures; (for) some the journey will go longer, farther out into the pastures to serve the diocese.”

The formation is a long and intense process. Each man has a career, family and many other obligations, which he learns to balance.

Elizabeth McKenney, 12, whose father was one of those installed, said that she has noticed a difference in him.

“I have really seen him change since he has been studying to be a deacon,” Elizabeth said. “He has more patience. If I brought home a bad grade before it would be different then. Now, he sits down and talks to me about it; he is much more patient and at peace.”

She hopes for the best as he enters the last year of the formation program.

“I just want him to make it; he has worked so hard. I want him to be a deacon and be happy after all that he has done. I just love him.”

Young children near the campus of St. Catherine Parish in Sebring will become a common sight in August when the 15th school in the Diocese of Venice opens in Highlands County.

The St. Catherine School held an open house for prospective parents and students to give them an opportunity to see the new school and to sign up for classes. Many families came to look at the school and several signed up for classes right away. Registration began in January, but the interest level has been increasing recently said Ginger Carlisle, who is on the steering and finance committee for the school and will also be sending her son Max, 5, to kindergarten.

“It is wonderful to have something here for people to see; something tangible to know this is going to be a reality,” Carlisle said.

The school will serve students from 3-year-old prekindergartners to first-graders and possibly second-graders, depending on demand, and will be capable of expanding as needed. The younger children will be in a building on the east side of the parish property, while the older children will have formal classes in the youth center across from the church.

During the open house, children played with toys and games, had a chance to draw in coloring books and have their faces painted while their parents learned the details of what they can expect from the school.

Chastini Manint said it will be important for her children, Anthony, age 3, and Isabella, almost 4, to receive a proper Catholic education so close to home.

“It is the morals and values of a Catholic education that attract me to want my children to go to school here,” Manint said. “The nearest (Catholic) school is in Winter Haven and that’s a 45-minute drive away. It would have been worth it, but now we have something so close. It’s truly wonderful.”

The idea of putting a school in Highlands County began when Father Jose Gonzalez came to the parish in 1994. With the support of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Father Gonzalez found there was enough community support at St. Catherine and at neighboring parishes to warrant the school.

Father Nicholas McLoughlin of Our Lady of Grace Parish in nearby Avon Park said his parishioners are excited about the new school.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring a good Catholic education to the community,” he said.

Father Vincent Clemente of St. Michael Parish in Wauchula in Hardee County said some of his parishioners are also planning to send their children to the school.

The timing of the school is important because Highlands County is one of the fastest-growing areas of the diocese. The last school to open in the diocese was in the Dreams Are Free Academy in Fort Myers in 2002.

The goal of a Catholic education is to develop children spiritually, cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically. The school will be part of the diocesan program and will be accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference and will provide an inclusive education experience with art, music and physical education, something that has been on the decline in nonparochial schools. Everything taught will be developmentally appropriate and follow state and national standards.

Pope Benedict XVI returns home to the Vatican, after a six day pilgrimage full of lasting impressions. He leaves us with encouragement, inspiration, challenges and hope.

You can read about, listen and watch video of the Holy Father's visit by going the to United States Catholic Conference of Bishops' official papal visit website:www.uspapalvisit.org.

You can also check out the Vatican Site for more in depth information on Pope Benedict's Apostolic Journey to the United States

The floor is dirt-covered. The walls are concrete blocks. The steel roof is exposed metal. None of that mattered to the hundreds of people who attended a special event at the incomplete building that soon will replace the Sacred Heart church building destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Those who attended April 6 for a special wall-signing day saw the beautiful church as it will be, not as the half-complete structure it is. Some saw the new altar and others the new chapel, and envisioned a place of worship where everyone will be welcome once the long rebuilding of the parish is complete.

Ed and Becci Bartolomeo of North Fort Myers wrote, “Thank you, God, for bringing us to Sacred Heart” on the wall, to the right of the altar. Entering the half-built church and being able to sign the wall was the first chance everyone had to be inside and see it as the construction has progressed, Ed Bartomoleo said.

“Being in here and seeing it. Now you know it’s really happening,” Becci Bartolomeo said. “You know that this will be our church soon.”

Only a small portion of the building survived the hurricane and has been used by the parishioners as a reminder of what once was.

Construction of the new church is expected to be complete in November. The wall-signing was a significant point in the history of the building of the church because the “Beginning Today” capital campaign began two years earlier to the day.

Marie and Dave Geggis are looking forward to the day the building is done. They wrote on the wall in honor of their family and specifically their four children. They drew an outline of their handprints.

“This is very meaningful for us,” said Marie Geggis, a choir member at the church, of the message they left on the wall, behind and to the left of where the new altar will be. “This is a memorial to our son.”

Their youngest son, James, 26, died in 2004, not long after Hurricane Charley destroyed the original church. The Geggises’ message is for “Love, Peace and Joy!”

Father Jerry Kaywell, administrator of the parish, was unable to attend the wall-signing, but Father Jim Simko, parochial vicar, spoke on his behalf. He welcomed everyone who entered the church and prayed for reconstruction not only of the church, but also of the faith and spirit of hope of current parishioners and future generations.

The walls were quickly transformed into a colorful rainbow of messages with people wishing the best for the church and its parishioners. Others left messages in memory of their departed loved ones. The walls will be covered and the messages gone from sight, but that did not deter anyone.

Helen Kovacs wrote a message for her husband of 64 years, Gabriel, who died two years ago, saying she and her daughter will always know where her message is: “On the Wings of a Dove, Faith Brings Peace and Warms the Heart.” Not being able to be there, Father Kaywell wrote on the wall a few days earlier, “Dear Lord, Thank you, thank you, thank you!” It seemed appropriate that the planned dedication will be sometime around Thanksgiving.