Florida Catholic | Respect For Life Celebrated At Annunciation Mass

Respect for life celebrated at Annunciation Mass

Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrates the first of a nine–month novena of Masses by putting a call out ‘for everyone to raise the awareness of life.’

JOE DIAZ | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 04.22.08

Courtesy Photo
Students from Incarnation School in Sarasota stand during a prayer at the first of the novena of Masses for Life March 31 at Epiphany Cathedral.

VENICE | A celebration of the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord at Epiphany Cathedral March 31 was the first in a monthly series of Masses to be offered in the diocese through the year’s end for the intention of greater respect for human life.

Masses will take place at various parishes in the Diocese of Venice on the 25th of each month. The Annunciation is a celebration of when the Blessed Mother was visited by the Archangel Gabriel and the incarnation of Jesus occurred. Bishop Frank J. Dewane celebrated the opening Mass by putting a call out “for everyone to raise the awareness of life.”

Bishop Dewane said there is a culture of death and urged the more than 300 people in attendance to keep moving forward with the culture of life. “We need to be the instrument of the Lord that stands up and speaks out in the positive about life,” he said.

Scheduled Masses

www.laityforlife.org/novena.htm

Laity for Life, a Naples-based pro-life group, and the diocesan Respect Life Office organized the novena of Masses to begin on the Annunciation to reinforce church belief that human life begins at conception.

Incarnation School of Sarasota and Epiphany School of Venice sent students to attend the Mass. As some of the Incarnation fourth- and fifth-graders left the cathedral, they could be heard talking about what they were taking away from the Mass, pointing out that everyone, both young and old, has to be part of a community that fights the culture of death.

Colleen Roca, who attended the Mass with her 12-year-old son, Joey, who is home-schooled, said she was moved by the Mass because of a recent prayer request for a California couple who experienced a difficult pregnancy with twins. The weaker twin died, so the stronger sibling could survive. Roca pointed out, “Even in the womb, one human was protecting the life of another. This just goes along with this novena of the Masses for Life, the importance of life. What a message.”

Joey added, “The bishop showed me that it doesn’t matter what age you are, that everyone should be concerned with the protection of life.”

A luncheon sponsored by Laity for Life followed the Mass with Father Peter Sousa, associate at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat and Spirituality Center, as the guest speaker.

“The novena Masses for Life will be a source of God’s grace,” Father Sousa said.

He recalled that when he was a Redemptorist novice, his superior said all of the Redemptorists should celebrate the 25th of every month as “little Christmas.” The students would put the baby Jesus in a manger in front of the altar.

Return to Diocese of Venice Front Page

Respect for life celebrated at Annunciation Mass

Scheduled Masses

Other Stories