Diocese of Venice in Florida

The Diocese of Venice in Florida includes the counties of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, DeSoto and Hardee, formerly in the Diocese of St. Petersburg; Highlands County, formerly in the Diocese of Orlando; and Collier, Hendry and Glades counties, formerly in the Archdiocese of Miami. It is a 9,035 square mile area of southwest Florida, approximately 140 miles long (north to south) and an average 70 miles wide (east to west). At the time it was created, the Diocese had a general population of 809,400 with approximately 116,000 Catholics in 39 parishes. Please visit the Diocese of Venice website for more information.

HISTORY

The roots of the Diocese of Venice in Florida trace back to the formation of the Diocese of St. Augustine in 1870 as part of the Province of Baltimore. The Diocese encompassed the entire state of Florida save those counties west of the Apalachicola River. These counties belonged to the Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama.

In 1958 Miami was the first Diocese to be created in Florida in 88 years. It encompassed 16 south Florida counties and stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean and reached down to the Keys. At the time it was created, the Diocese of Miami had a population of 1.1 million persons of which 308,000 (19 percent) were Catholic. During the next 10 years the Catholic population kept pace with the booming growth of the Sunshine State. By 1968 Miami had a population of 3.8 million people with an estimated 926,000 Catholics (24 percent)

When the Province of Atlanta was created in 1962 the Florida Dioceses were included as suffragan sees.

In 1968 the Dioceses of Orlando and St. Petersburg were created. The Orlando Diocese was made up of 13 counties with borders of Volusia County to the northeast, Marion County to the north, Polk County to the west, and Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties as south and southeast borders. The St. Petersburg Diocese included 11 counties stretching from Citrus in the north to Charlotte and Hardee in the south.

In that same year Miami was elevated to an Archdiocese and the Province of Miami was established with the same boundaries as the State of Florida.

In 1975 the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee was formed from the panhandle counties which previously belonged to the Archdiocese of Mobile and from some of the northern counties of the St. Augustine Diocese.

In the ensuing years, the Church grew even faster than the State of Florida, which at that time was the fastest growing state in the nation. Spurred by the unstinted growth of the Catholic population in south Florida and in order to better meet their spiritual needs, Pope John Paul II announced on July 17, 1984 the creation of two new Florida Dioceses in Palm Beach and Venice. To create the new Dioceses, the Holy Father took pieces of the Archdiocese of Miami and the Dioceses of Orlando and St. Petersburg.

Palm Beach includes six counties along the Atlantic coast from Indian River to Broward.

The Diocese of Venice includes the counties of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, DeSoto and Hardee, formerly in the Diocese of St. Petersburg; Highlands County, formerly in the Diocese of Orlando; and Collier, Hendry and Glades counties, formerly in the Archdiocese of Miami. It is a 9,035 square mile area of southwest Florida, approximately 140 miles long (north to south) and an average 70 miles wide (east to west). At the time it was created, the Diocese had a general population of 809,400 with approximately 116,000 Catholics in 39 parishes.

The Most Rev. John J. Nevins, a popular Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, was named the first and founding Bishop of the new Diocese. He would be installed on October 25, 1984 at the same time Epiphany Church in Venice would be consecrated as a Cathedral, the official church of the new Diocese.

When Bishop Nevins took his first look at the newly created Diocese of Venice on July 17 as he helicoptered in over green palms and bright blue Gulf waters, his thoughts were, "Oh, what a blessing to be given such a wonderful Diocese!"

He told reporters and parish workers at Epiphany, "I consider it a distinct privilege to have been chosen to be the first shepherd of this new Diocese. My first words to the Catholics of the 10 counties that comprise the new Diocese is to invite you to join with me in being living witnesses of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

GEOGRAPHY, DEMOGRAPHICS, ECONOMICS

The land in the 10-county Diocese is flat and ranges from sea level along the coast to 150 feet above sea level further inland. The climate is subtropical, humid and hot from July through September when the most rainfall occurs, and more temperate during the fall, winter and spring. The warm climate attracts thousands of new residents each year (especially retirees), as well as seasonal residents and tourists.

The economy of the region revolves around tourism and providing services and homes for the increasing population, which tends to concentrate heavily along the coastal areas. There is a notable absence of heavy industry, but considerable farming (citrus and vegetables) as well as cattle raising in the interior portions which tend to be less populated.

There are a few areas of substantial wealth, primarily made up of retired executives. In addition to professional and skilled personnel whose salary is comparable to elsewhere, salaries of unskilled laborers are considerably lower than those of their counterparts employed in the more industrial and economically developed areas of the nation. Included in this lower economic bracket are the migrant agricultural workers and the many older people retired on small pensions or social security.

According to the latest estimates, the stable population of the Diocese is estimated to be approximately 1,766,651, of whom approximately 218,173 are Catholics. The latter figure represents permanent residents. It is difficult to estimate the number of Catholics who are winter residents or who have recently moved into the area and have not yet registered in their parish. Relatively few persons are native to the area; most have migrated from northern states and represent a mix of Northeasterners and Midwesterners. A large portion of the general population of the Diocese is comprised of retired or elderly persons who have moved to the area for a warmer and more salubrious climate. Thus, many of them are removed from their families in their old age, and a large number are widowed persons. Within the area of the Diocese, it is estimated that there are some 402,000 persons above the age of 65, representing 29 percent of the total population.

In addition to the stable population, there are approximately three other groups which make their home in the Diocese for part of the year. A substantial group is comprised of migrant farm workers, mainly Mexicans, Central Americans and Haitians. These farm workers reside in the Diocese for approximately six months each year and are mainly concentrated in the agricultural areas of the interior. The second group comprises seasonal residents who either rent or own winter homes and remain anywhere from two to six months in the area. The third group consists of tourists who stay in the area for shorter periods and for vacations. The latter two groups are especially evident in the coastal areas where often the winter population will double. Thus, the population represents a great variety or mix of cultural, social, economic and age groups, with a preponderance of older or retired persons. The fact that relatively few Catholics are native to the area and that the great majority of parishes have been established only within the past few decades contributes to a sense of newness, a certain lack of tradition or roots, and a fluidity that characterizes a new population. On the other hand, the different cultures, mainly Anglo, Hispanic and Haitian as well as a various backgrounds and places of origin, contribute to the enrichment of the local Catholic experience. The overriding characteristic of the area would have to be that of growth, significant, rapid, and continual.

EARLY HISTORY

The early history of the area includes an exploration of the coast by Hernando DeSoto in the early part of the 16th century (c. 1539). In 1549, with the encouragement of Bishop Bartolome de las Casas, Fray Luis Cancer de Barbastro, together with five other Dominican Friars, led a mission of evangelization to the area. The missionaries landed somewhere between the Caloosahatchee River and Tampa Bay where Mass was celebrated and an attempt to befriend the Indians resulted in the capture and death of two of the Friars. Nevertheless, Father Cancer continued the missionary effort, and on June 26th was martyred on the shore. The exact spot, while unknown, may have been along the Tampa Bay coast of the Venice Diocese.

In 1567, Jesuit Father Juan Rogel began a Mission to the Caloosa Indians in the Charlotte Harbor/Fort Myers area, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. In 1569, the Mission closed because of lack of success with the Indians. There is evidence of missionary visits made from Cuba, among the scattered and diminishing native Catholics of the area during the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, missionaries from Savannah, St. Augustine, and then from Tampa, visited the area, where a Catholic church was built in 1888 in Manatee County.

In 1889, the care of the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Jesuit Fathers from Tampa who made regular visits to Bradenton, Fort Myers, and later to Arcadia and adjacent missions.

The first parishes to receive a resident pastor were St. Francis Xavier, Fort Myers, in 1920; St. Martha, Sarasota, and St. Joseph, Bradenton, in 1927; and St. Paul, Arcadia, in 1929.

Since the Diocese was founded in 1984, 15 parishes have been erected or elevated from mission status, one elementary school and two special needs schools founded and a school for pastoral formation established.

Diocesan policy enables donors to direct gifts to the benefit of any of the parishes, schools, or ministries of the Diocese of Venice. Benefactors may choose to give a designated or non-designated gift.

If you wish to confidentially discuss your intentions to a make a planned or major gift to your parish, Diocesan school or ministry, please contact:

Mary Campo
Director of Stewardship and Development
Diocese of Venice
1000 Pinebrook Road
Venice, Florida 34285
(941) 441-1117 (office)
campo@dioceseofvenice.org

If you wish to establish an endowment, make a bequest, develop a major gift plan, or create some type of gift for other purposes, please let us know how we can help.

Diocesan representatives are always willing to consult with your legal and financial advisors.

Your planned gift is a thank you offering to God!

What benefits do you receive when you plan your giving with the Diocese?
• You receive personal satisfaction through your giving
• You may generate more annual income for you and your family
• You may be able to receive substantial tax savings
• Gift plans can be tailored to meet your specific needs

What creative methods can we use to help you plan gifts with the Diocese?
• Bequest provisions in your will
• Life Income Trusts, Gift Annuities, and Pooled Income Funds
• Charitable Lead Trusts
• Life Insurance Gifts

Remember, planning how you give can:
• Immediately help your Parish, Parish School and Diocese
• Give long term help to your Parish, Parish School and Diocese
• Simplify donor estate and financial planning
• Give you financial flexibility

Contact your pastor, school principal or our Director of Stewardship and Development, Mary Campo to get more details about the following gift plans:

BEQUESTS

Bequests through your will are the most common and in most instances the easiest way for you to plan a gift for the Church.

CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUSTS

Charitable remainder trusts make it possible for you to make a gift, receive a charitable contribution deduction and receive income for life.

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES

Charitable gift annuities are among the oldest and most simplified ways of making a planned gift to the Church. Charitable gift annuities have several advantages:

• They guarantee income for life for one or more persons
• They often provide a very generous rate of return
• They can actually increase current income you can spend
• They can help to reduce estate taxes
• They provide an immediate charitable contribution deduction for federal and state income tax purposes

CHARITABLE LEAD TRUSTS

Charitable lead trusts provide you with a way of making a charitable contribution to the Church and at the same time pass property on to family members at the lowest possible gift tax rate.

In creating a charitable lead trust you can receive the following benefits:

• You are personally able to create the trust and name the trustee
• You can decide on the length of the trust
• You can name the individual(s) who will receive the proceeds from the trust upon its termination
• You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the Church to further the work of the Lord.

If you are concerned about erosion of your estate through estate and gift taxes, a charitable lead trust may be a worthy consideration.

LIFE INSURANCE GIFTS

By using life insurance to make a charitable gift, it is often possible to make a gift larger than ever thought possible. With gifts of life insurance you can give an existing policy to the Church after it has outlived its original purpose, or take out a new policy naming the Church as beneficiary or co-beneficiary.

IT COUNTS!

There are many other types of philanthropic ideas you can use in your donor estate and financial gift planning. Where there is a will there is a way to help your Church. We urge you to contact your pastor, school principal, or Mary Campo, our Diocesan Director of Stewardship and Development for help.

We are here to assist you in your stewardship and philanthropic planning. Ideas outlined here can be tailored to meet your individual goals and the needs of your family.

The following is a list of some of the types of property you can also use to help your Church through gift planning.

• Cash
• Securities or other real property
• Real estate
• Rental income
• Royalties
• Artworks
• Collections
• In-kind gifts

Thank you for considering your faith in your estate plans!