Losses significant at Catholic Church and Preschool
The Rev. Anthony Hewitt, priest of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, has begun daily Mass at the parish’s Life Center, and for the time being will have one Mass on Sundays there, as well. The main church, rectory and Boca Grande Preschool, which is under the direction of the Catholic Diocese of Venice, are all closed until further notice. Damages from Hurricane Helene were significant to all three structures, but Hurricane Milton made this much worse.
“In the preschool, we were going to have to remove flooring and drywall up to about four feet,” Fr. Hewitt said. “Then Hurricane Milton came along and added more. The wave action in the building was terrible. It was like a big wave pool in there.”
As a result, water was splashed on the upper walls and ceilings, so the damage is virtually to everything in the building. Additionally, the outside playground and all equipment will have to be made free from all contamination before the staff or children will be allowed to return.
The church and rectory did not fare much better, with water four to five feet in each building. The Life Center, constructed just before Hurricane Ian hit the area, was protected from damage by its new construction and higher elevation.
In the church, Father Hewitt said that water even covered the fuse boxes, the organ and encroached on the altar. It did not quite reach the tabernacle, however. Sand and mud are everywhere in the buildings and grounds.
A parishioner invited Father Hewitt and his two puppies to stay at his home for the time being. He said he is back on the island frequently to meet with inspectors, contractors and others. The Diocese of Venice will be working with the parish to restore the facilities.
The Diocese covers all of Southwest Florida, so damage to churches, schools and other facilities is a major concern following the back-to-back hurricanes. Bishop Frank J. Dewane called on all “to pray and care for our fellow neighbors as the Diocese of Venice begins its recovery from the impacts of the fury of Hurricane Milton,” a press release noted.
It went on: “As soon as it was safe to do so, teams from the Diocese of Venice Office of Buildings and Construction, along with officials from each parish and diocesan Catholic school, were out making initial assessments of the damage.”
“The area suffered a great deal because of Milton, and a lot of people are much worse off than others, but still, we gather in prayer to ask God’s blessing; that he place his healing hand upon all who suffer as a result of Hurricane Milton,” Bishop Dewane said. Earlier statements included damages done by Hurricane Helene.
Catholic Charities, an office within the diocesan administration, is responding to the storms by establishing set Points of Distribution (POD) in areas of greatest need. These POD locations, preplanned and established in coordination with county and state emergency management officials, will include the distribution of water, ice and food. Catholic Charities had to pause its response to help the victims of Hurricane Helene so as to prepare for the arrival of Milton.
People interested in volunteering to assist, donating unused hurricane supplies, or offering financial support for the recovery effort can visitcatholiccharitiesdov.org
