Florida Catholic | Diocese of Pensacola

July 2008

Abuse prevention and safe environment workshop schedule announced

Posted: 07.18.08

PENSACOLA | The diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection has announced the schedule of abuse prevention and Safe Environment workshops for 2008. All employees of the diocese, parishes and Catholic schools, and all who volunteer with children, youths or the elderly must participate in the diocesan Abuse Prevention Workshop. All teachers in Catholic schools, all parish catechetical leaders (directors/coordinators of religious education), all youth ministers, all catechists and all who volunteer with youths on a regular basis must also participate in the Safe Environment/Teaching Prevention Workshop.

DIOCESAN ABUSE PREVENTION AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT WORKSHOPS 2008

The Diocesan Abuse Prevention Workshops will start at 7 p.m. or 9:30 a.m. and will last about an hour. The Safe Environment Workshop will follow at around 8:15 p.m. or 10:45 a.m., respectively, and last about an hour and 15 minutes.

Pensacola: Pastoral Center, Monday, Aug. 18, 7-9:30 p.m., conference room; and Pastoral Center, Saturday, Sept. 6, 9:30 a.m.–noon, conference room.

Panama City: St. John Parish, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 7-9:30 p.m., parish hall.

Niceville: Christ Our Redeemer Parish, Thursday, Aug. 28, 7-9:30 p.m., parish hall.

Tallahassee: Blessed Sacrament Parish, Thursday, Sept. 4, 7-9:30 p.m., parish hall; and Good Shepherd Parish, Saturday, Sept. 20, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Education Building, Room 308.

For additional information, please call 850-436-6455 or e-mail christianformation@ptdiocese.org.

Students score well in competition

Posted: 07.18.08

Pensacola Catholic High School students were among the 6,000 competing June 17-22 at the Health Occupations Students of America national conference in Dallas.

The school’s biomedical debate team placed fifth in the United States, after having placed first in Florida in the state competition held earlier. Team members are Kyle Wilson, Whitney Ponson, Julie Hoffman and Dan Lam. Biotechnology student Shannon Williams placed third in the U.S. after also garnering a first-place win in the state contest.

In addition, Pensacola Catholic High School received the award of excellence for HOSA Week, as did the chapter newsletter, edited by Whitney Ponson.

St. Thomas More youths fix-up widows farm

Posted: 07.04.08

Ethan Manos of the In His Steps youth group from Tallahassee surveys the pile of tin roofing the youth group removed while rebuilding part of a shed for an 81-year-old Gadsden County widow.
Courtesy Photo

GADSDEN COUNTY | While Calcutta, India, is known for its poverty and sweltering weather, this rural county in June doesn’t fall far behind in heat and humidity and has its share of poverty.

The youths of the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Tallahassee spent the week of June 9 on a mission to make life a little easier for those in need in the northwest Florida county – one of the poorest in the state. Working with Christ Town Ministries, 12 youths, under the theme “Finding Your Calcutta,” stayed on farms belonging to parishioners. Along with their chaperones, they spent the majority of the week repairing a home and a shed for an 81-year-old widow.

The mission team demolished the rotting portions of the shed, replacing them and rebuilding the roof with new lumber and tin. It was important to the elderly woman because, even with the safety hazard of the sagging roof, she liked to “sit there to pick her greens.”

The team also rebuilt the woman’s clothesline. “She nearly fainted when we told her we were going to rebuild it,” said Robert Wright, the youths’ leader. “Imagine if we bought her a clothes dryer!” They also made other minor repairs around the house and yard for the woman.

When they were finished, the widow prayed with the youths, then sang them a song. “It was something many of us won’t soon forget,” Wright said. “She just had a wonderful, trusting, contagious faith.”

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Abuse prevention and safe environment workshop schedule announced

Students score well in competition

St. Thomas More youths fix-up widows farm

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