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Catholic Charities

Two families celebrate new Habitat homes

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It’s not every day that a new homeowner moves into a new Habitat for Humanity home, and it’s even less common for two housewarmings to take place on the same day.

But that’s exactly what happened on Oct. 2, as Debra Brown turned the key to walk the hallways of her new home. Charles and Megan Free with their children, who live next door, did the same thing.

Debra Brown was all smiles as she opened the front door to her new home on Oct. 2. Recently constructed, her house was an initiative by Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County, along with its community partners. (Courtesy of Richard Riley)

They were celebrating along with Habitat of Humanity of East & Central Pasco, which held a double-home dedication on Blanton Street, in Dade City.

The event attracted scores of people to share in the homeowners’ joy.

Both homes were constructed through a program supervised by Habitat for Humanity of East &  Central Pasco County.

Beyond celebrating the homeowners’ new dwellings, the Habitat for Humanity branch is celebrating its 25th year of building homes in Pasco County.

“These keys represent hours and hours of sweat, hours of work, hours of dedication [and] hours of love,” said Laurel Weightman, Habitat development director. “It doesn’t just take hands, it takes community support.”

There was a separate housewarming ceremony at each of the homes, with gifts for each household.

The gift baskets were filled, item by item, as a scriptural text was read, representing each gift.

The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club contributed gardening supplies, a plant, books, food supplies, a first aid kit and fire extinguishers.

The club also gave back packs to each of the Free children, Keaton, Fallon and McKenna.

The East Pasco Quilters bestowed big, colorful quilts to the new residents of Blanton Street.

“We’ve had so much love and support from everybody all along the way,” Megan Free said, to the crowd assembled outside her home. “We really wouldn’t be where we are today without every one of you.”

In order to provide these homes, Habitat for Humanity relies on community partners, such as Catholic Charities, to help find the right candidates.

Habitat came across the Free family while they were being sheltered at a Catholic Charities facility.

The Free family children took an active role in cutting the traditional ribbon with gigantic scissors, before entering their new home. This was part of a double home dedication held on Oct. 2.

“Our circumstances were not the best, not making the money to survive on our own, with the always increasing living rates,” Charles Free said.

The couple had never owned their own home, and at times depended upon family support, he added.

Brown also faced hardships after moving to Dade City from West Palm Beach.

The phlebotomist, who also is a first-time homeowner, lived with her uncle for some time.

She sought out assistance from the Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation (CDC) and was soon referred to its collaborative partner, Habitat for Humanity.

Jere Ferguson is the director for Volunteer and Family Services at Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco County.

He helped to approve Brown and the Frees for newly constructed homes that were financially suitable for them.

“The mortgage payment is capped at 30% of their income when they apply, and that never changes for the life of their mortgage,” the director explained.

This ensures the payments are manageable, so they can have funds available for other needs as well, Ferguson said.

Habitat is always thinking about long-term prosperity and that’s why Blanton Street was a good location for the homes, Ferguson explained.

Getting homeowners integrated into a safe and friendly environment is a priority, he added.

“Now what we started to do is build houses together,” Ferguson said. “Whether it’s two or three houses together, or a community of 14, so that they have each other to support and to stand with.”

And that’s why Brown and the Free family are now next-door neighbors.

For a year, the homeowners were helping to construct their new residences along with volunteers and construction crews.

Shaunce Gwinn was one of those volunteers.

“As I was walking through, I said to myself, ‘These are actual dream homes that we’re building and we’re making people’s dreams come true,’” Gwinn said.

Seeing the smiles on the homeowners’ faces makes him smile, too, he said.

Besides working on their own homes, the neighbors helped each other.

The homes were finished and ready for entry in September – 10 months after construction began.

The two homes have a similar layout. Upon entering, wooden floors lead to the dining and living rooms, as well as the hallway. The tiled kitchen is decked with marble counters, a stove, fridge, a built-in microwave and cabinets.

The hallway leads to the laundry room already supplied with a washer and dryer, then to a single bathroom and three bedrooms. The master bedroom has its own bathroom.

Looking around her new home, Brown said, “It’s something I worked towards for a long, long time.”

“Now I know how to build a house – a little bit,” she added, laughing.

In the Free household, the kids raced from room to room.

“It’s unbelievable, it’s amazing,” Charles Free said as he stood in one room. “Words can’t describe the feelings that I’m experiencing right now. We can’t wait to get in – just to have a place for the children to run and play.”

Published October 09, 2019

Holy Name Monastery: A tranquil place on a hill

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Funny how a place can be both otherworldly and so much a part of this world.

Holy Name Monastery is like that. It’s a peaceful place where Benedictine Sisters of Florida rise before the birds are up to pray quietly in their chapel, then return for daily Mass and more common prayers throughout the day.

A ribbon drapes a wooden cross beside vegetables growing in Sister Miriam’s aquaponic garden. (Karen Haymon Long)

Then, rather than sit idly enjoying their monastic peacefulness, they head out into the world – to a childhood center, a thrift store and food bank, to chamber of commerce meetings and to an aquaponic garden that produces so many vegetables they sell some to Benedetto’s Ristorante, a popular Pasco County restaurant.

The 16 nuns who call this monastery home use the Internet, read newspapers, watch TV news and invite in experts who inform them about political candidates and topics, such as human trafficking.

And, “we definitely vote,’’ says Prioress Roberta Bailey.

Sister Mary Clare Neuhofer, prioress before Sister Roberta, says they are well aware of the stark divisions in our country today.

“Our response is to pray for a just solution and for our leaders, so that they will have the guidance they need to make just decisions for the good of the people,” she says.

Many of the sisters write to lawmakers in Florida and Washington D.C., about peace, justice, the death penalty and other issues that concern them.

Sister Mary Clare Neuhofer joined the monastery in 1956, fresh out of high school.

They stay busy reaching out to help those in need, whether it be the homeless, the hungry, spiritual searchers, or those who just need a friend.

Because they are a community of sisters, they pool their wages into a common account and are given monthly allowances of $70 for clothes, shoes or whatever they may want to buy. They haven’t worn the restrictive, long black habits since the 1960s, but instead prefer slacks, tops and comfortable shoes, since they always have someplace to go, someone to help.

One sister serves as director at Daystar Hope Center in Dade City, the thrift store and food bank, while four of her sisters and a crew of other volunteers help run the operation.

Two other sisters teach at Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center in nearby Saint Joseph. Another sister is a data analyst at Saint Leo University, across the street from the monastery. Another works at an area assisted living center, where one of their sisters lives.

Others, like Sister Donna — who is famous for her homemade rolls and cookies — feed Habitat for Humanity volunteers at their worksites.

Sister Roberta Bailey is Holy Name Monastery’s prioress who says, ‘there’s no retirement when you are a sister.’

Many of the sisters host monthly music concerts and retreats in a wing of their monastery built in 2017 to meet the demand for retreats.

Asked how many retreats they host a year, Sister Mary Clare laughs and says, “That’s impossible for me to answer.”

There are too many and too many kinds to keep track.

Some are for big groups, some for just one person. Some are for Roman Catholics like themselves. Others are nondenominational or for Episcopalians, or members of other faiths. Some retreats are silent, except for meals. Some are not.

Some attendees stay in one of the retreat wing’s 10 hotel-like double rooms at a rate of $45 a night, or $75 for room and meals. Others go home at night.

The sisters offer spiritual counseling and days of reflection they direct themselves. Some groups direct their own retreats. Either way, guests are welcomed to walk around the grounds, sit in the rose garden, take a nature trail or peruse books in the monastery’s library.

Individuals on retreat “immerse themselves into our lives,” says Sister  Roberta. “They eat meals with us, pray with us.”

The Benedictine Cross on the front of the monastery.

Sister Mary Clare adds: “If they want to take a nap, they take a nap, and some of them take naps as soon as they get here.”

It’s easy to see why. Cellphones are only allowed in certain places. Signs remind: “Quiet, please, in hallways,’’ and many areas are softly lit or full of comforting natural light. Talk of politics is discouraged at meals, reason enough for some people to flock here on retreat.

Noise and traffic in the outside world can be so intrusive, Sister Roberta says. When retreaters leave, “They say, ‘I forget until I come here how impossible it is to stop and think about God, and to think about life and how I want to live it.’”

Some visit for other reasons: During Hurricane Irma in September of 2017, the sisters housed 18 people who fled the storm.

Day in and day out, the sisters take turns serving meals, doing the dishes and performing other needed chores. They come from all sorts of backgrounds and range in age. The youngest is in her mid-50s; the oldest was Sister Helen Lange, who was 105 when she died on March 18.

Sister Miriam Cosgrove loves working in the aquaponic gardens at Holy Name Monastery so much she calls it play instead of work.

Sister Roberta, who has short, wispy gray hair, blue eyes and a sweet pixie face, was just 16 in 1953 when she moved from DeLand to St. Leo to attend high school at Holy Name Academy, run by the Benedictine Sisters of Florida. She joined them as a nun in 1957, calling her decision “a call from God.”

She is proud that she started the first accredited Montessori school in Florida in 1970 and served as principal of St. Anthony Catholic Elementary School in nearby San Antonio for 15 years.

She serves on Saint Leo University’s board of trustees, a chamber of commerce board, on every Holy Name Monastery committee, plus, she is always available to her fellow sisters.

Asked if she has ever not worked, she smiles and says, “No, I’ve always been involved. There’s no retirement when you are a sister.’’

Sister Mary Clare has her own long history of serving as a Benedictine Sister. The middle child of 11 who grew up on a chicken farm in Saint Joseph, she had just graduated from Holy Name Academy in 1956 when she followed her older sister into the monastery. Before that, she hadn’t considered it, but was encouraged to join by friends and family.

“When I entered the monastery, I felt at home and wondered why I hadn’t wanted to do this,” says Sister Mary Clare, who has gray eyes, short reddish brown hair and a ready smile.

Vegetables from Sister Miriam’s garden feed the nuns and some are sold to Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano in Pasco County.

Over the years, after college, she taught elementary students in Catholic schools in Jacksonville Beach, Sarasota and North Miami, then ran the campus ministry at Saint Leo College, which is now Saint Leo University. Afterward, she was the college’s acting dean of women, then director of residential life. In 1988, she resigned to take a sabbatical and travel, then returned to the  monastery, where she became the treasurer of the community, then the prioress.

Now, she serves on many monastery committees, including music and prayer, she’s an organist, helps with retreats, coordinates hospitality and takes part in other house missions, as well as serving on the local board of Catholic Charities.

The Benedictine Sisters, she says, were not formed to do “any particular work, such as teaching, nursing or working with the poor. We are free to do many types of work.’’

Sister Miriam Cosgrove, who joined the monastery at 18, chose gardening after dedicating more than 40 years to teaching and guidance counseling in elementary schools. In the nine years since “retirement,” she has developed a prosperous aquaponic garden that produces eggplant, lettuce, squash, cabbage and many other types of vegetables.

She also tends schools of Red Nile tilapia whose waste is changed by “good bacteria” into nitrates that fertilize her plants. Schoolchildren sometimes visit and others, too, and the sisters eat her vegetables at mealtime. Sometimes, they even eat her tilapia.

Sister Tracey Adams calls herself a ‘baby sister,’ since she only joined the monastery last June.

Fit and tan and sporting camouflage cargo shorts, a white top and straw hat, she works hard in her garden, but doesn’t seem to consider it work at all.

“I don’t work. I play,’’ she says, laughing. “It’s not work if you love it.”

She relishes the peacefulness of her garden and monastic life.

“People who come here on retreat say how peaceful it is. And, when they leave, they say, ‘This is exactly what I needed. I’ll be back.’”

Sister Tracey Adams, whose brown eyes are the same color as her hair,  calls herself “a baby sister,” since she only joined the sisters last June. She came to the monastery from St. Petersburg, where she was a hospice nurse.

She says she had health problems and felt a desire to live simply, so after a road trip alone that took her to 22 states, she stopped by the monastery, which she heard about from her priest back home.

“I was on a mission to find what God wanted for the next portion of my life, she says.

She stayed with them one night, then another. Then, returned every month for a year.

“It was always hard to leave,” she says. So she became a volunteer, then an affiliate, then a postulate and now she’s a novice.

“I found a lot of peace here,” she says. She uses her nursing skills, takes care of the rose bushes “and I love to wash dishes, so I do that,” she laughs. She’s on the peace and justice and hospitality committees, and spends some of her time reading and studying.

“Like the Army, we try to be all we can be,” she says. “I may not be able to help’’ people on the other side of the globe. “But, I’m praying for them.’’

The Benedictine Sisters of Florida’s Holy Name Monastery is at 12138 Wichers Road, St. Leo. Contact (352) 588-8320 or BenedictineSistersOfFl.org.

By Karen Haymon Long

Published April 17, 2019

United Way of Pasco plans to expand its reach

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As he assumes the helm of United Way of Pasco County, Chuck Anderson said he plans to build on the organization’s previous successes.

Anderson became president and CEO of the organization on Jan. 14, succeeding Alice Delgardo, who retired.

Chuck Anderson, the new president and CEO for United Way of Pasco County, plans to expand community outreach in the county. (Brian Fernandes)

He recently moved to the area from Fort Myers, and he’s well aware of Pasco County’s growing population and increasing demand for services.

United Way is already known for its collaborative work, but Anderson wants to expand those efforts.

The United Way recently got involved as an intermediary, to address financial shortfalls two agencies were facing because of the recent federal government shutdown.

The lack of federal money put the continued operation of two nonprofit agencies in jeopardy.

“The county (Pasco County) and United Way (of Pasco) worked collaboratively to put together a pool of funds to keep two of those programs running,” Anderson said.

He understands, personally, the impacts that a federal shutdown can have because his daughter is a federal employee and has dealt with the consequences of not being paid.

One way to help people who are struggling is to assist them with filling out their federal tax forms, he said. United Way has a program that can help people secure their tax refund checks, he said.

“It puts many dollars back in the pockets of people who otherwise would be indigent,” Anderson said.

The Connecticut native holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in business — and said that both have served him well throughout his career.

Previously, he taught at Florida Atlantic University and Florida Gulf Coast University.

He also worked for four years at Catholic Charities, a United Way affiliate, serving as a district director and overseeing the organization’s efforts in Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.

In that position, he helped to advance food pantries, senior services, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and programs for at-risk youth.

He also is passionate about tackling the problem of human trafficking.

Anderson said he was associated with a program that spanned 10 counties and utilized intensive casework.

“We were able to help people go from [being] unable to care for themselves to becoming independent, self-sufficient and able to function successfully in society,” he said.

Anderson believes that those who have resources need to reach out to those who lack them.

He said his life in public service has been fueled by a belief of the power that comes from engaging with other people.

“I thought the best way to help build positive change in the community was by working in the community,” stated Anderson. “It really is holding out your hand and helping somebody up.”

The United Way leader said he intends to implement this principle in Pasco County.

Published February 13, 2019

Showing some appreciation for those who do good

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This is a festival that takes time out to celebrate the good that people do in their communities.

The name of the event is Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival, and it will feature entertainment, food, prizes, awards and recognitions.

It also will highlight Good Deeds Day, an international event held in 93 countries, to recognize good works that often go unnoticed, but that help make the world a better place.

The appreciation festival will be held on April 15 from noon to 6 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

“We anticipate it will kick off in flying colors and it will be an annual event,” said Appreciate Pasco organizer Elise Mysels.

Appreciate Pasco kicks off several other annual celebrations, including annual National Volunteer Week, Health Care Volunteer Week, National Park Service Volunteer Week, and Worldwide Volunteer Recognition Day on April 20. It also coincides with National Representation Day, which focuses on ending corruption in government.

Over the past three months, Mysels and a core group of about five volunteers, known as the Pasco County Volunteer Activists, have worked to pull Appreciate Pasco together.

It’s the first festival of its kind in the Tampa Bay area for Good Deeds Day and Representation Day, said Mysels.

“There are a lot of people in our community that do stuff behind the scenes that nobody knows about,” said Mysels. “They deserve to be recognized. We’re trying to make this an initiative that supports smaller types of groups and organizations, and bring to the forefront their needs and causes.”

Entertainment kicks off at noon at the park’s new bandstand, with WMNF radio station’s Florida Folk Show. WMNF is a co-sponsor of the festival through Represent.us.

Performers will be Ronny Elliott, a singer/songwriter and WMNF co-host; The Florida Boys, a Pinellas County-based trio; Tom Scudiero, a Dade City singer/songwriter; Treble Hook, whose real name is Scotty Lee Rexroat, a Dunedin-based singer/songwriter; Jim Mason, a Spring Hill native, with more than 40 years in the recording industry with performers, such as, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Lennon and Buffalo Springfield; and, Dottie South.

More than 70 businesses, vendors, civic organizations, and nonprofits from Tampa Bay are expected to participate. They include Courteous Canine; Arts in Motion Pasco; Davis Family Hearing; Harley-Davidson of Tampa; Ferman Buick-GMC; Moore-Mickens Education Center; Gulfside Hospice; Sierra Club; Represent.us Pasco County; Catholic Charities; Oasis Pregnancy Centers; Sunrise Pasco; Women’s March; and Organize Florida.

The nonprofit, OneBlood, will drive up its Big Red Bus for blood donations, and free wellness checkups.

Attendees can vote for their favorite nonprofit, with monetary awards going to the top three vote-getters.

Food vendors are Whaley’s BBQ, Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant and the Sno Shack.

International Good Deeds Day began in 2007 as an initiative organized by Ruach Tova of the Ted Arison Family Foundation. The event’s partner is the nonprofit Points of Light, which was founded by President George H.W. Bush.

Good Deeds Day and Points of Light promote innovative programs that engage volunteers in providing public service. The event day focuses on 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations, including eliminating poverty; gender equality; affordable, clean energy; decent work and economic growth; good health; and climate action.

Good deeds, large and small, can change the world, Mysels said.

“Good deeds can be something as small as a smile or holding a door open for someone,” she said.

What: Appreciate Pasco: A Community Volunteer Appreciation Festival
When: April 15, noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
Cost: Free
Details: The festival celebrates volunteers in Tampa Bay, with arts and crafts, entertainment, food, prizes, and volunteer awards and recognition.
Info: ActionNetwork.org/events/appreciate-pasco-festival

Published April 11, 2018

Catholic schools take part in week of caring

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Catholic schools around the Diocese of St. Petersburg partnered with Somebody Cares Tampa Bay for Carefest 2016.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School students share their love of music by donating 15 violins to St. Joseph Catholic School. From left, Mother Teresa students Brady Roell, Allie Monsour, W. Benjamin Jorgensen, Lillian Parrado, Autumn Wingfield, Jay Anastasia and Cody Flach. (Courtesy of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School)
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School students share their love of music by donating 15 violins to St. Joseph Catholic School. From left, Mother Teresa students Brady Roell, Allie Monsour, W. Benjamin Jorgensen, Lillian Parrado, Autumn Wingfield, Jay Anastasia and Cody Flach.
(Courtesy of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School)

Students joined thousands of volunteers across Pinellas, Hillsborough, Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties to take part in the week devoted to service, from Sept. 17 to Sept. 24.

At the same time, the diocese celebrated “The Week of Caring in the Year of Mercy.”

During Carefest, schools throughout the diocese engaged in various efforts to extend themselves beyond the Catholic community, said Mark Majeski, associate superintendent of schools for the Office of Catholic Schools and Centers for the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

Students at Mother Teresa of Calcutta School in Lutz donated 15 violins to be used by students at St. Joseph Catholic School, and held a school supply drive to help other schools in the diocese.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill had a first responders’ week and donated canned goods and baby items, collecting enough to fill more than four large containers, to benefit Catholic Charities.

Students at Saint Anthony Catholic School in San Antonio took part in a number of activities.

From left, Jacob Alcantara, Cassian O' Neill, Jaqueline Kowalewski, Elizabeth Kaplan, Noah Brooks and Peter Rygiel stand near the canned goods and baby items collected by Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School during Carefest 2016. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic School)
From left, Jacob Alcantara, Cassian O’ Neill, Jaqueline Kowalewski, Elizabeth Kaplan, Noah Brooks and Peter Rygiel stand near the canned goods and baby items collected by Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School during Carefest 2016.
(Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic School)

Children made thank you cards and banners, and sang for first responders.

“We thanked them for the sacrifices that they are making for our safety. We are totally grateful for their service, because it is truly a call of faith and courage. They do a lot of selfless work for us, for our safety,” said Sister Alice Ottapurackal, the school’s principal.

The children also made “survival kits” for the first responders.

They gave 105 survival kits to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and 19 to the local firefighters.

Each kit contained:

  • A prayer card for first responders. For police officers, a holy card of their patron saint, Saint Michael the Archangel; for firefighters, a holy card of their patron saint, St. Florian

Each kit also contained a variety of candies, along with an explanation for first responders. Those were:

  • Life Savers: To remind you of the many times you have been one
  • Starburst: For the burst of energy you need
  • PayDay: Because you’re not doing it for the money
  • Paper clip: To hold it all together
  • Hershey Kisses: Because you deserve them from all
  • Gum: To help your unit stick together
  • Tootsie Roll: To help you roll with the punches
  • Peppermint Patty: To help you keep your cool
  • Snickers: To remind you to have a sense of humor
  • Mounds: For the mounds of courage you need
Saint Anthony Catholic School children hold a banner expressing their gratitude for the area’s firefighters, during Carefest 2016, a week set aside for service. (Courtesy of Saint Anthony Catholic School)
Saint Anthony Catholic School children hold a banner expressing their gratitude for the area’s firefighters, during Carefest 2016, a week set aside for service.
(Courtesy of Saint Anthony Catholic School)

Other good works performed by Saint Anthony School students included donating personal grooming supplies for the migrant community, donating supplies for a baby pantry, and donating kits for children at Sunrise Center.

“This is the Year of Mercy, so we wanted to do something special — caring for the poor, as well as caring for people who do good things for us,” Ottapurackal said.

When the police officers and firefighters visited the school, it offered a chance for children to learn more about the services that first responders provide to the community, she said.

And, the children were able to express their gratitude.

“So we are giving and receiving,” the principal said. “Children are learning how community works. A lot of good things are happening in this world.”

Published September 28, 2016

The new Holy Name Monastery: A place for spiritual growth, refreshment

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When the Benedictine Sisters of Florida arrived in East Pasco from Elk County, Pennsylvania, in 1889, they lived in a three-story hotel in San Antonio.

This week, they’re hosting an open house at their new quarters, marking another major milestone in their 125-year history in Pasco County.

Holy Name Monastery, the home of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida for 125 years, has moved into new quarters. The new structure is much smaller and more modern than the sisters’ previous home, which is just across State Road 52. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Holy Name Monastery, the home of the Benedictine Sisters of Florida for 125 years, has moved into new quarters. The new structure is much smaller and more modern than the sisters’ previous home, which is just across State Road 52.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The new Holy Name Monastery replaces the sisters’ former quarters, which were in a 100,000-square-foot structure across State Road 52.

Saint Leo University purchased that building in October 2012, along with some additional acreage from the sisters. The purchase helped cover the cost of the new 28,000-square-foot monastery. The sisters also conducted a capital campaign for $500,000.

Like any new home, there are advantages and disadvantages.

The sisters have less space. However, the old multi-story structure where they had lived since 1960 had become too large for them and too expensive to operate and maintain.

Sister Mary Romana Gomez is delighted with the sisters’ new home.

“I just thank God for a dream come true,” she said.

“I’m just in awe,” added Sister Margaret Mary Roberts.

“It’s what we wanted,” Sister Jean Abbott agreed.

Visitors arriving at the monastery, at 12138 Wichers Road, will be greeted in a small lobby, which is flanked by stained glass windows representing Saint Benedict and his sister, Saint Scholastica.

The chapel is large and in a place of prominence, signifying its important role in the monastery. Furnishings for the chapel were moved there from the former monastery’s chapel.

Other features of the new monastery include a dining room and kitchen, as well as two small kitchens, where light meals and snacks can be prepared.

There’s also a multipurpose room adjoining the chapel. It has a wall that can be moved to create a larger chapel space when that is needed. Or, the room can be used to provide additional dining space.

The monastery also has an archives room, a library, an exercise room and a laundry room. There’s a television room, too, equipped with a wide-screen television, a gift to the sisters from the Tampa Bay Rays.

The living quarters are housed in a separate building, connected by a corridor that incorporates additional storage space.

There are 20 bedrooms, including four guest rooms.

It is easy to see that this is a place devoted to worship and spiritual growth. There’s an outdoor statue representing the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, which stands near the front of the building.

At the end of one corridor, there’s a statue representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In the dining hall, there’s a sign that says, “Give us this day, our daily bread” — an excerpt from the “Our Father,” a prayer recited in Catholic masses. There’s also a painting of the Last Supper, which represents when Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist, a fundamental part of the Catholic faith.

With just four guest rooms, the new monastery cannot accommodate overnight retreats. Still, Sister Mary David Hydro, who helps plan retreats, said she thinks the opportunity for hosting such gatherings may be even greater now.

Many people who are unable to attend overnight retreats may be able to break away for a day of reflection, she said.

The need for retreats is there, she said. “People are hungry for spiritual life.”

Providing spiritual replenishment is just one role the sisters have played through the years. They lead lives of prayer and accept prayer requests from the community.

They also have been instrumental in schools and on organization boards including Sunrise Spouse Abuse Shelter, Saint Leo University Haitian Mission Project, Florida Association for the Education of Young Children, Catholic Charities, Coalition for the Homeless, Hospice, Habitat for Humanity, and DayStar Hope Thrift Store and Food Pantry.

Each year they provide a Thanksgiving meal to feed more than 200 people. They’ll do the same this year, but will need to adjust their logistics, said Sister Mary Clare Neuhofer, the monastery’s immediate past prioress.

While a move to a new place requires adjustments, there are plenty of pluses, the sisters said.

For one thing, the views are fantastic. The monastery’s back porch sits at the top of a grassy hill.

Clusters of wildflower add bits of color, and the hills slope down to stands of trees below. There’s a wide expanse of sky above, and off in the distance, is a view of the steeple for Saint Leo Abbey church.

There is beauty and serenity at this place, on a hill.

As they were sharing their first meal together in their new dwelling place, the sisters saw a double rainbow arch across the sky. They took that as a sign of God’s blessing on their new home.

Published September 17, 2014

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Two cities, town heading to the polls April 8

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Mid-term elections are still months away, but cities and towns in Pasco County will have a chance to choose local leaders in municipal elections in Dade City, St. Leo and Zephyrhills.

Qualifying ended Feb. 18 for municipal elections, and incumbents in those cities and town will face challengers. Winners will be decided April 8.

Residents living in those cities who want to vote must be registered no later than March 10, according to Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley. At the polls, voters should bring photo and signature identification, or they will be required to vote a provisional ballot.

Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills is getting a new mayor, and he didn’t even have to campaign.

Gene Whitfield, owner of Whitfield Funeral Home and Cremation Services on Gall Boulevard, will succeed Danny Burgess as mayor of Zephyrhills.

He will become the 20th mayor of Zephyrhills, and the fourth one in the last two years, following the retirement of Cliff McDuffie in 2012 and the resignation later that year of new mayor Steve Van Gorden.

The mayor position is largely ceremonial, with no voting power. The city council chooses a board president to run meetings.

Burgess chose not to run again so that he could seek a state House seat being vacated by Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.

Also taking office unopposed in Zephyrhills is Ken Burgess, who was first elected in 2011 to replace Tim Urban, and didn’t draw an opponent in his first regular race in 2012.

The trip back to the city council dais won’t be so easy for Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson, as she’ll face off against community activist and retired educator Alan Knight on April 8. Wilkeson, the president and founder of WDA Design Group, was first elected in 2008.

Knight currently is the chair of the city’s parks and recreation board, and has been involved in the city’s interest in purchasing the abandoned Hercules Park on County Road 54 in recent months.

Dade City
Mayor Camille Hernandez is returning for another term on the Dade City Commission after failing to attract a challenger, but her colleague Scott Black will have to convince voters to keep him in a job he’s had since 1990.

Angelica Herrera filed and qualified just before the deadline to challenge Black. She has been civically active over the years, including work in the Tommytown revitalization efforts as well as the United Latino Council. Now she’s a center manager for Catholic Charities on Meridian Avenue in Dade City, according to her election paperwork.

Hernandez was first elected to the commission in 2006, winning re-election unopposed in 2010. She became mayor in 2012, a position that is similar to a board president that is selected by the other commissioners, and where she still gets a vote.

St. Leo
Raphael Davis and Donna DeWitt will face off for a seat on the St. Leo town commission. DeWitt is the current incumbent in Seat 1, and has served on the St. Leo board since 1997.

Davis, who did not list an occupation in his candidate filing, lives in Lake Jovita, a prominent community in St. Leo that has pushed for de-annexation from the town in recent years.

DeWitt is a nun at Holy Name Monastery. She ran unopposed in 2012 and 2010.

James Hallett, a monk at Saint Leo Abbey, won a new term on the board unopposed, while Richard Christmas — who resigned from the commission in 2012 — will take over the commission seat currently held by Mayor John Gardner. The mayor, who will now be replaced by a commission vote at its next organizational meeting, did not seek re-election.

San Antonio
There won’t be any need to open the precinct in San Antonio, yet the city will have two new faces on its commission. Dennis Berberich and Anne Marie Kibbe won seats after both failed to draw challengers in their at-large election.

Returning for another term is Elayne Bassinger, after Thomas Knight filed but failed to qualify for the election.

Berberich and Kibbe will replace Roy Pierce and Richard Gates, both who chose not to run again. Pierce doubled as the city’s building and zoning commissioner, while Gates also was the waterworks commissioner. Bassinger was the commissioner over parks.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.