The Catholic Foundation has established The Order of Augustin Verot, formerly called the Codicile Club. The name was changed to better express the dignity and importance of gifts from those who have included the church in their estate plans.
Augustin Verot served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Augustine from 1870 to 1876. His name was selected because of his commitment to the growth of Catholicism in the diocese through education and encouragement of vocations.
There are myriad ways to provide deferred gifts to the church. Currently there are 273 members in the Order of Augustin Verot – people who have thoughtfully provided for the church with a bequest, an insurance policy, charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, retirement plan or other instrument.
For more information on the Order of Augustin Verot and the Catholic Foundation call (904) 262-3200, ext. 166.



More than 300 St. Paul Parishioners in Jacksonville Beach participated in the building of a new home for Lorelei Forrest and her two daughters, Beth and Lisa. The home was the third home built by members of the parish as part of the Beaches Habitat ministry.
This particular home was built in honor of the late Katherine Kelly, mother of Father William Kelly who is pastor of St. Paul Parish.
At the dedication ceremony for the Forrest home, Beaches Habitat President Haywood Ball, said the contributions made by St. Paul’s parishoners help build at least four new homes each year for families in need.


On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 28, Catholic Relief Services will kick off its Lenten program – Operation Rice Bowl – in parishes of the diocese.
This year the program asks, “Who is Your Neighbor?” and highlights the interconnectedness of the human family and the responsibilities U.S. Catholics have for their neighbors around the world.
“By participating in Operation Rice Bowl, individuals and faith communities reaffirm their commitment to those in the developing world through the concrete act of giving and the spiritual act of standing in solidarity with those in need,” said Bishop John Ricard, president and chairman of the Board of CRS and Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
Parishes have been given packets that include a rice bowl and a participation guide. The Community and Parish Guide is designed to assist parishes and other faith communities to plan activities for raising awareness of the poor in developing countries. For more information contact your parish office or CRS at (410) 625-2220 or online at www.catholicrelief.org.


More than $18 million has been raised so far for The Opportunity of a Lifetime capital campaign that got underway in September.
The goal is to raise $30 million for projects that include two new diocesan high schools (one in Gainesville and one in Jacksonville) and expansion of St. Joseph Academy in St. Augustine and Morning Star School in Jacksonville. Funds collected will also benefit the Guardian of Dreams scholarship program, the seminarian education fund and parish religious education programs.
“As we began the planning process for this effort, we organized the campaign into two phases: leadership gifts and parish campaigns,” said Jose DeJesus, executive director of the campaign.
The parish campaigns are separated into three blocks. The first block of 19 parishes and missions completed their campaigns last fall. Several parishes in block one met their goal, including: Assumption, Our Lady of the Angels, Sacred Heart and St. Pius V Parishes in Jacksonville; Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mill Creek; St. Patrick in Gainesville; St. Paul in Jacksonville Beach; and St. Philip Neri in Hawthorne. In addition, St. Ambrose in Elkton has raised more than 90 percent of their goal. Resurrection Parish in Jacksonville and
St. Madeleine in High Springs have raised more than 80 percent of their goal.
DeJesus says block two of the capital campaign is now underway with 20 parishes expected to complete their goals
by Easter.



More than 200 couples, representing more than 9,320 years of marriage, were honored at the diocese’s Anniversary Celebration at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Palm Coast last November.
Bishop John J. Snyder presided at the Mass where long-term marriages were recognized and couples renewed their wedding vows and reaffirmed their love and commitment to each other.
“Be grateful for the gift of a lasting marriage,” Bishop Snyder said in his homily. “Always be aware of Christ’s presence and His working in your marriages. You are witnesses to marital commitment in our society.” He urged the couples to “continue to walk the journey with each other and the Lord.”
Bishop Snyder extended his blessing to all the couples who could not attend, including Maria and Frank Filacchione of San Juan del Rio Parish in Jacksonville who have been married 75 years.
It was the 19th year that Diocesan Center for Family Life had sponsored the Anniversary Mass.


Parishioners representing the various cultures of the Diocese of Saint Augustine gathered at St. Joseph Church in Jacksonville Dec. 9 to celebrate the Jubilee of Mary. Bishop John J. Snyder presided at the celebration and entrusted the protection of the Diocese of Saint Augustine to Mary.
On Dec. 8 – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Pope John Paul II entrusted humanity and the third millennium to the protection of the Virgin Mary. The pope pronounced the solemn words before the original image of the Virgin of Fatima, which was brought to St. Peter’s Square in Rome for the occasion.



Bishop John J. Snyder was awarded the 2000 Peacemaker Award at the Mary L. Singleton Memorial Day Breakfast Dec. 7. The award, established three years ago, honors an individual who has made significant contributions to promoting peace throughout the area.
Mary Alice Phelan, community relations director for St. Vincent’s Health System and member of the Mary L. Singleton Memorial Day Breakfast Committee, said, “It is an honor to give Bishop Snyder this award for his tireless efforts in promoting the diversity of persons in North Florida and for the many ministries he has supported.”

Father Edward F. Rooney was honored for his commitment to the mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and for fostering the growth of the CCHD annual parish appeal.
In November at St. Catherine Parish in Orange Park, Bishop John J. Snyder joined Father Rooney for the annual CCHD luncheon. The annual gathering recognizes the work of CCHD, an agency of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops that supports groups who are struggling to overcome the root causes of poverty.

Daughter of Wisdom Sister Lucille Clynes was among a select group of 30 people who celebrated Mass with Pope John Paul II in his private chapel in December. Sister Lucy, director of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Saint Augustine, represented the diocese at the Jubilee for Catechists in Rome Dec. 9-10.
There were 8,000 catechetical leaders from all over the world (80 from the United States) attending the two-day conference. “One of the major recurring themes in the presentations, as is found in most of the post Vatican II documents, was the intimate relationship between evangelization and catechesis,” said Sister Lucy. “The General Directory for Catechesis (1997) refers to catechesis as but a moment in the evangelizing mission of the church.”




Bishop John J. Snyder blessed and dedicated a new House of Prayer in November. Located across the street from Mission Nombre de Dios and the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche in St. Augustine, the House of Prayer will serve as a spiritual center for Catholics in the diocese. Msgr. Harold Jordan directed the construction of the facility and serves as the spiritual director of the House of Prayer and the Charismatic Renewal Center.


All Saints Catholic Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center dedicated a “Strolling Garden” in November. The beautiful garden was built to provide residents a place where they can walk, exercise, and visit with families and friends in private. It includes an elliptical-shaped five-foot sidewalk and 20 smaller garden areas with benches, two gazebos, water fountain and nature pond.
Alice Wilbur, administrator of All Saints, said the garden was built with a $50,000 grant from the Riverside Foundation, $15,000 donated by 48 friends of All Saints and $7,000 from the All Saints Ladies Auxiliary.
All Saints is a 120-bed, state-of-the-art, skilled nursing facility that was originally started by Franciscan Sisters in 1956 on Riverside Avenue in Jacksonville. It re-opened in April 1992 next to Sacred Heart Parish and school.


Bishop John J. Snyder dedicated Queen of Peace Academy in Gainesville on Oct. 29. The academy becomes the second Catholic grade school in Gainesville. The other being St. Patrick Interparish School. In 2004, a Catholic High School will be opened to serve students from both schools and surrounding areas.
Queen of Peace Academy, under the direction of Principal Sister Nancy Elder, IHM, will serve 200 students in grades K-8. Students will begin attending classes there this fall. The facility cost $1.2 million.


Bishop John J. Snyder dedicated a new church for Santa Maria del Mar Parish in Flagler Beach November 3. The new church, which seats 800 people, was designed by Junck and Walker Architects and built by White Construction Company. The Spanish-style building cost an estimated $2.4 million.
The late Bishop Paul F. Tanner established Santa Maria del Mar Parish in 1970. It serves the growing community in the southernmost city of the Diocese of Saint Augustine.