Editor’s note: The following is the final story of a three-part series
ORLANDO | Deacon Bob Pleus served as a deacon for 21 years before his passing in 2021. His witness of a devout life leaves a legacy of conversion …
Diakonia: A family affair
The word deacon (diakonia) means service — in ministry to others — and that service most often starts at home. In this three-part series, the Florida Catholic will introduce you to three diaconate families and explore how this vocation impacts …
Students walk with Jesus and Mary at Focus 11
ORLANDO | Hundreds of students from Catholic schools around the Diocese of Orlando teamed up with Jesus and Mary to learn more about vocations and to have an encounter with Catholicism’s most holy saint and her son.
The annual Focus …
Priest’s life cut short after five decades of service
PALM BAY | Father Robert “Bob” Hoeffner and his sister, Sally, were tragically murdered in their home Jan. 28, 2024. Born to parents Bernard and Margaret Aug. 20, 1947, in Queens, New York, Father Hoeffner was one of eight children.…
Field of dreams
LAKELAND | The new state-of-the- art AstroTurf™ on Santa Fe High School’s football/soccer field may not smell like grass, but school president Matt Franzino says the field and new track, “will be a great blessing to Santa Fe Catholic for …
Mission students look toward bright future
ORLANDO | Catholics across central Florida are happy to welcome four new students from the sister diocese in the Dominican Republic. They will study at Bishop Moore High School in Orlando and Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach. Their …
Where it all started
Two young people reflect on how their primary Catholic school experience fostered their vocations
ORLANDO | In a flurry of vocations around the diocese, two former graduates of St. Joseph Catholic School in Winter Haven add to the blessings, answering …
Sisters on the road to holiness
DORAL | Brimming with joy upon entering the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, four young women gave their lives wholly to Christ, in service to God the Father and Our Lady. Among them is Sister Amanda Magdalena Davis, a