Current Announcements

Epiphany Kits for your home blessing will be available for a $5 donation on January 6th, following the morning and afternoon Masses at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples. Each kit includes a 2-ounce filled water bottle, blessed incense, and blessed chalk. You can print the Epiphany Home Blessing here; please remember to change the year to '2025.'

Los Kits de Epifanía para la bendición de su casas están dispinobles por una donación de $5 dólares, el día de 06 de enero, después de las Misas de la mañana y la tarde en  la Capilla de Corpus Christi Chapel en Naples. Cada Kit contiene 2 onzas de agua, incienso y tiza. Puede imprimir las oraciones de Bendición del Hogar en español aquí; recuerde cambiar e la año a '2025'. 

A parishioner cordially invites you to participate in a prayer gathering on the First Saturday of each month to honor Our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Fatima. 

For January:
-Hosts: Dr. and Mrs. Burke
-Date: Saturday, January 4th, 2025
-Time: 4:30 p.m.
-Location: 4153 Madison St, Ave Maria, FL 34142 

Please bring a dish to share.
A Fatima movie, "The Day the Sun Danced", will be played for children. 

 Items to bring:

• Your rosary
• A dish to share
• Your children
• Friends who are on the journey of conversion
• Your parents and grandparents

Please take note of the upcoming events at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples:

-Friday, January 3rd, first Friday devotion after all Masses.

-Saturday, January 4th,  first Saturday devotion after Mass. 

-Sunday, January 5th, Epiphany Water Blessing following the 9:30 a.m. Mass.

-Monday, January 6th, The Epiphany of the Lord, Mass times will be:

• 7:00am, Low Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 5:30pm, High Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples

-Saturday, January 11th, at 9:30 am RCIA Class will be taught by Fr. Duffy.

On Sunday, January 5th, following the 9:30 AM Mass, we will hold the traditional blessing of the Epiphany Water. To download the prayers for the Epiphany Water Blessing, please click here.

Differing from years past, the priests will bless water already set in the sanctuary and only this water. Please bring your own empty container that you can fill. After the blessing, we will make the water available to take home with you. Parishioners will be able to fill up their own containers themselves. Limit about 8 ounces per household.

Epiphany Kits for your home blessing will be available for a $5 donation on January 6th, following the morning and afternoon Masses at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples. Each kit includes a 2-ounce filled water bottle, blessed incense, and blessed chalk. You can print the Epiphany Home Blessing here; please remember to change the year to '2025.'

Please take note of the upcoming events at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples:

-Friday, December 27th, St. John Apostol and Evangelist, Blessing of the wine after both Low Masses.

-Saturday, December 28th, there will be no RCIA Classes.

-Sunday, December 29th,  Potluck for Father Romanoski after 9:30 a.m. Mass.

-Thursday, January 1st is a holy day of obligation. 

Every Catholic is obliged to attend Holy Mass.

• 7:30 am, Low Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 9:30 am, High Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 12:30 pm, Low Mass at Resurrection in Fort Myers
• There will be no Mass at 5:30 p.m.

-Friday, January 3rd. First Friday devotion after all Masses.

-Saturday, January 4th 7th,  first Saturday devotion after Mass. 

Merry Christmas! This time is a cause for great rejoicing and giving thanks for the birth of our Savior. We thank the Father who sent His only begotten Son to the world that whoever would believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life. We thank Christ who, being infinitely rich, became a little poor baby in order to one day die on the cross for us. We thank the Holy Spirit for by His power the Christ child was conceived in the womb of our Blessed Mother. We thank the Virgin Mary who said yes to the divine plan and gave the world its Savior. 

There is much besides for us as a Chapel to be thankful for: we were able to celebrate our first Christmas in our new Chapel; we received a new priest, Fr. Duffy who has quickly proven himself to be a tireless and devoted priest; hurricane Milton did relatively little damage; we had our first Chant Camp in the new Chapel. We had many first Communions and Confirmations and processions. We have been able to have Mass, confessions, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament nearly every single day. So many more blessings and graces have been given that if we recounted them there is no telling how much time and space we would need!

Our Lord continues to bless us, and we give Him all thanks and praise.

Sincerely,

Fr. Timothy van Zee, FSSP

Chaplain of Corpus Christi in Naples

P.S. Remember that Christmas is an octave and not one single day. We must celebrate all the days of Christmas with all joy and thanksgiving. 

Father Romanoski will be visiting during the fourth week of December. We will hold our monthly potluck on December 29th, after the 9:30 a.m. mass. Everyone is encouraged to bring food to share. Don’t miss out on the fun and the opportunity to get to know your fellow parishioners better!

We are also in need of volunteers for setup and cleanup. If you’re interested, please contact Brian at [email protected].

On Friday, December 27th the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, there will be a special blessing of wine and spirits after both Masses at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples. Please bring your bottles with you to Mass and keep them with you in your pew. We will bless them and then pass through to sprinkle them with holy water. 

Wine is blessed on this day because according to tradition, St. John was served poisoned wine but survived because he blessed the wine before he put it to his lips; the poison rose from the chalice in the shape of a serpent. In his happy memory, Catholics bring wine to church, which the priest blesses, turning it into a sacramental called the “Love of St. John.” Catholics use this sacramental wine for special occasions throughout the year and to give to the sick.

The wine is also a symbol of the great love of Christ that filled St. John’s heart with loyalty, courage and enthusiasm for his Master. He alone of all the apostles was not afraid to stay close to Jesus during the Passion and Crucifixion and he was the only Apostle not martyred. At least some of the wine blessed on the feast should be enjoyed on the day of the feast itself. When it is drunk on his Feast Day, we drink it before dinner as a toast to St. John. The Father of the house lifts his glass toward Mother and says, “I drink you the love of St. John.” The Mother replies “I thank you for the Love of St. John” and then turns to the oldest child, lifts his glass, and says, “I drink you the love of St. John…” –and on it goes down the line until each has been toasted. The wine may be drunk as is, out of the bottle, or may be prepared as in this recipe:

St. John’s Love (serves 8)1 quart red wine

3 whole cloves

1/16 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 two-inch cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

Pour the wine into a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Boil for 5 minutes (this pretty much evaporates all of the alcohol). Serve hot.

Here’s an English translation of the ritual for blessing the wine, translated from the 1962 Rituale Romanum:

BLESSING OF WINE on the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

At the end of the principal Mass on the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, after the last Gospel, the priest, retaining all vestments except the maniple, blesses wine brought by the people. This is done in memory and in honor of St. John, who drank without any ill effects the poisoned wine offered to him by his enemies.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

If it please you, Lord God, bless and consecrate this vessel of wine (or any other beverage) by the power of your right hand; and grant that, through the merits of St. John, apostle and evangelist, all your faithful who drink of it may find it a help and a protection. As the blessed John drank the poisoned potion without any ill effects, so may all who today drink the blessed wine in his honor be delivered from poisoning and similar harmful things. And as they offer themselves body and soul to you, may they obtain pardon of all their sins; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Lord, bless this creature drink, so that it may be a health- giving medicine to all who use it; and grant by your grace that all who taste of it may enjoy bodily and spiritual health in calling on your holy name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come on this wine (or any other beverage) and remain always.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water. If the blessing is given privately outside of Mass, the priest is vested in surplice and stole and performs the ceremony as given above.

January 1st  

This is a holy day of obligation. Every Catholic is obliged to attend Holy Mass

• 7:30 am, Low Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 9:30 am, High Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 12:30 pm, Low Mass at Resurrection in Fort Myers