Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops

🙏We are called to be guided by moral truth not ideology, and to bring Gospel values into public life. “I would ask all Catholics to put their faith before politics. The Church’s contribution to the public life of a nation is not a political or partisan program; rather, it reflects our commitment to the dignity of every person, who is created in the image and likeness of God." ~ USCCB President Paul S. Coakley #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicVote Join in the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai…

🗳"Together, we can contribute to the common good of our nation as faithful citizens by supporting free and fair elections. I encourage all to judge candidates and elected officials by their actions, not merely their promises, and how those actions promote the common good. We must reject rhetoric that appeals to fear, resentment, or division, and listen instead, to the Gospel call to love God and all our neighbors." ~USCCB President Archbishop Paul S. Coakley 🙏May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, bless our nation as we turn once more to elections, that we might respect the dignity of each person and promote the common good of all. Join in the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai… #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicVote

✝Today we celebrate the feast day of Saints Simon and Jude, two of the least known Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Simon originally preached in Egypt before entering Persia with Jude to evangelize. St. Simon is the patron saint of woodcutters. St. Jude is the patron of hopeless causes; he is often invoked in hospitals and among those facing life-threatening illness. Both were martyred in Syria while spreading the Word of God. Saints Simon and Jude, pray for us. #catholicsaints🙏

🤰Every human life is sacred. Respect for human dignity is the foundation of Catholic social teaching and public policy engagement. In Florida, this calls us to uphold the dignity of the unborn, protect mothers in need, oppose the death penalty, and ensure humane treatment for all. 🗳Early voting is underway - make your vote count! Join in the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai… #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicVote

Faithful citizenship starts before Election Day. Learn where candidates stand on each issue by its moral significance. Let the FCCB Voter Guide help: Catholic teaching, key considerations, and questions to ask of candidates and platforms: bit.ly/FL-voter-guide Pray along with the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai… #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicVote

"We are called to bring together our principles and our political choices, our values and our votes to help build a civilization of truth and love." ~USCCB ✝Let us pray for all those in authority and for all who serve the people of Florida – Lord, guide our civic leaders and grant them wisdom as they make decisions that impact families, the poor, and the vulnerable. Amen. 🙏Vote today! And join in the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai… #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct🙏 #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicVote

Being a faithful citizen is part of our call as Catholics. In the days leading up to the election, the Florida faithful should consider how they can best serve their communities through election choices and contribute to a climate of civility. Participation in public life isn't optional – it's a moral responsibility rooted in our faith. #PrayFormAct🙏 #FaithfulCitizenship #CatholicsVote Join in the Novena for Faithful Citizenship: usccb.org/prayers/novena-fai…

🗳️ Preparing to Vote? In keeping with its mission, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) aims to educate and inform Catholics on a wide range of issues. The Gubernatorial Comparison includes information on the candidates gathered from policies, public statements, government and campaign websites to help voters form their consciences before voting in the General Election: bit.ly/2026GubComp ℹ️ The information contained in this document is provided for educational purposes only. The FCCB does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party. #FaithfulCitizenship #FloridaCatholics #FormedConscience

✝Today we celebrate the feast day of St. John Paul II, the pope and bishop of Rome from 1978 to 2005. His pontificate of more than 26 years was the third longest in history. John Paul II worked to promote ecumenical and interfaith initiatives, and also inaugurated the World Youth Day celebrations. A prolific writer and intellect, John Paul II wrote fourteen encyclicals and five books. Heeding Vatican II’s call to highlight the universal call to holiness, John Paul II canonized 482 saints. He was a tireless evangelist, defender of human rights, and peacemaker. Pope John Paul II was beatified in 2011 and was canonized a saint on April 27, 2014 🙏St. John Paul II, who taught us to be not afraid as we open wide the doors to Christ – pray for us! #catholicsaints #JPII

Ascension Florida program helps physicians navigate life's hardest conversations ~ by Valerie Schremp Hahn, @TheCHAUSA • Delivering devastating news to a patient’s family is often part of a doctor’s job. It's never easy, and it's tough to know how to do so as compassionately as possible, how to get into the proper mindset beforehand and how to care for oneself afterward. • Rev. Greg Hershberger, an Anglican priest who is the manager of spiritual care for four Ascension Florida hospitals in the Gulf Coast area, and his team have developed an in-person training program called Compassionate Conversations to teach physician residents how to deliver a devastating diagnosis and how to integrate spiritual care into a family's worst moment. Learn more: chausa.org/news-and-publicat…

Spanish Catholic group Hakuna, a Latin Grammy nominee, performs in the U.S. for the first time Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens. A night of music, worship and Eucharistic adoration. Part of the diocese’s #WYD2027 planning. Tickets $50: diocesepb.org @DiocesePB

🗳️ Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting starts Oct. 19 in some Florida counties and is available in all counties beginning Oct. 24. 🇺🇸 Find your county’s days, times and locations: dos.elections.myflorida.com/… For citizens in a representative democracy… participation in public life—including voting—is both a right and a responsibility.” —USCCB President Paul S. Coakley #FaithfulCitizenship #FaithBeforePolitics #PrayFormAct🙏

Florida’s Catholic bishops have urged Gov. Ron DeSantis to halt the execution of William Reaves Jr. and commute his death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Reaves is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 20 at 6 p.m. for the 1986 first-degree murder of Indian River County Sheriff's Deputy Richard Raczkoski. flaccb.org/flcan-take-action Michael B. Sheedy, executive director of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, made the request on behalf of the bishops in a letter to DeSantis. The letter acknowledges the gravity of the crime and the suffering of Deputy Raczkoski’s family while urging the governor to consider mercy alongside justice. “Mr. Reaves’ crime was heinous in its lack of respect for human life. Justice demands a severe punishment,” Sheedy wrote. “Nevertheless, God still requires us to desire his good even as we punish.” Enclosed with the letter to DeSantis was the Florida bishops’ pastoral letter on the death penalty, released earlier this year. In that document, the bishops call on Catholics and all people of good will to recognize the inherent dignity of every human life. Drawing from St. John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, the bishops emphasize that "not even a murderer loses his personal dignity." 1. PRAY: Please pray for the soul of Deputy Richard Raczkoski, for William Reaves Jr. as he faces execution, and for Gov. DeSantis as he considers the request to spare Mr. Reaves' life. 2. CONTACT GOVERNOR DESANTIS: flaccb.org/flcan-take-action Send a message to Governor DeSantis urging him to halt the execution of William Reaves Jr. and to commute his sentence to life without parole.

✝ Funeral services have been set for Bishop Emeritus, Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, who passed away on Oct. 7, 2026 after a brief illness. @DioceseofVenice will livestream the funeral Mass on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m: dioceseofvenice.org/livestre…. We give thanks to God for his life, his faithful service to the Church, and the many people who were blessed by his ministry. Please join us in prayer that the Lord whom Bishop Dewane loved and served so faithfully will welcome him home and grant him eternal rest. Photo: Bishop Dewane's homily, Feb. 11, 2026 at the 50th annual Red Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Tallahasssee, FL