MY BOOK IS INTENDED IN PRESENTING THE FACTS. BUT, IN ALL REALITY, IT DISCLOSES THE SHAME OF THE LOCAL CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THEIR HYPOCRITICAL DISGRACE THAT THEY DISPLAYED. IN ANY OTHER PART OF OUR COUNTRY, THE LOCAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES WOULD BE UP IN ARMS OVER A GOVERNMENT CLOSING DOWN A HOUSE OF WORSHIP AND PRECLUDING RELIGIOUS PRACTICE. THE SHAME AND DISGRACE IS ON ALL OF YOU.
Yes, Marni, There is No Place Like Cape Coral, documents the numerous notifications and information the above parties received and elected to turn their blind eyes.
Eleanor Nelsen, the founder of The Haven of Divine Love, was a Catholic Carmelite Nun who moved to Cape Coral Florida in 1966 in hopes of being the founder of another Order of Nuns to work for God’s glory. For the next 42 years, she worked relentlessly, operating 6 Kindergarten-child care-nursery schools, and taught an estimated 20,000 local children. In 1999, she built the Haven of Divine Love Senior and Disability Center where she provided low cost housing for the area’s disadvantaged seniors and limited disability parties. She lived like a pauper and died as a pauper. She was, without question, a dedicated servant of the Lord, who lived her religious beliefs to the maximum. But, when her entity was so ruthlessly attacked by the local government, who condemned their Chapel and House of Worship, and prohibited their religious practices, the Haven’s Religious Community sought help and support from her Catholic Religious Community. In what happens to be the most shameful of actions of her religious affiliates, not one of the affiliated priests, or deacons came to her aid. Not even the Bishop of the local Venice Diocese spoke out in protest. Countless notices, news reports, and requests that were sent, were completely shunned by her peers.
To me, to abandon and betray one of your own is the epitome of disgrace. I am but the messenger disclosing the aforementioned actions, and can not enforce morality within. However, substantial documentation and evidence available discloses that the following parties did indeed, as The Good Samaritan Fable states, CROSSED THE STREET and failed to assist a party in need. I therefore feel compelled to disclose the story of the Catholic Church's desertion and abandonment of their own kind.
Ephesians 6:12-13 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Since January 2015, numerous parties including The Nelsen Residence Inc., Haven of Divine Love, Civil Rights Organization, Extend A Hand For Justice, and countless individual parties notified and attempted to reach out to all of the Parishes of The Catholic Diocese of Venice pleading for help. Help never came as each of those contacted elected to turn their back on an issue that they contended was no concern to them. When Jesus of Nazareth preached his infamous Good Samaritan Parable, his message was that the Priests and Levites who crossed the street instead of giving aid to the beaten and abused traveler were not "good neighbors." Likewise, in preparation of these specific chapters, this author also reached out to each party, informing them of his intention to include them, and requested that if there was any important information that he was unaware of that changed the story, that he be noticed. Instead, The Diocese and the respective Parishes responded with threats of litigation. This author will not be subjected to extortion threats to quash this story. Either the Priests, their respective Parishes, and the Venice Diocese in totality turned a blind eye and crossed the street as did the Priests of the Good Samaritan Fable, or they did not.
THE FACTS
HECK NO! WE WON'T GO!
Howard Cantrell
January 29, 2015
Cape Coral January 29, 2015. In a defiant move today, a local Religious Community notified the City of Cape Coral Florida that they will refuse to vacate their home and Chapel located at 2307 SE 15th Place, in the City of Cape Coral Florida. On Monday, January 26, 2015, Officials of Cape Coral and LCEC, the local electric company, had the power shut off at the resident building claiming that the building was unsafe, and ordered the residents not to enter. The order to turn off the electricity and ban the residents from entering the building was made by Paul B. Dickson of the Cape Coral Building Department and Dennie Hamilton the CEO of LCEC.
"This is our home, and they will have to drag me by my feet to make me leave," said Sarah Rodriquez, a Minister and Deaconess of The Haven of Divine Love. "What they are doing is very wrong, and we will fight to the end to stop their abuse and discrimination against us," S. Rodriquez stated.
"There is nothing unsafe at all with our house, I can climb up and down the inside stairs with no problem, and I will not allow anyone from the City to stop me from doing so," says Anthony Rodriquez, the Chaplain and Deacon of The Haven. "Even the outside stairs was structurally sound before they tried to make it an issue," A. Rodriquez added.
According to the web page, www.havenofdivinelove.net The Haven of Divine Love is a Non Profit Religious Community that provides low cost housing for low income senior citizens and parties with limited disabilities. It was founded by Eleanor Nelsen, a prior Carmelite Nun in 1993, and operated by her until her death in 2008. Since then it has been operated by a small group of volunteers who vowed to continue Nelsen's legacy of providing services to the poor and disadvantaged members of the local community. According to the Florida Division of Corporations, The Nelsen Residence Inc. operating as The Haven of Divine Love, is a Florida Non Profit Corporation. Jerome F. Valenta is listed as the Registered Agent, President, and Director. Wilfred A. Rodriquez and Sarah A. Rodriquez and are listed as Directors and the Deacon and Deaconess respectively.
"Call it Civil Disobedience if you will," stated Jerome Valenta, the President of The Haven. "We have drawn a line in the sand after suffering over 25 separate violations of our Civil and Religious Rights from actions by the City, and we will not take it anymore," he said. It is not a commercial property subject to their regulations. This is a single family residence, it has always been a single family residence, and a change by the City zoning can not make it anything else," Valenta said
According to County records and zillow.com, the property is a residential 3 bedroom, 4 bath home with a private Chapel built in 1979. "It was originally a convent, but now operated as a Religious Community of both male and female members," Valenta stated. Valenta, a Director and Vice President since 2002, and the younger brother of Nelsen, took over the overseeing of the entity in 2008 upon the tragic death of Nelsen. The records also show that the residence has 2 separate stairways, one inside and one outside. It is the outside stairway that Officials from Cape Coral claim need to be repaired. "That's silly," says Valenta, "a single family home only requires one stairway, we have the luxury of two, and the interior stairs are adequately functional, and the majority of the repairs they are now requiring for the outside stairs was caused by the City of Cape Coral in the first place," Valenta claims. "We attempted to repair the minor problems on the stairs in June 2014 when they ordered us to stop. Now, because of the weathering and the environment exposure, the stairs have been damaged substantially," he says.
The recent problems arose when Officials from Cape Coral raided the single-family residence of the clergy on December 12, 2014, claiming that the City had rezoned the property to a Commercial zoning, making the residence a Commercial Property and subject to their commercial conditions. Fire Department Acting Chief, John Maher, Building Department, John McConnell, and 2 other unidentified officials from the Code Enforcement entered the property and residence and cited the organization for not having fire sprinklers, fire extinguishers, file walls, fire safety signs, and an unsafe stairway. "That is ridiculous," says Valenta, "I wonder how they would feel if I entered their private homes, without a search warrant, and cited them for commercial requirements. That is a serious violation of our privacy."
Previously, in May of 2014, a prior resident and guest of the facility, Mr. Michael Anagnos, contacted the City Code Enforcement to complain that the stairs were unsafe. "He stated to various other Residents that he 'was going to fall down the stairs and sue this place for everything they got' and then tried to get the Code Enforcement to justify his attempts to defraud," Valenta said. "At no time has the City Code Enforcement ever communicated with any Officer, Director, or authorized representative of The Haven. All communication was with Mr. Anagnos and an agent of Code Enforcement. In fact, it was later learned that the Code Enforcement Agent had no experience whatsoever of construction, and only stated information supplied by Anagnos," Valenta added. "It was a clear cut case of an attempt to defraud which in turn was conspired with the Code Enforcement Agent."
In a statement provided by Valenta, he states, "The vindictive shutting off of the electricity by the City and LCEC denies us access to our first floor chapel which has no connection to a stairway issue, and effectively denies us our religious practices. This is not a issue of the outside stairs being unsafe, it is a issue of extortion, blackmail, attempts to defraud, bias, prejudice, discrimination, retaliation, conspiracy to extort and defraud, an abuse of authority, and a colluded effort of the City Departments to close us down. On top of that, we have a Police Department who continuously fails and refuses to provide our Officers, Directors, Clergy, and Residents protection. They simply do not want poor people in Cape Coral. They have no Homeless Shelters, will not allow Missions, and have absolutely no HUD low cost housing for the low income seniors, disability, or veterans. We are the only facility in the entire City of Cape Coral to provide low cost housing for the low-income seniors and persons with disabilities. Some State or Federal Agency need to investigate the actions of this City. They are the most unchristian and Inhumane City I have ever experienced."
Whatever happens now apparently is up to the City. In a letter to Mr. Dickson, with copies sent to the City Council, Mayor, City Manager, and City Attorney, Mr. Valenta states, "You will have to force them, or physically remove them. In fact, we want you to physically remove them. We actually dare you to do so."
* * * * * * * *
The documents and information on this web page is only a small portion of the amounts that will subsequently be published. It is meant to give the readers a cursory look at what will eventually go down in the history books of Cape Coral Florida and the related parties and agencies that contributed to the overall story. As of the writing of this post, not ONE City of Cape Coral person or department has attempted to correct the wrongs perpetrated against the religious entity involved. On the contrary, a consorted effort by every new party coming into control of the city’s government has attempted to "cover up" the atrocities of the corruption disclosed. Likewise, other government officials, including judicial members of the 20th Judicial Circuit Court and the US District Court; local, state, and federal elected legislative members; and the priests and pastors of the local churches have all turned a blind eye to the disclosed corruption, dishonesty, immoral, and un-Christian actions of the original parties.
First we have a Town without pity, and now we have a Church without concern.
A shameful act of hypocrisy within the local Catholic Church
* * * * * * *
THESE ARE THE CATHOLIC PRIESTS OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN FABLE WHO IGNORED THE PLIGHT OF THEIR FELLOW MAN AND CROSSED THE ROAD
The names of the Pastors and their Churches are listed below. Their actions are detailed in the book.
* * * * * * *
Bishop Dewane
Diocese of Venice
1000 Pinebrook RD
Venice, FL 34285
Fr. Gordon Zanetti
St. Andrews Catholic Church
2628 Del Prado Blvd. N
Cape Coral FL 33904
Fr. Piotr Zugaj
Saint Katharine Drexel
Catholic Church
1922 SW 20th Ave.
Cape Coral, FL 33991
Fr. Stanley J. Dombrowski
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
5632 Sunrise Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33919
Fr. Lorenzo Gonzalez
St. Columbkille Catholic Church
12171 Iona Rd.
Fort Myers, FL 33908
Fr. Murchadh O’Madagain
St Vincent DePaul Parish
13031 Palm Beach Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33905
Fr. Hugh J. McGuigan, OSFS
Our Lady of Light Catholic Community
19680 Cypress View Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33967
Fr Robert Tabbert
St. John XXIII Catholic Church
13060 Palomino Ln.
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Fr. Patrick O’Connor
Jesus the Worker Catholic Church
881 Nuna Ave.
Fort Myers, FL 33905
Msgr. Stephen E. McNamara
Church of the Resurrection Of Our Lord
8121 Cypress Lake Dr
Fort Myers, FL 33919
Fr. Anthony Hewitt, JCL
St Francis Xavier Catholic Church
2057 S Cleveland Ave.
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Fr. Marc Vernoy
Our Lady Queen of Angels
37 Prospect Ave
Fort Myers, Fl. 33994
Fr Robert J. Kantor
St. Agnes Catholic Church
7775 Vanderbilt Beach Rd
Naples, FL 34120
Fr. George Ratzmann
Saint William Catholic Church
601 Seagate Dr.
Naples, FL 34108
Fr. John J. Ludden, Pastor
Saint John the Evangelist
Catholic Church
625 111th Ave N
Naples, FL 34108
Fr. Michael Vannicola
St Ann Catholic Parish
475 9th Ave S.
Naples, FL 34102
Fr. Jarek (Jaroslaw) Sniosek
St Leo Catholic Church
28290 Beaumont Rd.
Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Temp. Pastor Fr. Joseph Gates ***
St Isabel Catholic Church
3559 Sanibel Captiva Rd.
Sanibel, FL 33957
Fr. Dennis J. Cooney
St Raphael Catholic Church
2514 Lee Blvd.
Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
*** I humbly apologize for previously listing Fr. Christopher Senk of St Isabel as a bad priest who crossed the street rather than assist a party in need. It appears that he himself had been subjected to prior adverse treatment by Bishop Dewane and was not aware as previously alleged.
HYPOCRISY OF THE LOCAL CATHOLIC CHURCH
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing, and most men nowadays can be relied upon to do precisely that.
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act. To ignore evil is to become accomplice to it. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, then that good men should not look on and do nothing.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter. To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance, and even our very existence, depends on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. Neither we, nor any other people, will ever be respected till we respect ourselves, and we will never respect ourselves till we have the means to live respectfully.
Where a reputation for intolerance is more feared than a reputation for vice itself, all manner of evil may be expected to flourish.
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressed. We must rise to the occasion of defending that which is good and upright and stand firm against evil no matter the cost. After all, evil is the absence of good. Evil will never be countered while good men do nothing. When morals decline and good men do nothing, evil flourishes.
* * * * * * *