{"id":410510,"date":"2026-09-25T17:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410510\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T17:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:22:19","slug":"church-of-the-ascension-to-hold-mass-on-monday-to-mark-fourth-anniversary-of-hurricane-ian-with-new-rebuilding-plans-fort-myers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410510\/","title":{"rendered":"Church of the Ascension to hold Mass on Monday to mark fourth anniversary of Hurricane Ian, with new rebuilding plans – FORT MYERS"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n \/Fort Myers Beach News
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1 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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Church of the Ascension Father William Adams, with a Church of the Ascension nun on the property of the church on Fort Myers Beach, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022.
\nPhoto provided\n<\/p>\n

2 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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Numerous parts of homes washed up on the Church of the Ascension property on Fort Myers Beach during Hurricane Ian in 2022. Photo provided<\/p>\n

3 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The interior of the Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian. Photo provided. <\/p>\n

4 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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A destroyed home that washed up on the property of the Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian<\/p>\n

5 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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Bishop Reverend Emilio E. Biosca of the Catholic Diocese of Venice (Florida) will be at the Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach this Monday for a mass to mark the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Ian. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

6 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

7 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

8 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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Bishop Reverend Emilio E. Biosca of the Catholic Diocese of Venice (Florida) will be at the Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach this Monday for a mass to mark the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Ian. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

9 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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A mass will be held on the property of the Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach this Monday, for the first time since Hurricane Ian.<\/p>\n

Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

10 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The Church of the Ascension on Fort Myers Beach will be holding a mass on Monday with Bishop Rev. Emilio Biosca. Photo by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

11 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

12 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

13 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

14 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

15 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

16 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

17 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

18 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

19 \/ 19<\/p>\n

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The current plans for the Church of the Ascension are for one main church building, along with a rectory, to replace the old structures that were battered by Hurricane Ian.
\nPhoto by Nathan Mayberg<\/p>\n

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Four years ago almost to the day, Father Bill Adams was crawling out of the monastery on the Church of the Ascension property where he had been holed up during one of the worst hurricanes in Florida\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

He lost nearly everything he owned in the storm, which took the lives of 16 people on Fort Myers Beach, and more than three dozen others throughout the county. Adams had to identify some of those people, who were parishioners at the Church of the Ascension. <\/p>\n

On Monday at 9 a.m., Adams, along with Bishop Rev. Emilio E. Biosca of the Catholic Diocese of Venice (Florida), Monsginor Stephen McNamara, local pastors and members of the congregation will gather at the scene of the destruction for a mass under tents on the property for a Mass to mark four years since Hurricane Ian. It will be the first time a public Mass has been held on the property since Hurricane Ian tore through and wrecked its buildings and way of life for the leadership and congregants of the church. <\/p>\n

Adams said he expects an announcement to made about the plans for the rebuild of the Church of the Ascension on Monday.<\/p>\n

While the precise plans for a rebuild are still being formulated, officials from the church and the Diocese of Venice (Florida) have been in touch with the town as they prepare to submit plans for permitting. <\/p>\n

Adams said there will be one centrally-located building for the church, which is expected to seat 738 people. <\/p>\n

Several of the structures on the property will need to be torn down so that the new structures can be built to a higher elevation to meet the existing FEMA codes. <\/p>\n

The main monastery building, where the nuns lived, will be restored. The sisters of the Church of the Ascension, who were housed on the property before the storm, will not be returning when the church is finally rebuilt, Adams said.<\/p>\n

The rectory, where Adams lived, will be repaired. The monastery chapel, an old retirement home, will be razed. <\/p>\n

The monastery was the old home of the late Leo Santini, who donated the land for the church. Adams said the home took in 17 feet of water during the height of Hurricane Ian. \u201cWe took refuge on the top floor,\u201d he said. He and the nuns stayed there until 5:30 when the surge started to subside, Adams said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just became numb,\u201d Adams said of those hours of fear, that began around 11:30 with the surge from the Gulf.<\/p>\n

When he and the nuns finally went outside as the storm let up, they saw homes and cars that had washed up on the property from around the neighborhood, knocking down the fence. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was surreal,\u201d Adams said. He said there were parts of more than a dozen homes on the church property, with another home washed out in the middle of Estero Boulevard. Adams, who had been on Fort Myers Beach since 2001 and in Southwest Florida since the 1970\u2019s, said he had \u201cnever seen anything like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams recalled the grim task of having to identify some of parishioners of the church who lost their lives on Fort Myers Beach during Hurricane Ian. Like them, he stayed on Fort Myers Beach through the storm, not expecting Hurricane Ian to hit the island. \u201cNobody expected the surge,\u201d Adams said. \u201cI went to bed watching the evening news, we were told it was going to Tampa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adams said it is has been tough returning to the church site. \u201cYou relive (Hurricane Ian) when you go back there,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s sad. People are still suffering. People still can\u2019t get into their condos.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laments the way that he believes Hurricane Ian and its impacts on the lives of the community, has been forgotten by some. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s the way of the culture,\u201d Adams said. \u201cIt\u2019s yesterday\u2019s news.\u201d<\/p>\n

All of his belongings were in the church rectory where he lived. \u201cWe lost everything we owned,\u201d he said of himself and the sisters who also lived on the property. \u201cWe walked out with the clothes on our back,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was absolutely surreal. Fort Myers Beach was ground zero. It looked like a warzone.\u201d<\/p>\n

For days after Hurricane Ian, they were without running water or electricity, until they were able to be transported off island.<\/p>\n

Adams has been living with his own sister off Daniels Parkway in Fort Myers since Hurricane Ian. <\/p>\n

Despite some delays in the planning stages for the new church which are being handled by the Diocese of Venice, Adams said he is confident the Church of the Ascension will rise again.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be rebuilt,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

Former Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy, a longtime parishioner of the church, said \u201cwe\u2019re excited down here on the beach with our new Bishop Reverend Emilio E. Biosca (of the Catholic Diocese of Venice) coming. We\u2019re excited that he\u2019s coming down to say mass on the fourth anniversary of Ian.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy said that Bishop Biosca is expected to be joined by Monsginor Stephen McNamara and other local pastors.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has been a big hole in the community without the church being there, with all of the parishioners dispersed,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cWe are very mindful of those we lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the parishioners lost to Hurricane Ian was Damon Utterback, one of Murphy\u2019s close friends. \u201cI lost a good fishing buddy,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThat was particularly hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murphy said the loss of the church was \u201cnot only our spiritual needs but our social needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at NMayberg@breezenewspapers.com<\/p>\n


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