Bishop

A Statement from Bishop Frank J. Dewane on the appointment of the new Shepherd for the Diocese of Venice in Florida

It is with gratitude to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, that I announce in the Diocese of Venice in Florida, that Our Holy Father, following prayerful discernment is appointing a new Shepherd for the Diocese of Venice in Florida: Bishop-elect Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap., a priest ordained on May 21, 1994 for the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Augustine (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).  Having served in assignments for the Province, both overseas and within the United States, Bishop-elect has for the past seven years been the Pastor at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart Parish in Washington, D.C and has held numerous leadership positions within his Religious Community. Son of an immigrant family with 7 children, Bishop-elect is enthusiastic, with a strong pastoral spirit and particular devotion to the Virgin Mary and to serving the People of God.  With all of you, I welcome him to our Diocesan family, which will be greatly blessed by his ministry, and I very much look forward to getting to know him as in just a few days he has shown himself to be a deeply spiritual and exceptional priest.

Our new Bishop is coming to a Diocese that is growing at a rapid pace with families and individuals that evidence a vibrant faith and diverse backgrounds.  It has been a great joy for me to have ministered here for the past twenty years.  I am pleased and very proud of the Catholic Community of the Diocese, who they are and who they are becoming, by their witness to Christ.  This has become possible by the great pastoral care and service that the priests, both Diocesan and Religious, have provided. 

In accord with canon law, I submitted my resignation to the Pope over a year ago on my seventy-fifth birthday, and, with the appointment of Bishop-elect Agüero, it is now formally accepted.  As I retire, it is my plan to remain in the Diocese of Venice, which has become my home as it has for so many others from the Midwest.  I can assure Bishop Emilio that he will not see occasional snowfall, just an occasional hurricane or two.  

To the Priests, Deacons, and joy-filled laity, thank you all for being a wonderful family of faith, hope, and love.  I look forward to my continued home here assisting the new Bishop pastorally, in any manner I can.  I also look forward to more time for prayer, study and travel.

As of today, I am officially the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Venice in Florida and have been appointed its Apostolic Administrator until the day of Bishop-elect Agüero’s ordination which will take place on July 11, 2026.

It is my great privilege to present to you Bishop-elect Emilio Biosca Agüero.

+ Frank J. Dewane
Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Venice in Florida 

A Message from Bishop-elect Emilio Biosca Agüero, OFM Cap.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Having been informed by His Eminence, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed me Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, I accept this appointment with trust in the Providence of God.

I wish first to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Holy Father for his prayerful support and for the confidence he has placed in me through this appointment. Mindful of the weight of this responsibility, I entrust myself to Our Lady of Mercy and to St. Mark, co-patrons of this youthful and thriving Diocese of Venice.

I am thrilled to be here and filled with joy to begin this new chapter together in faith and charity. I am also eager to join you in the great task of evangelization, growing together in our knowledge of Christ and sharing the profound hope of the gospel.

I wish to express sincere gratitude to Bishop Dewane, who has faithfully shepherded this local Church for twenty years. His pastoral charity, generous heart, and warm welcome have already been a great gift to me. I look forward to continuing to seek his guidance as I begin this ministry.

With particular affection, I thank my Capuchin Provincial Minister, Fr. Robert Marva, the members of the Provincial Council, Fr. Brian, Fr. Paul and Fr. John Paul, and my capuchin brothers for their fraternal and prayerful support throughout my life.

I thank Cardinal McElroy and Bishop Esposito from the Archdiocese of Washington for their support and attentiveness during these past few days, in preparation for this announcement.

Permit me to share with you one of the Sayings of Light and Love, of St. John of the Cross, which has accompanied me throughout my life:

#73 What does it profit you to give God one thing,
if He ask of you another?
Consider what – it is – God wants, and then do it.
You will as a result better satisfy your heart
than with that toward which you yourself are inclined.

I look forward to entering into the life of this local Church: to know its people, to understand its history, to appreciate its customs and traditions, and to learn the events that have shaped the spiritual character of this region. I hope to discover not only the history written in books and archives, but also the living history preserved in families, parishes, neighborhoods and their witness to Christ.

To the Priests of the Diocese of Venice, my principal and closest collaborators, I offer my fraternal greetings and deep respect. I look forward to meeting with you in small groups and individually, praying with you, listening, and serving with you.

To the women and men religious serving in the diocese, thank you for the witness of your consecrated lives. I hope soon to meet you personally, and to support your evangelical form of life in the Church.

I also extend my gratitude to the lay leaders of the diocese and of the parishes, whose fidelity and generous service prove indispensable to the mission and structure of the Church. Your witness in marriage and extended family reveals the vitality of the Gospel lived in daily life.

Today, the Catholic Church in the United States stands at an important and historic moment as the new edition of the Liturgy of the Hours is prepared for distribution. Not since 1975 has there been such a significant revision of this treasured prayer of the Church. I am eager to listen to creative initiatives that will help us receive this new edition fruitfully and renew the Church’s life of prayer, and our own life of prayer. In rediscovering the beauty of the Church’s daily prayer, may we deepen our communion with Christ and strengthen the spiritual foundations of our mission. 

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Queridos hermanos y hermanas de la Diocesis de Venice en la Florida:

Con gran alegria y gratitud a Dios, he aceptado el nombramiento, por divina providencia, del Papa Leon XIV para ser su Obispo.

Vengo a orar y a servir junto a ustedes. Espero conocer personalmente a nuestras familias, comunidades y parroquias, y compartir juntas la alegria del Evangelia. Les pido sus oraciones mientras comenzamos este camino unido en Cristo.

La comunidad hispana ocupa un lugar muy importante en la vida de nuestra diocesis. Se estima que mas de una tercera parte de los catolicos son hispanohablantes o de origen hispano. N uestra fe, nuestras tradiciones, y nuestro amor por la familia enriquecen profundamente a toda la Iglesia.

Nuestra diocesis abarca diez condados: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Henqry, Highlands, Lee, Manat􀀥e. y Sarasota. En cada uno de ellos, la presencia y el testimonio de la comunidad hispana continuan fortaleciendo la mision evangelizadora de la Iglesia.

Que la Santisima Virgen Maria y San Jose nos acompafien y guien siempre hacia nuestro Salvador Jesucristo. jQue Dios los bendiga y los Ilene de su paz y amor!

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I ask for your prayers, that I may serve faithfully and joyfully as a shepherd after the Heart of Christ the Good Shepherd. God Bless you.

Bishop-Elect Emilio Biosca Agüero, ofmcap