A Mass of Christian Burial for Bishop Frank J. Dewane
was celebrated on Wednesday, October 14, at 2:00 p.m.

Bishop Dewane’s Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed for those who were unable to attend in person. You can view a recording of the Funeral Mass in the video above; it is preceded by a Eulogy given by a longtime friend.
Please join us in praying for the repose of the soul of our beloved shepherd, the Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop Emeritus,
and second bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida for almost two decades.

Bishop Dewane, you were an extraordinary man, priest, shepherd, leader and friend.
You will be greatly missed, and lovingly remembered.

Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane

Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Venice in Florida

March 9, 1950 – October 7, 2026

Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, ordained to the priesthood July 16, 1988, in the Diocese of Green Bay, served as a priest for 38 years; 20 of those years, he served as faithful shepherd to more than 260,000 Catholics in Southwest Florida as bishop of the Diocese of Venice.

Born March 9, 1950, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to Ben and Eleanor Dewane, Bishop Dewane held a degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and completed studies at American University in Washington, D.C., University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and Pontifical Gregorian University and Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy. Before entering the seminary, he worked for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in Moscow, Russia, and then for a subsidiary of PepsiCo in New York, New York.

As a priest, he held a number of posts at the Vatican, including an assignment representing the Holy See at the United Nations in New York City. On April 25, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI named him Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida. On July 25, 2006, Bishop Dewane was ordained and consecrated as a bishop, succeeding Bishop John J. Nevins on Jan. 19, 2007, as the second Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida.

The Diocese of Venice, while mourning the loss of their beloved Bishop Emeritus, gives thanks to God for the gift of his life and for the many ways in which he served the Church, and the remarkable legacy of faithful service he leaves behind. His years as a priest and bishop were marked by a sincere love for Christ, His Church, and the people entrusted to his pastoral care, especially those most in need. The Diocese asks all the members of the faithful to join them in praying for the repose of Bishop Dewane’s soul, that the Lord may welcome His faithful servant into eternal life, and for the consolation of his family.

Bishop Dewane is survived by his brother John (Jack), and two sisters, Margaret (Peggy), and Mary, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Bishop Dewane will lie in state beginning at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Epiphany Cathedral Parish Hall, 350 Tampa Ave. W., Venice. (The Viewing will take place in the Parish Hall as Epiphany Cathedral is currently under renovation.) A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, at St. John XXIII Catholic Church, 13060 Palomino Lane, Fort Myers. All are welcome to attend.

Interment will be at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice immediately following the Funeral Mass. Bishop Dewane will be laid to rest in the Epiphany Cathedral Bishops’ Crypt. At a later date, a Mass of Remembrance will be celebrated at Bishop Dewane’s home parish, St. James Church, Cooperstown, Wisconsin.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Bishop Dewane Endowment Fund for the Poor with the Catholic Community Foundation of Southwest Florida: https://ccfdioceseofvenice.org/fund/bishop-dewane-endowment-fund-for-the-poor/

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Bishop Dewane Obituary (click here)

Official Portrait, 2026 (click here for image file)

Bishop Dewane’s Episcopal Coat of Arms (image file) (description)

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Announcement of the Death of the Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane,
Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida

Venice, Fla., October 7, 2026 – With heartfelt sorrow Most Reverend Emilio E. Biosca, O.F.M. Cap., Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida, announces that the Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Venice in Florida, has died, after a brief illness.

“It is with profound sadness, yet with faith in the promise of the Resurrection, that I announce the passing of the Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Venice in Florida. Bishop Dewane died this morning at 3:00 a.m., October 7, 2026, on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, surrounded by close family and friends,” Bishop Biosca said.

Bishop Frank J. Dewane, ordained to the priesthood in 1988, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the second bishop of the Diocese of Venice in 2006, following Bishop John J. Nevins, the Diocese’s founding bishop; Bishop Dewane served as bishop of the Diocese of Venice until his retirement earlier this year, on May 13, 2026. He served as the Diocese’s Apostolic Administrator until July 11, 2026, and as Bishop Emeritus until his death.

“As we mourn the loss of Bishop Dewane, we also give thanks to God for the gift of his life and for the many ways in which he served the Church,” said Bishop Biosca. “Bishop Dewane leaves behind a remarkable legacy of faithful service to the Church. For nearly two decades, he served as the spiritual shepherd of the Diocese of Venice. His years as a priest and bishop were marked by a sincere love for Christ, His Church, and the people entrusted to his pastoral care, especially those most in need. Please join me in praying for the repose of Bishop Dewane’s soul, that the Lord may welcome His faithful servant into eternal life.“

Funeral arrangements are pending and will be made available as soon as they are finalized. The Diocese of Venice asks all the members of the faithful to remember Bishop Dewane in their prayers. May the soul of Bishop Dewane and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

O God, who chose your servant Bishop Dewane from among your priests and endowed him with pontifical dignity in the apostolic priesthood, grant, we pray, that he may also be admitted to their company forever. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen Barry Schwarz | schwarz@dioceseofvenice.org

941-441-1118 (o) | 941-275-5183 (c)

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Biography of Bishop Dewane and key statistics

https://dioceseofvenice.org/biography-of-bishop-dewane-and-key-statistics/

Bishop Dewane celebrated on 20th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, Aug. 4, 2026

https://dioceseofvenice.org/bishop-dewane-celebrated-on-20th-anniversary-of-his-episcopal-ordination/

Pastoral reflections on two decades as faithful Shepherd

https://dioceseofvenice.org/pastoral-reflections-on-two-decades-as-faithful-shepherd/

Leader of the Diocese reflects on leadership

https://dioceseofvenice.org/leader-of-the-diocese-reflects-on-leadership/