Throughout the Universal Church the Faithful gathered for a joyous celebration on Easter; that is the Resurrection of Our Lord, the Summit of the Catholic Faith.
This celebration comes after the holiest of weeks which began with the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and included the suffering and death of Our Lord. The Resurrection on Easter completes the journey for Jesus when death was conquered. This moment marks the beginning of a new journey of belief and hope for all the faithful, Bishop Frank J. Dewane said during the Easter Vigil Mass, April 4, 2026, at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice.
“Humanity has never really known a single night so powerful as tonight, during this Easter Vigil – so majestic, so holy – the greatest night, when the power of death is conquered,” Bishop Dewane said. “Our Faith flows from our belief in the Resurrection. Christ’s victory over sin and death means new life for us all – from darkness to light, from suffering to joy. Easter is the proof of God’s love for humanity.”
The Easter Vigil, which takes place after sunset on Holy Saturday night, “is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities and it is to be unique in every single Church,” according to the Roman Missal. At Epiphany Cathedral, the Vigil began in darkness before the Easter fire was kindled and the Paschal Candle was lit, and then carried down the main aisle by a Deacon, into the darkened church with the proclamation “The Light of Christ,” to which the Faithful responded, “Thanks be to God.”
The Gospel reading tells of the Mary Magdalene and the other Mary who went to the tomb of Jesus to complete the anointing of Jesus’ body properly, even though they knew a great stone was in their way. The women were carried by their faith, hope and love for Jesus Christ because following a great darkness, the sun had risen that Easter morning. When they arrive at the tomb, the stone is rolled away and they encounter an Angel who said, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”
“Christ presents Himself as he rose from the dead,” Bishop Dewane said. “Yes. He saved us and He presents Himself for all of us to respond. We have to look at it in the same way in our own lives, see the stone that I need to roll away. It is there. Christ knows it and wants to help us so that there is nothing interfering in our relationship with Him. It is what the Resurrection is all about.”
Bishop Dewane said Easter is the perfect time to slow down in our own lives and go into that tomb of Christ, so that we come to understand how profound that action was.
“Seeing that the stone was rolled away, we have to believe. May that be the grace that sets upon each one of us as a result of this Easter celebration,” Bishop Dewane said.
During this Mass, the Faithful heard Salvation history proclaimed in numerous Scripture readings. It is also at this time when the Bishop/priests confer the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation for the catechumens and candidates. At Parishes throughout the Diocese of Venice, there were 1,077 women and men who entered fully into the Catholic Church, an enormous number for a Diocese the size of Venice, and a 94% increase over 2025. Among that number are 19 Diocesan Catholic high school students.
At Epiphany Cathedral, Bishop Dewane presided over five baptisms, while a group of 11 were confirmed. The Bishop lauded the catechumen and candidates for having the courage and strength to hear the call of the Lord in their lives and respond in a definitive way.
The newly confirmed at Epiphany Cathedral could not hold back their excitement upon receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation at the Easter Vigil. Candace Kerns, who received three sacraments, baptism, confirmation and First Holy Communion, couldn’t stop smiling because of the overwhelming joy and love of Christ she felt come upon her during the Mass. She credits a friend with introducing her to “Word on Fire,” an online series developed by Bishop Robert Barron, which got her interested in becoming Catholic. “I feel the burdens lifted from me,” Kerns said, “and so welcomed during this beautiful celebration.”
The celebration of Easter is not confined to a single day, in fact, throughout the next 50 days the Easter Season is celebrated “in joyful exultation as one Feast Day, or better as one ‘great Sunday.’”
The first days of the Easter Season make up the Octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord. On the 40th day of the Season, Catholics celebrate the Ascension of the Lord (May 14, which is transferred to the following Sunday on May 17 in most Dioceses in the U.S., including the Diocese of Venice), and for the nine days following, in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (May 24). The Liturgical Calendar then returns to Ordinary Time.
The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper at St. Paul Parish in Arcadia includes the commemoration when Jesus Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion prior to His arrest and crucifixion. It also observes His institution of the priesthood. This Liturgy included the presentation of the oils blessed and consecrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane during the March 31, 2026, Chrism Mass, at St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs, holy oils which will be used for the Sacraments in the Parishes throughout the year. Later was the traditional washing of the feet, reenacting Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples. Following the Prayer after Communion, the Mass concluded with a procession to transfer the Holy Eucharist to a place of repose in the Parish Hall. This action left the tabernacle vacant until the Easter Vigil.
On Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, the Faithful at St. Raphael Parish in Lehigh Acres participated in the liturgy. This celebration is not a Mass, as the hosts offered at Communion were consecrated on Holy Thursday. The liturgy included the reading of the Passion from the Gospel of John. Next was the presentation of the cross, brought forth unveiled as: “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.” These words were sung and the congregation responded: “Come let us adore.” The faithful were then encouraged to venerate the cross. The cross at St. Raphael was first venerated by the priests, altar servers and choir, before it was brought to parishioners who were not able to come forward. Each person who venerated the cross did so by a touch, a bow, or a genuflection.
For the third year in a row, a public Stations of the Cross took place in downtown Venice, starting at Epiphany Cathedral and proceeding into nearby Centennial Park and then down Venice Avenue. Nearly 1,000 took part, including members of the youth group, as the streets were temporarily blocked for the occasion. In addition, faithful from St. Martha, St. Patrick, St. Thomas More, Incarnation, St. Jude and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parishes in Sarasota took part in the annual Sarasota Ministerial Association Good Friday Stations of the Cross on Main Street. About 750 participated with several Catholic priests and deacons leading the readings at the different stations.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Avon Park included the commemoration when Jesus Christ established the Sacrament of Holy Communion prior to His arrest and crucifixion. It also observes His institution of the priesthood. This Liturgy included the presentation of the oils blessed and consecrated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane during the March 26 Chrism Mass, at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, which will be used for the Sacraments in the Parish throughout the year. Later was the traditional washing of the feet, reenacting Jesus washing the feet of the Disciples. Following the Prayer after Communion, the Mass concluded with a procession to transfer the Holy Eucharist to a place of repose in the Parish Hall. This action left the tabernacle vacant until the Easter Vigil.
On Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, the faithful at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples participated in the Liturgy which included the reading of the Passion from the Gospel of John. Next was the presentation of the cross, brought forth by the priest and unveiled as the priest sang: “This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the salvation of the world,” and the congregation responded: “Come let us adore.” The faithful were then encouraged to come forward to venerate the cross. This was done by either touching, bowing, or genuflecting.
For the first time, a public Stations of the Cross took place in downtown Venice, starting at Epiphany Cathedral and proceeding into nearby Centennial Park and then down Venice Avenue. Approximately 800 took part, including members of the youth group, as streets were temporarily blocked.
