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WASHINGTON (January 19, 2007)—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop John J. Nevins, 75, first Bishop of the Diocese of Venice, Florida.
Most Reverend Frank J. Dewane, appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Venice on April 25, 2006, now becomes head of the diocese.
Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement.
Frank J. Dewane was born in Green Bay, March 9, 1950, and attended public elementary and secondary schools in Denmark, Wisconsin. From 1968 to 1972 he studied at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. From 1973 to 1975, he studied at American University, Washington, D.C., obtaining a Masters in Administration in the field of international affairs. During 1975-76 he studied at George Washington University.
From 1976 to 1983 he worked for various international companies, especially in Russia.
He entered the Seminary of Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1983. After a brief period in the Seminary of the Holy Cross, he decided to enter the diocesan seminary. From 1984 to 1988 he studied at the North American College, Rome, attaining a bachelor in theology from the Gregorian University in 1986 and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Angelicum in 1988.
Bishop Dewane was ordained a priest of the Green Bay diocese, July 16, 1988.
Following ordination, he was Parochial Vicar, SS. Peter and Paul Church, Green Bay, 1989-1991, an official of the Green Bay diocesan tribunal, 1989-1991, Collaborator of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See at the United Nations, 1991-1995, and an official of the Pontifical Council, "Cor Unum," 1995-2001.
Bishop Dewane was serving as Undersecretary for the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace when he was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Venice, April 25, 2006. He was ordained July 25, 2006.
John J. Nevins was born in New Rochelle, NY, January 19, 1932. He earned a Master of Arts degree at Tulane University, studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, and was ordained a priest of the Miami archdiocese, June 6, 1959. Appointed Titular Bishop of Rusticiana and Auxiliary Bishop of Miami on January 25, 1979, he was ordained March 24, 1979. He was appointed first Bishop of Venice July 27, 1984, and installed October 25, 1984.
Along with the Diocese of Palm Beach, the Diocese of Venice was created in 1984 from portions of the Archdiocese of Miami and the dioceses of Orlando and St. Petersburg.
The Diocese of Venice includes the counties of Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, DeSoto, and Hardee, formerly in the Diocese of St. Petersburg; Highlands County, formerly in the Diocese of Orlando; Collier, Henry, and Glades counties, formerly in the Archdiocese of Miami. It is a 9,035 square mile area of southwest Florida.
Venice has a Catholic population of about 233,000 in a total population of 1.8 million.