Funeral services underway for longtime Venice Bishop Frank Dewane

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WWSB) - Funeral services are underway for longtime Venice Bishop Frank Dewane.Mourners gathered this morning for prayers at Saint John the XXIII Catholic Church in Fort Myers, where Bishop Dewane lies in state.His funeral Mass is set for 2 p.m. this afternoon in Fort Myers, followed by burial at 6 p.m. in the Bishops’ Crypt at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice.Dewane died October 7 at the age of 76, months after resigning as bishop.PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Funeral arrangements announced for Bishop Emeritus Frank J. DewaneHe led the Diocese of Venice for nearly two decades and its more than 200,000 Catholics along the Gulf Coast.Dewane was first appointed to Venice by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, after serving as a diplomat for the Vatican and on several key U.S. bishops’ committees.ABC7 will provide live coverage of the funeral Mass on its streaming platforms and website at MySuncoast.com beginning at 2 p.m. this afternoon.