The Diocese of Venice was established by St. John Paul II in 1984 from parts of the Archdiocese of Miami, Diocese of Orlando and the Diocese of St. Petersburg. Bishop Emeritus John J. Nevins was the founding Bishop and served until his retirement in January 2007. Most Reverend Bishop Frank J. Dewane serves as the spiritual leader of more than 227,000 Catholics in the 10-county Diocese of Venice in Florida. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 as the second Bishop of the Diocese and took over all duties January 2007. The Diocese of Venice now includes the counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota.