Epiphany Cathedral (Venice, Florida)

Epiphany Cathedral
Location in Florida
27°06′04″N 82°26′56″W / 27.1012°N 82.4488°W / 27.1012; -82.4488Coordinates: 27°06′04″N 82°26′56″W / 27.1012°N 82.4488°W / 27.1012; -82.4488
Location	310 Sarasota St. Venice, Florida
Country	United States
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church
Website	www.epiphanycathedral.org
History
Founded	1955
Architecture
Style	Modern
Completed	1980
Administration
Diocese	Venice in Florida
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Frank J. Dewane
Rector	Rev. John F. Costello

Epiphany Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Venice, Florida, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Venice.

Epiphany Parish can trace its founding to 1935 when it became a mission station of St. Martha Parish in Sarasota, Florida. The mission was founded, in part, because the faculty and students at the Kentucky Military Institute had to make a 36 mile round trip journey to attend Mass in Sarasota. The first Mass in the mission was celebrated in the Gulf Theatre for 20 people. The Rev. Charles Elslander was the pastor at St. Martha's at the time. The first Epiphany Church was the former chapel from the Venice Army Airfield. It was moved from the base to the corner of Tampa Avenue and Nassau Street in 1947. It was purchased and furnished for $11,165.30. Epiphany became a parish on March 7, 1955 and the Rev. Michael M. Reynolds was named as the parish’s first pastor. St. Raphael’s Parish was founded from Epiphany in 1958.

Ground was broken for a new church in 1959 and it was completed the following year. The former church was renovated into a parish hall. A mission was established from Epiphany in Warm Mineral Springs. It became San Pedro Parish two years later. As the parish continued to expand Marian Hall was built in 1978 to accommodate more Masses and other parish functions. Ground for the present church was broken in February 1979. It was dedicated by Bishop W. Thomas Larkin of St. Petersburg on June 29, 1980. The previous church was remodeled for a parish hall and the original church was torn down.

Pope John Paul II established the Diocese of Venice on June 16, 1984. Epiphany became the cathedral for the new diocese. Bishop John J. Nevins was installed as the diocese’s first bishop. Two years later Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice was founded from Epiphany Cathedral. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Osprey was founded from the cathedral in 2001. On July 25, 2006 Frank J. Dewane was ordained coadjutor bishop of Venice. He was the first bishop ordained in the cathedral.