FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Thousands of people came together to say goodbye to Bishop Frank Dewane, a Catholic leader who spent nearly two decades serving communities across Southwest Florida.

Dewane led the Diocese of Venice for nearly 20 years, serving roughly 260,000 Catholics across ten counties in Southwest Florida before retiring in May

The farewell brought together people from far beyond the region, including faith leaders from Dewane’s hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Father John Girotti, who lives near the farm where Dewane grew up, made the trip to pay his respects.

“The Catholic Church is a family. We’re a family of faith, and we all grieve when one of our brothers and sisters dies, especially a bishop who is a successor of the apostles and the leader of the church,” Girotti said.

Girotti said that while he had limited interactions with the bishop, Dewane left a lasting impression.

“He was a very warm personality. He remembered my name…and just a wonderful person. His reputation pursues him as a holy man of God,” Girotti said.

Parishioners remembered Dewane as someone who made time for everyone.

“He made himself available to all the parishes. We have missions also within the parish, and he made himself available to those as well, to the less fortunate, those that were struggling. He visited sick people,” said Lazaro Miel, vice chairman of the Diocese of Venice.

Miel is also a member of the Knights on Bikes, a group that serves through the Knights of Columbus. He said Dewane supported their community work, and in return, the group joined the procession to accompany the bishop on his final journey.

Miel said the show of support was a way to honor the role Dewane played in everyone’s lives. “It is important because he was a part of our lives in one way or another,” he said.

One parishioner told WINK News that even though she knew the bishop had endured a lengthy health battle, she was surprised to hear of his passing and saddened that he did not get to enjoy his retirement.

Bishop Dewane was escorted by his family, Lee County Sheriff’s deputies and the Knights on Bikes to Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, where he was laid to rest in the Bishops’ Crypt.

Watch the full funeral video above