In Memoriam - Rev. Msgr. Frank M. Mouch
Memorial mass for former Saint Leo president to be held next week
Monsignor Frank Messman Mouch, 93, former Saint Leo president, passed away on Thursday, April 16, 2026. He was under Hospice care at the St. John XXIII Retirement Residence in Lutz, following a steady decline in health.
The bells of Saint Leo Abbey Church will ring 93 times at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 20, in his memory. A memorial Mass will be held at the Abbey Church next week, and additional details will be shared as they become available.
Monsignor Mouch was born on July 25, 1932, in Sandusky, Ohio. He graduated from high school at the Pontifical College Josephinium, in Worthington, Ohio, where he also would complete his undergraduate studies in philosophy and his graduate studies in theology, earning a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained on June 10, 1958, for the Diocese of St. Augustine.
During his nearly 68 years of priestly ministry, he served on the faculty of the Josephinium and later returned to serve as rector. He also earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Florida and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (“Angelicum”) in Rome.
Upon the establishment of the Diocese of St. Petersburg on June 17, 1968, Monsignor Mouch was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Saint Petersburg, and in 1984, he was incardinated in the Diocese of Venice, while continuing to reside in the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
From 1987 to 1996, he served as president of Saint Leo College (now Saint Leo University).
From 1999 until his retirement in 2002, Monsignor Mouch served the Diocese of Saint Petersburg as its secretary for Pastoral Programs. In that role, he provided guidance and theological consultation to the diocese’s Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, helping establish a foundation for the program in its early years.
While in retirement, Monsignor Mouch continued to assist parishes and serve the diocese. He also was among the initial residents and a champion of the St. John XXIII Retirement Residence, encouraging his brother priests to live together in community during their retirement years.
Monsignor Mouch is remembered for his commitment to Catholic education, his pastoral leadership, and his years of service to Saint Leo and the wider church.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.