Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando

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Location
TerritoryCounties of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Marion, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, and Sumter
Ecclesiastical provinceMiami
MetropolitanJohn Favalora Archbishop of Miami
Statistics
Population
- Total
369,151 Catholics
Information
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedMarch 2, 1968
CathedralSt. James Cathedral
Patron saintSt. James
Current leadership
PopeBenedict XVI
Website
www.orlandodiocese.org

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando (Latin: Dioecesis Orlandensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Florida. It was established on June 18, 1968.[1] Prior to that the Central Florida area was part of the Diocese of St. Augustine. Today the diocese encompasses nine counties including Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Marion, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, and Sumter. The Diocese of Orlando currently includes 73 parishes, 10 missions, and 37 schools. St. James Cathedral serves as the seat of the diocese. Thomas Wenski serves as bishop.

In 2006, the population of the diocese was estimated at 369,151 Catholics.[2] There are 271 priests, 103 religious nuns, and 191 ordained deacons. Twenty-two men are studying for the priesthood.[3]

Administration

For administrative purposes, the diocese has five deaneries centered in the following towns[4]:

  • Eastern Deanery (Volusia County) - Daytona Beach
  • Southern Deanery (Brevard County) – Melbourne
  • Northern Deanery (Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties) – The Villages
  • Western Deanery (Polk County) – Lakeland
  • Central Deanery (Osceola, Orange, Seminole Counties) – Orlando

The diocese operated the San Pedro Center[5] for the benefit of over 10,000 retreatants during 2008.[3]

Diocese administration contains the following organizations: Office of Communication, Office of Advocacy and Justice, Office of Hispanic Ministry, Office of Family Life and Pastoral Care, Campus Ministry, Office of Finance and Accounting, Office of Human Resources, Buena Nueva FM 104.1,[6] El Clarin, The Florida Catholic, IT, Media Center, Youth/Young Adults, Catholic Charities of Central Florida (including Pathways to Care), Bishop Grady Villas, Tourism Ministries, Mission Office, Propagation of the Faithm and Farmworker Ministry.[3]

The diocese raised $10 million from its parishes in 2007 to support its ministries.[3]

Ministries

1,342 couples participated in the marriage program under the Family Life Office in 2007.[3]

In the diocese, 1,000 people were prepared and entered the church in 2008.[3]

Over 900 people are trained to minister to the sick as of 2007.[3]

The diocese has a sister diocese in the Dominican Republic. Missioners built two churches and one community center. The medical mission helped 2000 patients in 2007.[3]

The diocese has an Apostleship of the Sea ministry at the Stella Maris Center in Port Canaveral, Florida for the benefit of seafarers.[7]

Catholic Charities

In 2007, Catholic Charities gave food and financial assistance to 23,000 families; helped over 290 refugee families and 4000 people with immigration issues; and visited 2000 prisoners. Pathways to Care assisted 290 homeless people with medical and shelter.[3]

Other diocesan ministries

  • Council of Catholic Women[8]

Education

In 2007 there were 12,116 elementary, and 2,687 high school students enrolled in the Diocesan Catholic schools. There were 816 elementary and 221 high school teachers in the Catholic School District.[9]

Within the diocese more than 29,000 young students are educated in religion by 4,069 catechists and religious educators. [3]

Schools operated by the Diocese of Orlando

The Superintendent of Schools was Harry Purpur.[10]

In 2007, there were 14,500 students in the 37 schools in the diocesan school system. This includes 31 elementary schools, 5 high schools and one special education school.[10]

In 2008, the National Catholic Educational Association recognized the diocesan school board as "outstanding", the only diocesan board to be so recognized.[11] At the same time, the Father Lopez Catholic High School Board was simultaneously recognized as outstanding; also the only school board to be so designated.

Secondary schools

The average tuition at diocesan high schools for 2007-8 was $7,476 annually. The average annual cost to educate each student was $10,297.[10] The schools are:

Elementary schools

The average tuition for diocesan elementary schools in 2007-8 was $4,162. The actual average cost of educating each student was $5,610.[10]

Central Deanery

Eastern Deanery[10]
The average tuition for deanery elementary schools in 2007-8 was $3,749.

The actual average cost of education was $5,733.

History

Hernando de Soto, explored Florida in 1539. Indians around Cape Canaveral were hostile to the Spaniards and allowed no mission centers.

Florida was first part of the Church of Havana, Cuba, as early as 1606. Bishops of Santiago de Cuba ministered to Catholics in Florida until 1763. That was the year England acquired Florida from Spain. The first mass migration to the New World took place when hundreds of Catholics from Minorca settled in New Smyrna in 1768. They were members there of San Pedro Church until they abandoned that Atlantic coastal site in 1777 and moved north to St. Augustine. Cuban bishops resumed control after Florida was returned to Spain in 1783.

In 1858, Bishop Augustin Verot became Vicar Apostolic of part of Georgia and all of Florida. He became Bishop of Savannah in 1861 and remained Vicar Apostolic of Florida.

In 1870, the Diocese of St. Augustine, including all of Florida, was formed with Verot its first bishop. The Diocese of Orlando was established on June 18, 1968. Prior to that time, Central Florida was part of the Diocese of St. Augustine. At its formation, the new diocese consisted of fifty parishes and served 128,000 Catholics. Because of the growth of the Orlando metropolitan area, engendered by the opening of DisneyWorld and other tourist destinations, the diocese became one of the fastest growing ones in the nation. It 2007 it included 73 parishes, 10 missions, and 37 schools spread over the nine counties of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Marion, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, and Sumter. It serves a population of approximately 350,000 Catholics.[8] The patroness of the Diocese of Orlando, is Mary, the Mother of God.

Orlando’s first bishop was William D. Borders who was installed on June 14, 1968. Border’s achievements included establishing parish councils, parish education boards, participation of the laity as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, a Sisters’ Council, a migrant ministry apostolate staffed by full-time personnel, and a campus ministry program which was acclaimed nationally.

Thomas J. Grady was installed as bishop on December 16, 1974. Grady was shepherd of the diocese during a period of dramatic growth. He established eighteen new parishes, a tourism ministry, San Pedro Center -- a centrally-located spiritual life center, a sister diocese in the Dominican Republic; and, he encouraged the greater participation of women in the work of the Church. At the end of his tenure in 1990, the Catholic population of the diocese had grown over 76% and the number of parishes had increased by more than a third.

During Grady's tenure, the Cathedral of the diocese was changed due to a fire. St. Charles Borromeo Church was the diocesan Cathedral. On October 1, 1976, it was destroyed by fire. On March 25, 1977, St. James Church in downtown Orlando became the new Cathedral.

Norbert M. Dorsey, was installed as bishop on May 25, 1990. Under Dorsey’s leadership, the diocese has added parishes and schools, as well as expanded the ministry to the growing Hispanic community through establishing Radio Paz and health clinics for migrant and farm workers. Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine was established as a church built in the midst of the tourist area, for visitors to attend Mass and pray; and, Bishop Grady Villas, a residential community for adults whose primary diagnosis is mental retardation. Bishop Grady Villas opened January 1, 2004. Dorsey also established a cemetery at San Pedro Retreat Center for priests of the diocese.

Thomas G. Wenski was appointed bishop on November 13, 2004. In July of 2003, Wenski became the first Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Orlando.

The past bishops of the diocese are:[12]

  1. William Donald Borders (1968–1974)
  2. Thomas Joseph Grady (1974–1989)
  3. Norbert Mary Leonard James Dorsey (1990–2004)
  4. Thomas Gerard Wenski (2004—)

Parishes

The Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine Church from a different angle.

There are 93 parishes in the Diocese of Orlando.[13]

Media

The dioceses owns the Spanish-language radio station Buena Neuva 104.1 FM which reaches six counties of the nine comprising the diocese.[14]

Newspaper

A localized version of the Florida Catholic Newspaper is published 38 times a year. Diocesan circulation is 40,200, the highest in the eccesiastical province of Miami.[15]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Orlando Diocese official website
  2. ^ The Florida Catholic newspaper
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wenski, Thomas (2008). Grow. Lead. Share. Diocese of Orlando.
  4. ^ http://www.orlandodiocese.org/clergy_religious/deacons/index.htm
  5. ^ San Pedro website accessed January 28, 2008
  6. ^ Buena Nueva FM 104,1 website accessed January 28, 2008
  7. ^ AOS Port Canaveral Seafarers Center retrieved April 17, 2008
  8. ^ a b Dodson, Laura (April 18–24, 2008). Forty years of growth and social change will mark women's convention. Florida Catholic.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) Cite error: The named reference "d0408" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ http://www.orlandodiocese.org/stewardship/appeal07/lead.htm
  10. ^ a b c d e Florida Today, January 20, 2008."Parochials in a pinch." Brennan, Kate
  11. ^ staff (April 11–17, 2008). Father Lopez High School and Diocese of Orlando school boards receive national recognition. Florida Catholic.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
  12. ^ http://www.orlandodiocese.org/our_diocese/history/index.htm
  13. ^ Orlando Diocese official website
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:HsX9x1sSyXQJ:www.catholicstandard.org/images/national.pdf+circulation+%22Florida+Catholic%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us accessed September 27

See also

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