Diocese of Orlando

Bishop John Noonan and the Diocese of Orlando have announced the following round of appointments:

Effective August 1, 2011:

• Rev. Longin Buhake is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. Timothy

Effective August 9, 2011:

• Father Jesus Arroyave is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Ann Catholic Church in Haines City
• Father Juan Daniel Petrino is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Orlando

Effective August 20, 2011:

• Father Eugeiusz Grytner, SDS is appointed Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Bartow

Effective September 1, 2011:

• Father Jean Aland, CICM is appointed Parochial Vicar of St. Teresa Catholic Church in Titusville
• Father Augusto Cadavid is appointed Parochial Vicar of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Clermont and will tend to the Spanish community of Santo Toribio Romo Mission
• Father Ralph Duwell is appointed parochial administrator of Nativity Catholic Church in Longwood
• Father John Kudiyiruppil, M.S.T. is appointed Parochial Vicar of Nativity Catholic Church in Longwood

St. James Cathedral, Orlando

This afternoon, the Diocese of Orlando announced the following appointments by Bishop John Noonan:

• Resignation accepted for Fr. John Ryan effective August 1st.
• Father Thomas Barrett is appointed Pastor of St. Brendan Catholic Church in Ormond Beach effective September 1st.
• Father Jesus Arroyave is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. John Vianney in Orlando effective August 9th.
• Father Thomas Hurtado is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. Francis of Assisi in Apopka effective August 9th.
• Father Lionel Pacheco is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. Thomas of Aquinas in St. Cloud effective August 1st.
• Father Richard Tuttle is appointed as Parochial Vicar of St. Rose of Lima in Kissimmee effective July 7th.
• Father Peter J. Walsh is appointed as Associate Pastor of St. John Evangelist in Viera effective August 21st. St. John the Evangelist is served by the Congregation of the Most Holy Cross.

The Diocese also announced the following appointments for the Orlando Presbyteral Council:

President

• Bishop John Noonan, Diocese of Orlando

Ex Officio Members

• Very Reverend Esau Garcia, V. F. (South Central Dean)
• Very Reverend John Giel, V. F. (Northern Dean)
• Very Reverend Miguel Gonzalez, Vicar for Priests
• Very Reverend Paul Henry, Vicar for Priests
• Very Reverend Sean Heslin, V. F. (Southern Dean)
• Very Reverend Stan Murray, V. F. (Eastern Dean)
• Very Reverend Gregory Parkes,V. G., Chancellor for Canonical Affairs
• Very Reverend Stephen Parkes, V.F. (North Central Dean)
• Very Reverend Peter Puntal, V. F. (Western Dean)
• Very Reverend Richard Walsh, V. G.

Representatives by Age

• 25-45: Father Karl Bergin
• 46-64: Father Richard Trout
• 65+: Father Nicholas King

Representative for Secular Priests Not Incardinated

• Father Roy Eco

Representative for Religious Priests

• Father Ben Berinti, C.PP.S.

Representative for Retired Priests

• Monsignor David Page

Appointed Members

• Father Ybain Ramirez
• Father Jean Gaetan Boursiquot

The Orlando Diocese also announced that Mr. Henry P. Fortier was appointed as the Secretary for Faith Formation/Superintendent of Catholic Schools. Additionally, Mr. Glenn Osborne will be leaving the post of Diocesan Director of Music. The new director, who will also assume the role of Director of Music for St. James Cathedral, will be Mr. Charles Thatcher, effective September 1st.

Word on the street is that even more appointments will be coming down the pipeline in the next few weeks. It will continue to be an interesting summer. Stay tuned, guys and gals.

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  Chancery of the Diocese of Orlando

  Father Charles Deeney is appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Apopka, effective August 1.

• Father Percival DeVera is appointed Parochial Vicar of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, effective August 1.
• Father Christopher Hoffman is appointed Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Port Orange, effective August 1.
• Father Gabriel Ipasu is appointed Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Deltona, effective July 1.
• Father Timothy LaBo is appointed Parochial Administrator of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, effective August 1.
• Father Kiskana Lemor, C.S.Sp. is appointed Parochial Vicar of Church of Our Saviour in Cocoa Beach, effective July 1.
• Father John Murray,C.SS.R., is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in New Smyrna Beach, effective August 1.
• Father Stephen Ogonwa is appointed Parochial Vicar of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Ormond Beach, effective August 1.
• Father Rodolfo Ramon is appointed Parochial Vicar of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kissimmee, effective August 1.
• Father Hector Vazquez is appointed Parochial Vicar of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Oviedo, effective August 1.
• Father Kent Walker is appointed Parochial Administrator of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud, effective July 1.

Bishop Noonan has also accepted the retirement of Monsignor Fabian Gimeno, who has served as pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in St. Cloud since July 1, 1982.

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  St. James Cathedral

  A “Mass to Avert the Storms” will be held on the first day of hurricane season (June 1st, which is tomorrow) at the Cathedral of St. James at 12:10 p.m. “At the start of hurricane season, we turn to God and pray that we will be spared from the ravages of nature this year. We pray for the safety of our nation and of our neighbors near and far.” Those in attendance will also be given the opportunity to take a tour of the emergency response trailer for Catholic Charities of Central Florida.

• On Saturday, June 4, 2011 at St. James Cathedral, Bishop John Noonan will commission sixteen lay ministers for the diocese during a Mass at 12:30 p.m. “The sixteen new lay ecclesial ministers represent 11 different parishes and were each recommended by their Pastor. They were supported and evaluated in an on-going process by their Pastor and a parish mentor over the course of the three years, demonstrating the strong parish and diocesan commitment to the development of the laity in the Diocese of Orlando.” (For my fellow St. Charles peeps, Ms. Earlene Mohr will be commissioned during the liturgy; I hope to see some of you there.)
• On Saturday, June 11, 2011, Bishop John Noonan will ordain five men to the permanent diaconate at a 10:00 a.m. ceremony at St. James in downtown Orlando. The newly ordained deacons will serve at St. Augustine, St. John Neumann, St. Thomas Aquinas, Ss. Peter and Paul, and St. Margaret Mary parishes.
• On June 26th, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Bishop Noonan will lead the annual Corpus Christi Procession around Lake Eola. The procession will begin following the completion of the 5:00 p.m. Mass outside of the Cathedral of St. James (around 6:15 p.m.). “This will be a joyous celebration that will unite our Catholic community as we publicly express our faith in the Eucharist, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If anything is added to the list in the coming days, you will be informed via the Twitter feed.

Chancery of the Diocese of Orlando

This morning, the Diocese of Orlando announced that Bishop John Noonan had made the following priestly assignment changes within the diocese:

• Bishop Noonan has accepted the resignation of Monsignor Patrick Caverly, former Vicar General of the Diocese and current pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs. Msgr. Caverly will remain as pastor emeritus at Annunciation.
• Fr. Stephen Parkes has been appointed Parochial Administrator of Annunciation Catholic Church. Fr. Parkes has served as Parochial Administrator of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church since its foundation in April 2005.
• Fr. Scott Circe, current Director of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations for the Diocese of Orlando, has been appointed Parochial Administrator of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Oviedo.
• Soon-to-be Fr. Nicholas Tocco, who will be ordained to the priesthood on May 28th, has been appointed Parochial Vicar of the Cathedral of St. James.

The previously scheduled protests at Dr. Phillips High School and Kennedy Space Center have been rescheduled for April 29th. There were no permitting requests for a rescheduled protest at Bishop Moore. Again, OPD has confirmed that the event has been canceled. Therefore, there is no longer a need for a prayer group to gather on Tuesday, April 19th from 2:45-3:45 p.m.

To those of you who replied to this event, I thank you for considering standing with the students of Bishop Moore.

If Westboro Baptist Church decides to reschedule the Bishop Moore protest, which is possible, I will let all of you know.

Thanks again!

On March 26, 2011, Westboro Baptist Church announced that its members would be coming to Orlando to protest outside of Bishop Moore Catholic High School. The protest, which is set to take place on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 from 3:00-3:30 p.m., will be directly in the middle of dismissal times for both Bishop Moore Catholic High School and St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School.

In response to this, I am planning a rosary prayer group to stand outside Bishop Moore Catholic High School from 2:45—3:45 p.m. This will be a time of SILENT PRAYER through which we will offer our prayers for:

• members of the Westboro Baptist Church that they may be transformed by the love of Christ;
• the safety of the students at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School and Bishop Moore Catholic High School;
• the Diocese of Orlando;
• the Pope;
• the Catholic Church; and,
• those who have yet to be transformed by the love, compassion and mercy of Jesus Christ.

Let me reiterate: this will be a time of silent prayer. It will NOT be an opportunity to sling unforgiving and callous remarks/comments back towards members of the Westboro Baptist Church group. Let me make myself perfectly clear: this will NOT turn into a shouting match between the two groups. If anyone from the Catholic side begins to turn it into a shouting match, I will personally ask them to leave.

Here are more details:

What: Rosary Prayer Group

When: Tuesday, April 19, 2011 from 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Where: Outside main entrance to Bishop Moore Catholic High School

Why: Members of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church will be protesting outside Bishop Moore Catholic High School. We will be praying for members of WBC, the students of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School and Bishop Moore Catholic High School, the Catholic Church, the Pope, and for all those who have yet to be transformed by God’s message of love, compassion, and mercy.

Please join me in praying for the intercession of our Blessed Mother.

Diocese of Orlando Chancery

Late this afternoon, the Diocese of Orlando released an email statement to Central Florida Catholics informing us that Robert Schaefer, director of music at St. James Cathedral, had been fired because of allegations of sexual abuse.

Reported to the diocese in a letter earlier today, the abuse occurred in Milwaukee during the early 1980s. According to the diocesan statement, the allegations were reported to local authorities at the time but no charges were ever filed against Mr. Schaefer, who has admitted to having an inappropriate relationship.

In accordance with diocesan policy, Bishop John Noonan immediately met with Mr. Schaefer to discuss the situation.

Robert Schaefer has been employed by the Diocese of Orlando since 1985 and has repeatedly passed numerous FBI and Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) background checks. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has been notified.

The official statement released by Carol Brinati, Chancellor for Administration, quoted Bishop John Noonan: “That this allegation of abuse occurred in another Diocese almost 30 years ago does not lessen the harm caused to the victim. We pray for all those involved in this situation.”

The diocese is asking anyone aware of sexual misconduct by any employee to report the offenses to the local authorities and to the Diocese of Orlando Victim Assistance Coordinator.

UPDATE: Below is the release by The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP):

SNAP has recently learned that a former choir director from Milwaukee, WI who is accused of sexually abusing an eleven year old boy is now working at St. James Cathedral in Orlando. Music Director Bob Schafer recently wrote a letter of apology to the victim who still lives in Milwaukee where the abuse occurred over 20 years ago.

Schafer worked as the choir director at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Milwaukee when he asked the victim…then 11 yrs old…to babysit. Schafer molested him that evening, and continued to do so for the next two years…The abuse occurred at least 25 times in Schafer’s home, his car and at the church.

Note: I am withholding the victim’s name.

For now, let’s continue to keep all those who have been affected by sexual abuse in our prayers.

Bishop John Ricard | Source: Divine Word Radio

On February 15, 2011, the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee reported that Bishop John Ricard had submitted his resignation to the Holy Father for medical reasons. You may recall, Bishop Ricard suffered a pretty serious stroke on December 22, 2009. According to diocesan officials, the bishop underwent multiple surgeries and intense physical rehabilitation in the weeks and months following his stroke.

Shortly after returning to a limited work schedule in January 2010, Ricard was rehospitalized after collapsing while celebrating a funeral Mass.

Truthfully, those of us throughout the state have been wondering when the bishop was going to submit his resignation to Pope Benedict XI. Despite our prayers and wishes for him to remain as the bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, we have been expecting this for some time.

With this announcement, there are two bishops within the state that have submitted resignations to the Holy Father. Bishop Victor Galeone of the Diocese of Saint Augustine submitted his resignation upon turning 75 last September.

Along with the appointment of Archbishop Thomas Wenski as Metropolitan Archbishop of Miami and Bishop John Noonan as Bishop of Orlando, four out of the seven dioceses in the state have experienced leadership transitions in the last year. However, it doesn’t end there.

Come May, six of the seven dioceses throughout the state will have appointed new Vocations Directors within the span of two years.

• During the summer of 2009, Bishop Galeone appointed Fr. Remek Blaszkowski as Director of Vocations and Fr. Daivd Ruchiniski as Assistant Director of Vocations for the Diocese of St. Augustine.
• In July 2010, Father Len Plazewski submitted his resignation as Vocations Director of the Diocese of St. Petersburg after serving in that position for twelve and a half years. Bishop Robert Lynch has appointed Fr. John Blum as Director of Vocations and Fr. Carl Melchior as Assistant Director of Vocations.
• In August 2010, Bishop John Ricard appointed Fr. Will Ganci as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
• In September 2010, Archbishop Thomas Wenski appointed Fr. David Zirilli as Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Miami. At the same time, Wenski also appointed the former vocations director, Fr. Roberto Garza, as Rector/President of St. John Vianney College Seminary.
• In November 2010, Bishop Frank Dewane appointed Father Cory Mayer as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Venice in Florida.

Now comes the latest appointment, a new vocations director for the Diocese of Orlando. It is expected that, in the next few weeks, Bishop John Noonan will appoint Fr. Jorge Torres as the new Director of Vocations for the Orlando diocese, succeeding Fr. Miguel Gonzalez. The appointment is not expected to be immediate, however. It is anticipated that Fr. Miguel will remain in the vocations office through May, when he will officially takeover responsibilities as Parochial Administrator of St. John Vianney Catholic Church.

Those of us within the Diocese of Orlando have come to cherish Fr. Miguel and all he has done to nurture vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Throughout the last six years, he has devoted all his time and effort to those young men and women who have responded to the Lord’s invitation to serve.

Being one of his “hijos”—sons—I have been given the privileged to have Fr. Miguel’s help in discovering my own vocation. I thank him tremendously for all the support he has shown me throughout the last couple of years. He will forever be a mentor, friend, and father-figure in my life. That being said, I could not think of a better choice for the new vocations director for the Orlando diocese.

Fr. Jorge Torres currently serves as Parochial Vicar of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Oviedo. That parish, one of the newest in Orlando, is currently in the middle of a building project. The ministries within the parish also serve the UCF Catholic community. Therefore, it is important to have two priests assigned there. So, expect some moves within the Diocese of Orlando over the next few months to accommodate these changes.

Stay tuned…more as it happens.

Source: Diocese of Orlando | YouTube

Bishop John Noonan in front of St. James Cathedral | Credit: Ann Rodriguez-Soto/The Florida Catholic

It’s been a little less than a month since Bishop John Noonan officially became the bishop of the Diocese of Orlando. Over the last few weeks, Bishop Noonan has been getting acquainted with his new diocese and is beginning to make the changes he believes are necessary for the local church. In the last couple of weeks, Noonan has appointed new heads of deaneries and appointed some familiar faces to positions that have opened up since Archbishop Thomas Wenski was appointed as shepherd of his native Miami.

On Friday, January 7, 2011, Bishop Noonan made the following Deanery appointments:

• Dean of the Northern Deanery: Very Rev. John Giel — Marion, Lake and Sumter Counties
• Dean of the Central Deanery North: Very Rev. Stephen Parkes — Seminole and Orange Counties
• Dean of the Western Deanery: Very Rev. Peter Puntal — Polk County
• Dean of the Central Deanery South: Very Rev. Esaú Garcia — Orange and Osceola Counties
• Dean of the Eastern Deanery: Very Rev. Esaú Garcia — Volusia County
• Dean of the Southern Deanery: Very Rev. Sean Heslin — Brevard County

On Friday, January 14, 2011, Bishop Noonan made the following appointments to the Diocesan Administration:

• Mrs. Carol Brinati, former Secretary of Evangelization and Director of Communications, as Chancellor of Administration — The position of Chancellor of Administration was vacated by Sr. Elizabeth Worley in July 2010. As you may recall, Sr. Elizabeth followed Archbishop Wenski to Miami and has been named the Chancellor of Administration of the archdiocese.
• Mr. Dan Hardester as Secretary of Evangelization — According to the diocesan E-Scroll, Mr. Hardester has served the Diocese of Orlando in multiple offices and ministries. Most recently, the incoming Secretary of Evangelization served as Diocesan Media Center Director, a position he will continue to carry out. Before then, Mr. Hardester served as Director of Faith Formation for a few local parishes. He has also been instrumental in the development and implementation of Why Catholic?
• Mrs. Teresa Lantigua Peterson as Director of Communications — Mrs. Peterson has served the Diocese of Orlando as a freelance reporter/photographer for The Florida Catholic. She has also been instrumental in the creation of the Light of Faith Awards and E-Faith.

While more changes are likely to take place within the diocese as Bishop Noonan becomes more acquainted with his new see, the changes are not expected to be drastic. So, my fellow Catholics in Orlando, don’t worry about any further changes to the diocesan administration or to your local parish. No major changes are on the horizon, at least according to several sources.

The Mass will be streamed on the Diocese of Orlando Website; more information on that can be found here: http://www.orlandodiocese.org/en/solemn-mass-of-installation. If you would like to follow along with the Mass, below is the program.

More to come, after the Installation this afternoon.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski processes into St. James Cathedral

Good Saturday evening to one and all! Earlier this morning, Archbishop Thomas Wenski presided over the re-dedication Mass of Saint James Cathedral in Downtown Orlando. It was quite the experience!

Before the Mass began, a special Cathedral Choir made up of Spanish, English, and Haitain-Creole speaking singers offered songs of praise and thanksgiving. After the prelude music came to an end, the procession into the Cathedral began, led by a processional cross donated to the Diocese of Orlando by the Archdiocese of Chicago. The crucifix was first used during the installation of Bishop Thomas Grady in St. Charles Cathedral–Orlando’s first Cathedral–which was devastated by a fire on October 1, 1976. St. James was dedicated as the second Cathedral of the Diocese of Orlando on November 20, 1977.

Towards the front of the procession was Bishop Louis Campese, bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Eastern United States. As you may recall, Bishop Campese and the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Orlando welcomed the Apostolic Constitution, Anglicanorum Coetibus, of Pope Benedict XVI in September. [On a side note, the Cathedral of the Incarnation is located in the College Park area of Orlando. It is about two miles away from St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church--my parish. Another Catholic Church is also in the neighborhood, St. Phillip Phan Van Minh, the Diocese of Orlando's only Vietnamese parish. Once the parish of the Cathedral of the Incarnation becomes Catholic, College Park  will be home to three Catholic churches. Just a thought.]

Present at the ceremony were Bishops Felipe Estevez (Auxiliary Bishop of Miami), Bernard Harrington (Emeritus Bishop of Winona and winter resident of Orlando), Robert Lynch (Bishop of St. Petersburg), and John Noonan (Bishop-designate of Orlando). As previously noted, Archbishop Thomas Wenski (Archbishop of Miami and fourth Bishop of Orlando) presided over the ceremony.

As the Mass began, Bishop John Noonan offered brief words of welcome. In his remarks, Noonan thanked all those who made the renovations possible, including the architects, engineers, builders, construction workers, parishioners of St. James and the people of the Diocese.

Archbishop Wenski in stained glass featuring Crucifixion

During the homily, Archbishop Wenski exclaimed that the renovation was needed for the people of St. James and for the diocese. The number one reason: seating. Pre-renovation, St. James had very little seating and many of our major events were moved to the Basilica Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. With the addition of the new east wing, however,  the diocese’s major events can now take place at the cathedral once again.

Following the Litany of the Saints, the relics of Saint Catherine Laboure, Blessed Giacomo Alberione and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta were sealed in the aperture on the backside of the altar. When the aperture was sealed, a Prayer of Dedication was offered. According to Very Rev. Robert Webster, the dedication prayer is “intended to transform the community, not only regarding the building in which we gather, but also about what it means to be ‘church’.”

Upon the completion of the prayer, Archbishop Wenski put on a “liturgical apron” for the anointing of the altar. During the anointing, the Sacred Chrism was poured in five places, representing the five wounds of Christ.  While  the oil was rubbed on the altar, Bishop John Noonan and Father Richard Walsh, Administrator of the Diocese of Orlando, anointed the walls of the cathedral directly underneath the twelve dedication candles.

Directly after the anointing, burning charcoals were placed upon the altar–one on each corner and one in the center. Wenski then added incense to the burning coals, “recalling the offering of sacrifice in the old covenant.” [Very Rev. Bob Webster] The new covenant was represented when the altar was incensed with a thurible. While the incense continued burning, the people present and the walls were incensed by the deacons.

Shortly after the coals were removed, members of St. James parish vested the altar and decorated the sanctuary with flowers. While the flowers were being arranged, a lit Easter candle was processed in, followed by members of the parish with unlit candles. The smaller candles were lit from the fire of the Easter candle and taken to their locations within the cathedral.

When the lights went up throughout the cathedral, the colors of the murals behind the altar exploded with vibrancy and everyone present–at least those who did not see the Cathedral during Vespers last evening–were in awe! In fact, as I looked around at the reactions of the congregation, I witnessed men, women and children crying at the beautiful sight in front of us. It even seemed as though Archbishop Wenski was shedding tears at the beauty present. It truly was a remarkable experience for all.

From that point on, Mass was “usual,” for lack of a better term. After communion, the remaining Eucharist was processed throughout the church to the tabernacle. After a short period of benediction, the tabernacle was closed and the clergy and altar servers returned to their seats for the concluding rites.

Tabernacle of St. James Cathedral

Archbishop Wenski took some time to thank all those who made the celebration possible. Bishop Noonan asked for the “last word” and said more words of thanksgiving. As you may recall, Bishop Noonan is set to inherit the newly renovated St. James Cathedral next month during a December 16th Mass of Installation, where he will formally take the reigns of the Diocese of Orlando.  According to a friend at the diocese, the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, will be attending that celebration.

Before I let you go, I thank you all for allowing me the opportunity to share this experience with you. Believe it or not, I have never witnessed the dedication of a church before. And, as I stated above, this was quite the experience. I am most thankful to an awesome priest from the diocese who was unable to go to the ceremony and offered me his ticket. I will be forever grateful to him for allowing me the chance to be a part of this celebration. I hope, for those who have never witnessed one of these ceremonies, that this has been as much of a learning experience for you as it has been for me.

The dedication Mass will be aired on EWTN on November 27, 2010 at 2 p.m.

That’s it for now. May the Lord bless you all with peace and happiness. More later.

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/11/renovation-was-needed/feed/ 0 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/11/st-james-dedication-in-the-a-m/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/11/st-james-dedication-in-the-a-m/#comments Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:02:18 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=2236 Earlier this evening priests, deacons, seminarians, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Orlando gathered at St. James Cathedral for Vespers.Tonight’s evening prayer was presided by Bishop-designate John Noonan; Archbishop Thomas Wenski (Miami) was in choir.

Personally, walking up to the Cathedral was a very powerful experience. Before we could process into the church, there was a short ceremony outside, which included a special knock at the front doors with what I have dubbed a “liturgical hammer.”  As the crowd entered St. James a sense of awe came over us. Bishop Noonan’s first words were an invitation to take in the beauty of this amazing place. Well, now it’s your turn.

New Tabernacle

Sanctuary

Cathedral Plaque

Altar

Tomorrow, the Cathedral will be dedicated by Archbishop Wenski during a 10 a.m. ceremony that is expected to pack the newly renovated Cathedral. The Diocese of Orlando will be streaming the ceremony live. With that said, more tomorrow.

Well, you decide. Is this too much?

Credit: Jeff Kunerth, Orlando Sentinel

Chapel Stained Glass Windows | St. James Cathedral | Credit: SC

Over the last couple of weeks, many of you have been asking about the renovations to the Cathedral of St. James in Orlando. More specifically, the questions have been about the tabernacle and chapel. So, I did some asking.

Before getting to the tabernacle, I wanted to share the newest picture from the chapel. These three stained glass windows were in the 1950s version of the cathedral and were saved to be placed in the chapel of the new renovation. Now, for news on the tabernacle.

From what I have been told, the tabernacle is going to be one of the last things installed in the renovated cathedral. In St. James Cathedral, the tabernacle will be placed directly underneath the bell tower, in between the main sanctuary and the chapel. [It was originally thought that the tabernacle would be placed in the chapel. I had to get some clarification.]

I did some research on the placement of the tabernacle inside a church. [Emphasis mine.]

• According to the Letter of Cardinal Lecaro to the Bishops dated 30 June 1965: “Particularly in larger churches, a chapel specially set aside for the reservation and adoration of the Eucharist is advisable and might well be used for the Eucharistic celebration during the week, when there are fewer of the faithful participating.“
• Furthermore, the same letter goes on to state: “Whatever the solution chosen …. the greatest care should be devoted to the dignity of the tabernacle. If the local Ordinary agrees to its location away from the altar, the place should be truly worthy and prominent, so that the tabernacle is readily visible and is not hidden by the priest during the celebration of the Mass. In a word, the location should make it possible for the tabernacle to serve unmistakably as a sign and to give a sense of the savior’s presence in the midst of his people.”
• Canon 938 of the Code of Canon Law outlines the following: “The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved should be placed in a part of the church that is prominent, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer.”

Just some thoughts. Comments are open.