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.

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:

Good morning, folks. This afternoon, Catholics in the Diocese of Orlando officially welcome their new shepherd, former Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, Bishop John Noonan. The Mass of Installation will take place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe at 2:00 p.m.

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.]