Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami

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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami
Archidioecesis Miamiensis

Cathedral of Saint Mary in Miami, Florida
Basic information
Location Miami, Florida, United States of America
Territory State of Florida
Patron Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Established October 7, 1958
Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Mary
Bishop Archbishop John Favalora
Website www.miamiarchdiocese.org
Current leadership
Pope Benedict XVI
Auxiliary bishops John Gerard Noonan, Felipe de Jesus Estevez

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties in Florida. The archdiocese is the metropolitan see for the Roman Catholic Church in the State of Florida. The current archbishop is John Favalora. As archbishop, Favalora also serves as pastor of the Cathedral of Saint Mary, the mother church of the archdiocese. Also serving are 428 priests, 160 Permanent Deacons, 50 Religious Brothers and 300 Religious Sisters who are members of various Roman Catholic religious orders.[1] These priests, deacons and religious serve a Catholic population in South Florida of 1,300,000 in 118 parishes and missions.[2]

Because of the vast number of immigrants, Catholic Mass is offered in at least a dozen languages in parishes throughout the archdiocese.[2] Educational institutions consist of two schools for the disabled, 60 elementary/middle schools, 13 high schools, two universities,[3][4] and two seminaries.[5][6][7] Radio, print, and television media outlets owned and operated by the archdiocese supplement teaching, communication and ministries.[8]

Several social service organizations are operated by the archdiocese which include two hospitals, nine health care centers, three homes for the aged, and two cemeteries.[1] Charities include homeless shelters, legal services for the poor, Pro Life centers, an HIV/AIDS ministry, the Missionaries of Charity and Society of Saint Vincent de Paul ministries to the poor.[9][10][11][12][13] Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, is a separate non-profit organization operated by the archdiocese. It claims to be the largest non-governmental provider of social services to the needy in South Florida.[14][1]

Contents

[edit] History

Before 1958, the entire State of Florida was under the jurisdiction of one diocese, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Augustine. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Saint Augustine archbishop Joseph Patrick Hurley purchased land throughout South Florida in anticipation of a future population boom.[15] Today, these once remote areas are thriving cities. Dozens of Catholic churches, schools and cemeteries built on the land purchased by Hurley dot these areas.[2]

The Diocese of Miami was created on October 7, 1958, with Coleman Carroll installed as bishop. The diocese included the 16 southern counties in Florida, with a Catholic population of 200,000. It encompassed one half of the area of the state. Less than a year after the creation of the diocese, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. This set off a mass exodus of Cuban exiles to South Florida. The Catholic Welfare Bureau, created by Carroll, played a significant part in helping these waves of Cuban immigrants. Between 1960 and 1962, 14,000 Cuban children were sent to the United States. Operation Pedro Pan, created by Monsignor Bryan O. Walsh, placed them with friends, relatives or the Catholic Welfare Bureau. In 1996, the Catholic Welfare Bureau changed its name to Catholic Charities. Today it claims to be the largest non-governmental provider of social services in South Florida. It served over 17,000 families in the tri-county area of Broward, Dade and Monroe counties in 2006.[16]

Cuban refugees arriving in crowded boats during the Mariel Boatlift crisis.
Cuban refugees arriving in crowded boats during the Mariel Boatlift crisis.

Due to an increased population, the diocese was divided in 1968. Eight counties became part of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the new Diocese of Orlando. Miami was made an Archdiocese by Pope Paul VI, and was named Metropolitan See for all of Florida. Carroll became an archbishop on March 2, 1968.[17] Carroll is credited with eliminating racial segregation in Catholic schools in 1963, while desegregation in Florida public schools was not accomplished until the early 1970s.[18] He participated in the church reforms of Vatican II as one of the Council Fathers.[2]

Upon the death of Carroll on July 26, 1977, Bishop Edward Anthony McCarthy was appointed as Miami's archbishop.[19][20] McCarthy oversaw the construction of the Pastoral Center for the archdiocese and restructured most senior operational divisions. He established the Office of Lay Ecclesial Ministry, the Office of Evangelization and the Permanent Diaconate program. In 1980, he offered support and assistance during the Mariel Boat Lift. The following year, he supported the rights of Haitian immigrants who were detained under the Wet Foot, Dry Foot policy. Responding to the needs of this new immigration, he opened the Pierre Toussaint Haitian Catholic Center.[21][20] McCarthy retired in 1994 at the required age of 75.[2]

The present archbishop of Miami, John Favalora, was appointed by Pope John Paul II on November 3, 1994. During his tenure, he has built two new high schools and nine grade schools. Favalora also initiated the Vision 2000 campaign, a five-year fund-raising campaign that created an endowment fund to support Catholic education and outreach institutions in the archdiocese. The effort raised $90 million (USD).[2] On July 11, 2003, Pope John Paul II appointed Miami auxiliary bishop Thomas Gerard Wenski to lead the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orlando.[22][23] With substantial immigration of predominantly Catholic South and Central Americans to the South Florida area, the Catholic population there is 25% of the total population. Waves of immigrants from other parts of the world, including Asian and African countries, have led to Mass being celebrated in over a dozen different languages in parishes throughout the archdiocese.[2][24]

[edit] Education

St. Theresa School, an Archdiocese of Miami K-8 school located in Coral Gables, was established in 1925.
St. Theresa School, an Archdiocese of Miami K-8 school located in Coral Gables, was established in 1925.

[edit] Schools

As of 2008, the Archdiocese of Miami provides a parochial school education to almost 40,000 students in 60 elementary/middle schools, 13 high schools and two non-residential schools for the disabled located throughout Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.[1] The high schools supported by the archdiocese are:

The archdiocese offers religious education classes in all of its 111 parishes for Catholic children who attend public and other non-religious schools. According to the 2007 Official Catholic Directory, there were 95,837 students enrolled in these classes.[1] This same source lists as teachers 2760 laity, 58 religious sisters, and 43 priests and religious brothers.[1] Religious education classes are also offered to adults throughout the archdiocese. In 1997, Archbishop Favalora adopted a policy requiring all volunteers, employees, teachers and priests to be fingerprinted and have a background check before they could work with children. Several years later, this policy was enshrined and adopted by all U.S. Bishops in the Charter for Protection of Young People.[25]

Front view of the Cor Jesu Chapel at Barry University's Main Campus in Miami Shores, FL.
Front view of the Cor Jesu Chapel at Barry University's Main Campus in Miami Shores, FL.

[edit] Universities

The Archdiocese of Miami oversees and administers two Catholic universities in the Miami area: St. Thomas University and Barry University. Together, these institutions enroll over 13,000 students.[1] St. Thomas University offers Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master's degree, Master of Business Administration, M.Acc., Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy. programs through its college and various schools. It offers several joint degree programs and an accelerated B.A./J.D. as well. The School of Law at St. Thomas was fully accredited by the American Bar Association in February 1995, and offers the Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) as well as the Masters of Law (LL.M).[3] Barry University, established in 1940, is the larger of the two institutions. It offers business, nursing, health sciences, teacher education, and liberal arts programs.[4]

[edit] Seminaries

St. John Vianney Seminary
St. John Vianney Seminary

St. John Vianney College Seminary and St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary serve priestly formation needs. Candidates to the Catholic priesthood must have a college degree plus another four to five years of seminary formation. This formation includes not only academic classes but also human, spiritual and pastoral education. St. John Vianney Seminary, which is located in Miami, states as its fundamental purpose "to provide an undergraduate education for students whose stated objective is to serve the Catholic Church as priests", but it also offers education to lay ministers and to "others who may be enriched by its services".[6] St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, located in Boynton Beach, offers a Master's Degree in Theology and Theological Studies and a First Professional Degree in Divinity and Ministry. Priests serving in the Archdiocese of Miami are required to speak both Spanish and English, and these two seminaries are the only bilingual seminaries in the United States. As of August 2007, there are 126 seminarians in priestly formation at both seminaries.[5][7]

[edit] Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami

Providence Place is a Catholic Charities shelter for women and children in Ft. Lauderdale.
Providence Place is a Catholic Charities shelter for women and children in Ft. Lauderdale.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami is a separate non-profit organization operated by the Archdiocese of Miami. It is part of a national network of organizations that are operated in each U.S. diocese. This organization claims to be the largest nongovernmental provider of services to the needy in South Florida.[14] It began in 1931 during the Great Depression with four Miami-area pastors and lay members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. It employs over 600 staff and operates on an annual budget of over $38 million. In 2006, it served over 17,000 families in the tri-county area of Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.[26][27][28] Some of these services include transitional housing, homeless shelters, elderly day care, child day care, addiction recovery, HIV/AIDS programs, family and school counseling, meals for the elderly and various immigrant and refugee help programs among others.[29]

[edit] Catholic Health Services

St. Elizabeth Gardens in Pompano Beach is one of three homes for the aged operated by the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic Health Services.
St. Elizabeth Gardens in Pompano Beach is one of three homes for the aged operated by the Archdiocese of Miami Catholic Health Services.

Archdiocese of Miami Catholic Health Services operates 26 facilities in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. According to the 2007 Archdiocese of Miami Official Catholic Directory, the two Catholic hospitals, Mercy Hospital in Miami[30] and Holy Cross Hospital in Ft. Lauderdale,[31][32] served 1,278,516 people; three CHS health care centers served 7,896; three homes for the aged assisted 2,578 senior citizens; two residential care centers for children served 376; seven day-care centers served 1,885; two specialized homes assisted 383; twelve special centers for social services served 81,320; and eleven other institutions served 1,432 people in 2007.[1] Catholic Hospice Care is a partnership between the Archdiocese of Miami and Mercy Hospital. It provides end of life care to terminally ill patients and their families throughout Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.[33] Catholic Health Services also operates two Catholic cemeteries, Our Lady Queen of Heaven in Broward County and Our Lady of Mercy in Miami-Dade.[34][35]

[edit] Outreach

[edit] Ministries

Over 75 ministries are run by laity (those who are not ordained priests or religious brothers and sisters). These include: Ascending Life, Campus ministry, Charismatic Renewal, Catholic women's ministries, Cursillo, Family Life, Homosexual ministry, Knights of Columbus, Lay ministry, Lay movements, Marian movements, Missions, Prison ministry, Respect Life, and Youth Ministries.[36] Some other ministries include various prayer groups, Council of Catholic Women which assists the priests in their parish duties, Ministry of Mothers Sharing, which helps mothers form social and prayerful connections with other mothers, and Men's Emmaus, Women's Emmaus, and LIFE TEEN groups which provide worship, social and religious formation for men, women and teenagers. Some parishes provide groups for single Catholics, divorced or separated people, drug and alcohol addiction help, learning Spanish or English as a second language and parish outreach services to the poor and needy through parish pantries and need-specific donor drives. Lifeteen has been especially embraced by this archdiocese as a means to provide outreach and worship opportunities to teenagers. An Archdiocese of Miami priest, Fr. Jeff McCormick, serves as the Area Contact for the State of Florida LIFE TEEN program.[37]

[edit] Retreats

Camillus House in inner city Miami is one of four shelters operated by the charity.
Camillus House in inner city Miami is one of four shelters operated by the charity.

Morning Star Renewal Center is a retreat house operated by the Archdiocese. The center provides facilities for group retreats and offers spiritual formation activities year round. Facilities include overnight and cafeteria accommodations. The center is staffed by two full time lay employees and has a capacity for up to sixty guests.[38]

[edit] Charities

Several Charities are run by the Archdiocese and staffed by both employees and volunteers. These include Camillus House,[9] Catholic Legal Services,[10] an HIV/AIDS shelter,[11] the Missionaries of Charity,[12] Social Advocacy groups, and Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.[13] Other charities include pro-life centers that provide aid to pregnant women and encourage them not to choose abortion, and Project Rachel, which provides post-abortion counseling to women who have undergone an abortion.

[edit] Media

The archdiocese uses several types of media to fulfill its evangelization efforts:

[edit] Radio ministry

Radio Paz is a Spanish-language radio ministry of the Archdiocese of Miami founded in December 1990. In South Florida, it is broadcast on WACC 830 AM. Radio Peace is the sister station of Radio Paz. It is an English-language radio ministry broadcast on WLVJ 1040 AM. These ministries also reach people around the globe through the Internet at RadioPeace.org.[39] The stations were founded by Archdiocese of Miami priest Fr. Federico Capdepon, who envisioned a radio station to respond to the call of Pope John Paul II to evangelize through the media. [40][8]

The Florida Catholic newspaper
The Florida Catholic newspaper

[edit] Newspaper

A localized version of the Florida Catholic newspaper is published 38 times a year. Each issue contains a message from the Archbishop, spiritual reflections on the scripture readings for the week, news reporting on various events happening around the archdiocese and the world, and a digest of upcoming events featured around the archdiocese among other features. The archdiocesan print circulation is 29,460. The newspaper is also featured online. “Building the City of God” is a journalistic series of priest profiles published regularly in the Miami edition of the Florida Catholic. The first one appeared in March 2003. The profiles in this series reveal "the man behind the collar" by giving a quick glimpse of the personal side of priests’ lives. "Building the City of God" has won a Communicator Award of Distinction in the Marketing/Promotion/Campaign category for print media. Winners of the Award of Distinction have exceeded industry standards in communicating a message or idea.[41][42]

[edit] Television

Eternal Word Television Network or EWTN is the official Catholic television station. The network is based in Birmingham, Alabama and broadcast worldwide.[43] Several Spanish and English language programs are produced in the Miami Archdiocese. Archdiocese of Miami priest Fr. Alberto Cutie, commonly known as Padre Alberto, is the host of several programs in both English and Spanish. He is also featured on the Spanish speaking television network Telemundo.[44][45]

[edit] Sexual abuse allegations

Main article: Roman Catholic sex abuse cases

Since 1966, the Archdiocese of Miami insurance programs have paid $26.1 million in settlement, legal and counseling costs associated with sexual misconduct allegations made by minors involving non-clergy employees and volunteers, religious brothers and sisters and priests. In the past 50 years, a total of 4,433 priests have worked in the Archdiocese. Forty-nine of them have been accused of sexual misconduct.[2][46] There are 6 lawsuits pending as of 2007.[47]

In 1997, soon after becoming archbishop, John Favalora responded to these scandals by adopting the Charter for the Protection of Young People. This charter, which was adopted by all U.S. bishops several years later in response to similar abuse in other dioceses, requires all priests, employees, and volunteers of the Archdiocese to be fingerprinted and have a background check.[25][2] All allegations of sexual abuse are required to be reported to the police. Suspected offenders are suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. If the allegations are deemed by investigators to be credible, the suspected offender is relieved of duties and prosecuted. Counseling is offered for victims.

[edit] Leadership

Archdiocese of Miami Coat of Arms
Archdiocese of Miami Coat of Arms

Below is a list of individuals who have led the Archdiocese of Miami since its founding.

[edit] Archbishops

[edit] Auxiliary bishops

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h The Florida Catholic Newspaper. "2007 Archdiocese of Miami Official Catholic Directory", The Florida Catholic Newspaper, April 10, 2008, pp. A4. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i South Florida Sun-Sentinel (2007-10-6). Archdiocese is set for 50th anniversary. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  3. ^ a b Saint Thomas University. Saint Thomas University website. Saint Thomas University. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  4. ^ a b Barry University. Barry University website. Barry University. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  5. ^ a b St. Vincent De Paul Seminary. St Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary website. St. Vincent De Paul Seminary. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  6. ^ a b St. John Vianney Seminary. St John Vianney Seminary website. St. John Vianney Seminary. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  7. ^ a b Arbiteronline.com. Catholic Leaders Seek Young Religious Recruits On The Web. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
  8. ^ a b "Miami Archdiocese at a Crossroads in 50th year", Miami Herald, 2007-10-07. Retrieved on 2007-10-07. 
  9. ^ a b Camillus House. Camillus House Website. Camillus House. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  10. ^ a b HIV/AIDS office. Florida Catholic Aids Network Office (.PDF). Florida Catholic Conference. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  11. ^ a b Missionaries of Charity. Missionaries of Charity website. Missionaries of Charity. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  12. ^ a b Society of St. Vincent De Paul. St Vincent De Paul website. Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  13. ^ a b Archdiocese of Miami (2007). Catholic Charities Who We Are. Archdiocese of Miami Catholic Charities. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
  14. ^ Gannon, Michael (2007-10-30). The Builder Bishop. Saint Augustine Catholic. Retrieved on 2007-10-30.
  15. ^ Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities History. Catholic Charities. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  16. ^ Miami Archdiocese. Archdiocese of Miami: History - Made an Archdiocese. Miami Archdiocese. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
  17. ^ The Florida Memory Project. Florida Timeline. The Florida Memory Project. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
  18. ^ Miami Archdiocese. Archdiocese of Miami: History - First Successor. Miami Archdiocese. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  19. ^ a b McCarthy High School. Archbishop McCarthy High School - About Us. McCarthy High School. Retrieved on 2007-05-26.
  20. ^ Miami Archdiocese. Archdiocese of Miami: History - More Exiles. Miami Archdiocese. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
  21. ^ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (2003-07-23). Vacancies Occupy Catholic Church. USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  22. ^ Grossman, Cathy Lynn (2003-07-23). Church vacancies will leave room at the top of dioceses. USA Today. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  23. ^ Florida Trend. Population Still Growing. Trend Magazines Inc.. Retrieved on 2007-09-25.
  24. ^ a b United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2005). Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
  25. ^ Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities News. Catholic Charities. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  26. ^ Council on Accreditation (2007). Accredited Organizations in Florida. Council on Accreditation. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
  27. ^ Idealist.org. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami. Idealist.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  28. ^ Catholic Charities Agencies in Florida. Directory of Services by Diocese. The Florida Catholic Conference. Retrieved on 2007-11-18.
  29. ^ Mercy Hospital. Mercy Hospital website. Mercy Hospital. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  30. ^ Holy Cross Hospital. Holy Cross Hospital website. Holy Cross Hospital. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  31. ^ Holy Cross Hospital. Holy Cross Hospital profile. Holy Cross Hospital. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  32. ^ Florida Hospices and Palliative Care. Catholic Hospice Care. Florida Hospices and Palliative Care. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  33. ^ Catholic Health Services. Catholic Cemeteries. Catholic Health Services. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  34. ^ Catholic Health Services. Catholic Health Services link to each facility. Catholic Health Services. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  35. ^ The Archdiocese of Miami. Ministries. The Archdiocese of Miami. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  36. ^ LIFE TEEN. LIFE TEEN website. LIFE TEEN. Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
  37. ^ Florida Retreat Center Listings. Morning Star Renewal Retreat Center. Findthedivine.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  38. ^ Radio Peace (2007). Radio Peace. Pax Catholic Communications. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
  39. ^ Radio Peace (2007). Radio Peace - Who we are. Pax Catholic Communications. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
  40. ^ The Archdiocese of Miami (2007). Building the City of God. The Archdiocese of Miami. Retrieved on October 8, 2007.
  41. ^ Communicator Awards. Communicator Awards of Distinction. Communicator Awards. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
  42. ^ EWTN. EWTN website. EWTN. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  43. ^ sirius.com. Sirius Satellite radio featuring EWTN broadcasts. sirius.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  44. ^ Garcia-Tunon, Manny. The Power of Faith. Hispanic Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-09-27.
  45. ^ The Archdiocese of Miami (2007). The Archdiocese of Miami - Statistics. The Archdiocese of Miami. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
  46. ^ The Florida Catholic (2007-07-18). Archdiocese of Miami Statement Regarding Lawsuits. The Florida Catholic. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.

[edit] External links

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