About Diocese of Orlando
The Diocese of Orlando (Latin: Dioecesis Orlandensis) is a Latin-rite Catholic diocese covering nine counties of central Florida — Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia — an area of about 11,254 square miles. Established on June 18, 1968 by Pope Paul VI, it was carved from the Diocese of St. Augustine (and a small slice from the Diocese of Miami) and made a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Miami. Its seat is St. James Cathedral in Orlando, and it includes the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe near Walt Disney World. The diocese is led by its fifth bishop, Most Reverend John Gerard Noonan, and today comprises roughly 80 parishes, 11 missions, two minor basilicas, and 38–40 Catholic schools serving nearly 400,000 registered Catholics.
- Bishop
- John Gerard Noonan
- Established
- 1968
- Cathedral
- St. James Cathedral, 215 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida
- Territory
- Nine counties of central Florida: Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia — approximately 11,254 square miles.
- Parishes
- 80 parishes and 11 missions (as of the diocese's published 2024 About page)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Miami (Ecclesiastical Province of Miami)
About the Diocese of Orlando
The Diocese of Orlando is a Latin-rite Catholic diocese established June 18, 1968 by Pope Paul VI and a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Miami. It covers nine counties of central Florida — Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia — across 11,254 square miles. Its 80 parishes, 11 missions, two minor basilicas, and 38 Catholic schools serve nearly 400,000 registered Catholics. The current bishop is the Most Reverend John Gerard Noonan, the fifth bishop of Orlando, supported by a vicar general and judicial vicar and a chancery located in downtown Orlando.
- Established: June 18, 1968
- Bishop: Most Reverend John Gerard Noonan (since 2010)
- Vicar General: Rev. John C. Giel
- Judicial Vicar: Martin Nguyen
- Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Miami
- Territory: 9 counties, 11,254 sq mi
History of the Diocese
Central Florida was part of the Diocese of St. Augustine from 1870 until 1968. After the southern half of Florida was split off as the Diocese of Miami in 1958, Pope Paul VI erected the Diocese of Orlando on June 18, 1968 with territory taken from St. Augustine and Miami. Bishop William Borders organized the new diocese (1968–1974); Bishop Thomas Grady then chartered 18 new parishes and opened the San Pedro Spiritual Development Center; Bishop Norbert Dorsey, C.P., completed the Mary, Queen of the Universe shrine in 1993; Bishop Thomas Wenski convoked the first synod and won National Shrine and minor-basilica status for Mary, Queen of the Universe; and Bishop John Noonan, the present bishop, led the 50th anniversary jubilee (2017–2018) and a $150 million capital campaign.
- 1870 — Diocese of St. Augustine assumes all of Florida
- 1958 — Diocese of Miami created from southern Florida
- June 18, 1968 — Diocese of Orlando erected by Paul VI
- 1976 — St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral destroyed by fire; cathedral transferred to St. James (1977)
- 1984 — Territory reduced with creation of Diocese of Palm Beach and Diocese of Venice
- 1993 — Mary, Queen of the Universe main church dedicated
- 2004 — First Diocesan Synod under Bishop Wenski
- 2009 — Mary, Queen of the Universe raised to minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI
- 2017–2018 — 50th Anniversary Jubilee Year
St. James Cathedral
St. James Cathedral, at 215 N. Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, is the mother church and seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Orlando. The parish was founded in 1885 — more than 80 years before the diocese itself — making it the oldest Catholic community in central Florida. Designed in Romanesque Revival style and completed January 20, 1952, the church can seat 1,200 people. Bishop Thomas Grady dedicated it as the cathedral on November 20, 1977 after the original St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral burned. Bishop Noonan led a major 2009–2010 interior renovation that brought in Carrara-marble altar, tabernacle throne and baptismal font, new pews, hurricane-code windows, and a full restoration and enlargement of the Wicks Organ Company Opus 6028 pipe organ.
- Address: 215 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL
- Founded: 1885
- Dedicated as cathedral: November 20, 1977
- Style: Romanesque Revival; capacity 1,200
- Renovations: 1970, 1979–1985, 2009–2010
Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe
Located at 8300 Vineland Avenue near Walt Disney World, the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe is a 2,000-seat church built to serve the millions of Catholic tourists who visit central Florida each year. Conceived by Bishop Borders in 1974 and developed under Monsignor Fachtna Joseph Harte from 1975, it began with Masses in Disney-area hotels, was incorporated as Holy Family parish, and broke ground on a 17-acre site in 1979. Phase I was blessed on November 23, 1986 by Archbishop Pio Laghi; the main church was dedicated August 22, 1993. Pope Benedict XVI elevated the shrine to a minor basilica on July 17, 2009, making it the 63rd minor basilica in the United States. It is not a parish church; only the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are celebrated there.
- Address: 8300 Vineland Ave., Orlando (near Disney)
- Designated National Shrine: 2004
- Designated minor basilica: July 17, 2009
- Capacity: 2,000
- Distinctive ministries: tourist pilgrimage, Museum, Reconciliation, gift shop
Basilica of St. Paul, Daytona Beach
The second minor basilica in the diocese, the Basilica of St. Paul in Daytona Beach was elevated to basilica status by Bishop Wenski. Together with the Mary, Queen of the Universe basilica, it gives the Diocese of Orlando two of the United States' minor basilicas.
- Minor basilica in Daytona Beach, FL
- Elevated under Bishop Thomas Wenski
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Orlando Catholic Schools system is the second-largest Catholic school system in the state of Florida, operating 38 schools across eight of the diocese's nine counties (all except Sumter). Under Superintendent Dr. Erika Wikstrom and the Office of Catholic Schools, the system educates more than 14,400 students from early childhood through grade 12, supported by about 1,200 educators. Schools report a 100% graduation rate, 98% of graduates continuing to college or military service, and an annual total of more than 249,000 community-service hours. Tuition assistance is available through the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program.
- 29 elementary schools
- 5 college-preparatory high schools
- 1 special-education school (Pace Center?)
- 3 early-childhood centers
- Total enrollment: ~14,400 students
- 100% graduation rate; 98% continue to college or military
- Website: orlandodioceseschools.org
Catholic Charities of Central Florida
Catholic Charities of Central Florida (cflcc.org) is the social-services arm of the diocese, with its main office at 1771 N. Semoran Blvd., Orlando (phone 407-658-1818). Its tagline is "Embracing those in need with hope, transforming their lives through faith, compassion, and service." Programs include Agape Mission Markets food pantries, free medical and dental clinics across the diocese, the Family Stability Program (homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing), Immigration Legal Services, the Comprehensive Refugee Services program, Behavioral Health outpatient services, and the Culture of Life Office.
- Housing / Family Stability Program
- Free Medical & Dental Clinics
- Agape Mission Markets (food assistance)
- Immigration Legal Services
- Comprehensive Refugee Services
- Behavioral Health Services
- Culture of Life Office
Faith Formation & Evangelization
The diocese supports parish faith formation, sacramental preparation, youth ministry, young-adult ministry, family ministry, and adult education through its Office of Faith Formation. Bishop Wenski declared 2008 the 'Year of Evangelization.' The diocese publishes a Spanish-language newspaper (El Marin) and operates Buena Nueva FM Spanish-language radio to evangelize the Hispanic community, which forms a major part of the regional Catholic population. The San Pedro Spiritual Development Center in Winter Park, founded under Bishop Grady, offers retreats, days of recollection and spiritual direction.
- Year of Evangelization (2008)
- San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, Winter Park
- Buena Nueva FM Spanish radio
- El Marin Spanish-language newspaper
- Office of Faith Formation and parish catechetical programs
Office of Vocations and Clergy
Bishop Noonan chairs or serves on USCCB committees including the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations. The diocesan Office of Vocations accompanies men discerning priesthood and supports the ongoing formation of priests. The diocese itself does not operate a seminary, but many of its seminarians study at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach and at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami — institutions where Bishop Noonan himself served as dean of men and rector before becoming a bishop.
- Bishop Noonan liaison to USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations
- Seminarians typically study at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
- Annual discernment retreats, vocation discernment events
Liturgy, Music and the Cathedral Organ
St. James Cathedral and the basilica are the principal centers of diocesan liturgy. St. James houses the Wicks Organ Company Opus 6028 pipe organ, restored and enlarged in 2009–2010 alongside the installation of a marble altar, tabernacle throne and baptismal font carved in Carrara, Italy. The diocese's Office of Liturgy and Music coordinates the Bishop's Annual Liturgical Conference, training programs for liturgical ministers, music directories, and resources for parishes celebrating the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Roman Rite.
- Wicks Organ Opus 6028 at St. James Cathedral
- Carrara marble furnishings (2009–2010)
- Office of Liturgy and Music resources for parishes
- Bishop's Annual Liturgical Conference
Bishop John Gerard Noonan
Bishop John Gerard Noonan, the fifth bishop of Orlando, was born in Limerick, Ireland, on February 26, 1951 and immigrated to the United States at 18. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Miami on September 23, 1983 and served as parochial vicar, youth ministry chaplain, supervising principal of Monsignor Edward Pace and St. Brendan high schools, and rector/president of St. John Vianney College Seminary. He earned a Master of Education from Boston College in 1996 and was named an auxiliary bishop of Miami in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him fifth bishop of Orlando on October 23, 2010, with installation on December 16, 2010 at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe. His episcopal motto, 'God before me and God with me,' echoes the prayer of St. Patrick.
- Born: Limerick, Ireland, February 26, 1951
- Ordained priest: September 23, 1983 (Miami)
- Auxiliary Bishop of Miami: 2005–2010
- Fifth Bishop of Orlando: installed December 16, 2010
- Motto: 'God before me and God with me'
Parishes, Missions and Deaneries
The diocese groups its 80 parishes and 11 missions into deaneries, typically by county. Each county is served by a varying number of parishes and missions — for example, Orange County has the largest concentration, while Polk, Brevard, Volusia and Lake counties each host between 8 and 15 parishes. A regularly updated parish map (PDF) is published on the diocesan website.
- Total parishes: 80
- Total missions: 11
- Find a parish: orlandodiocese.org/find-a-parish
- Parish map PDF available on diocesan site
Communications and Media
The diocesan Office of Communications publishes the Florida Catholic (the diocesan magazine), maintains the orlandodiocese.org website and social-media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Instagram), produces podcasts, and oversees a Social Communications Policy that is part of the official Diocesan Educational Technology Plan 2023–2026. It also coordinates the Good News TV segment and crisis-communications training for parishes.
- Florida Catholic diocesan magazine
- Buena Nueva FM Spanish-language radio
- El Marin newspaper
- Diocesan Social Communications Policy
Archives and Records
The Diocese of Orlando Archives, located at the chancery, preserves post-1968 records of the diocese. Pre-1968 sacramental records for what is now the Diocese of Orlando remain with the Diocese of St. Augustine, and the Diocese of Orlando directs inquiries about other Florida dioceses to the appropriate chanceries. The diocese marked its 50th anniversary with a Jubilee Booklet (2017) and other publications documenting its history.
- Office of Archives at the Chancery
- Pre-1968 records held by Diocese of St. Augustine
- 50th Anniversary Jubilee Booklet (2017)
Contact, Visiting and Getting Involved
The Diocesan Chancery is open Monday–Friday at 50 East Robinson Street, Orlando, FL 32801 (Mailing: PO Box 1800, Orlando, FL 32802-1800). Telephone: (407) 246-4800. Visitors are encouraged to attend Mass or pray at St. James Cathedral downtown, or to visit the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe near Walt Disney World. Catholics can get involved through their parish, Catholic Charities of Central Florida, the school system, the San Pedro Spiritual Development Center, volunteer ministries, or by attending diocesan events such as the annual Eucharistic procession, chrism Mass, and ordinations.
- Chancery: 50 E. Robinson St., Orlando, FL 32801
- Phone: (407) 246-4800
- Website: orlandodiocese.org
- Cathedral: St. James, 215 N. Orange Ave., Orlando
- Basilica: 8300 Vineland Ave., Orlando (Disney area)
