Bishop John Noonan announced the following appointment of Deans to the Diocese of Orlando effective December 23, 2010. (The Diocese of Orlando is divided into six deaneries as outlined below.):
Central Deanery North (Seminole and Orange Counties)
Dean: Very Rev. Stephen Parkes
Annunciation Catholic Church
1020 Montgomery Rd.
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
Mail: P.O. Box 915887
Longwood, FL 32791
Phone: 407-869-9472
Central Deanery South (Orange and Osceola Counties)
Dean: Very Rev. Esaú Garcia
Holy Cross Catholic Church
12600 Marsfield Ave.
Orlando, FL 32837
Phone: 407-438-0990
Eastern Deanery (Volusia County)
Dean: Very Rev. Stan Murray
Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church
4000 S. Atlantic Ave.
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
Phone: 386-427-4530
Northern Deanery (Marion, Lake and Sumter Counties)
Dean: Very Rev. Edward Waters
St. Timothy Catholic Church
1351 Paige Place
Lady Lake, FL 32159
Phone: 352-753-0989
Southern Deanery (Brevard County)
Dean: Very Rev. Sean Heslin
Church of Our Saviour
5301 N. Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931
Phone: 321-783-4554
Western Deanery (Polk County)
Dean: Very Rev. Peter Puntal
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Winter Haven
532 Avenue M. NW
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-294-3144
Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church, Can.374 §2 of the Code of Canon Law grants to bishops the possibility to join together several neighboring parishes into special groups, such as deaneries.
Each deanery is headed by a dean who is—according to the definition provided in canon 553—a priest appointed by the bishop after consultation with the priests exercising ministry in the deanery. Canon 555 defines the duties of a dean as:
- promotion and coordination of the common pastoral activity within the deanery;
- seeing that the clerics of the deanery lead a life in harmony with their state in life and perform their duties with diligence;
- seeing that religious functions follow Church norms;
- seeing that the good appearance of churches and sacred furnishings are maintained;
- seeing that parish books are correctly managed;
- seeing that the parish rectory is well maintained;
- seeing that clerics, following the norms of the diocese and the norms of Canon 272, attend theological lectures, meetings, or conferences;
- making sure that the priests of the deanery have access to spiritual helps and aid in difficult pastoral circumstances; and
- making sure that pastors in his deanery are well cared for when they are sick or dying.
Additionally, the dean must follow the particular norms of the diocese. Canon 555 also particularly mentions that a dean must visit the parishes of the district in accord with the regulations made by the diocesan bishop.
