Bishop
Dorsey
 Motto:
Love is Ingenious
Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey was born Leonard James Dorsey on December 14, 1929, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Leonard E. Dorsey and Mary Ann Dowd, both deceased. His brother, Paul J. is deceased. He has a sister-in-law, Shirley Dorsey, of East Longmeadow, MA, and a niece, Gemma L. Dorsey, of Boston.
Leonard attended Holy Cross Seminary in Dunkirk, New York, from 1946-1948 and pronounced his vows as a Passionist with the religious name of Norbert on August 15, 1949. He studied philosophy and theology in Jamaica, New York and Union City, New Jersey, obtaining a Masters Degree in Theology before being ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Cuthbert O’Gara, CP, on April 28, 1956, at St. Michael’s Monastery in Union City. After his ordination, he studied Sacred Eloquence for a year in West Springfield before going on to study in Munich, London, and Rome. He holds the degrees of Maestro from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and Doctor of Sacred Theology (Summa Cum Laude) from the Gregorian University.
Upon returning to the United States, Fr. Dorsey was assigned to the Passionist monastery in West Hartford, CT, as a theology professor and the Director of Formation. Five years later, in 1965, he was elected Rector of the Monastery and Theologate in West Springfield, MA. During his term there, he organized courses in the Theology of Vatican Council II for the laity. In 1968, he was elected to the first of two terms as Provincial Consultor for the Eastern Province of the Passionists. During this time he was Director of Personnel for over 600 religious men, and also the Dean of Studies and Formation. Throughout those years, Father Dorsey was a popular preacher of parish missions and retreats for the laity, religious, and clergy throughout the United States and Canada. In 1976, while serving as an American delegate to the international General Chapter of the Passionists, Fr. Dorsey was elected Assistant General of the Passionists worldwide, and re-elected in 1982. Based in Rome, he shared the life and experience of the Church in five continents during his periodic “Visitations” to most of the 52 countries where the Passionists are established.
On January 10, 1986, Pope John Paul II nominated Fr. Dorsey Titular Bishop of Mactaris and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami. He was consecrated by Archbishop Edward J. McCarthy at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Miami on March 19, 1986. In Miami, Bishop Dorsey served as Vicar General and Executive Director of the Ministry of Persons. He also served on the boards of St. Thomas University and Barry University in Miami, and St. Leo College near Tampa.
Bishop Dorsey was installed as the third bishop of Orlando on May 25, 1990, in front of 12,000 people, at the Orlando Arena. During his episcopacy, he has established the parishes of Holy Cross , St. Catherine of Siena, St. Rose of Lima, and St. John the Evangelist, and the mission of St. Leo the Great in Lake Wales. He has overseen numerous construction, expansion, and renovation projects, including the building of the renewed Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine in 1993, an elementary school for Holy Redeemer Parish; Trinity High School in Ocala; and new churches at Queen of Peace, Prince of Peace , Resurrection in Winter Garden, St. Ann in DeBary, St. Mary in Rockledge, and Annunciation . He established a cemetery at San Pedro Retreat Center for priests of the diocese.
In 1997, Bishop Dorsey established a diocese-wide program of employee and volunteer fingerprinting and criminal background checks. In 2002, he instituted a policy of zero tolerance for child sexual abuse, taking a stronger stance than the USCCB, which recommended that priests who had abused only once in the past be allowed to continue in active ministry.
Under Bishop Dorsey’s direction, the diocese purchased, in 2001, most of the historic post office building in downtown Orlando, to be a new Chancery center for the growing diocesan offices. It was the second time the diocese owned the property, it having originally been purchased by Bishop Moore in 1881 and eventually the site of Orlando’s first Catholic school, but later sold during the Depression out of financial necessity. The 2001 purchase placed the diocesan offices right next door to the Cathedral of St. James.
Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Dorsey's letter of retirement on November 13, 2004.
The Bishop speaks several languages, including Spanish, Italian, French, and Creole.
His motto is “Love is Ingenious.” This is taken from the Rule of the Passionist Congregation, written by St. Paul of the Cross. The full text reads: “The love of God is very ingenious and is proved not so much by words, as by the deeds and actions of the lovers.”
Time Line:
Attended Seminary (1946-1948)
Pronounced vows as Passionist (1949)
Studies in New York and New Jersey (1949-1956)
Ordained Priest (1956)
Studies in Europe (1957-1960)
Director of Formation at Passionist Monastery in CT (1960-1965)
Rector of Monastery and Theologate in West Springfield (1965-1968)
Provincial Consultor for the Eastern Province of Passionists (1968-1974)
Executive Assistant to the Provincial; Provincial Secretary (1974-1976)
Assistant General of worldwide order of Passionists (1976-1986)
Auxiliary Bishop of Miami (1986-1990)
Bishop of Orlando (1990-present)
Activities and Memberships:
Board of Barry University in Miami
Board of St. Thomas University
Board of St. John Vianney Seminary
Board of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary
Board of St. Leo College
Board of Barry University in Orlando
Episcopal Liaison for the Holy Childhood Association
Chairman of Region IV, National Conference of Catholic Bishops
Chairman of the Board, Pontifical Irish College (PICUS), Rome , Italy NCCB Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry
NCCB Committee on Liturgy
NCCB Committee on Missions
NCCB Committee on Doctrine
NCCB Committee on Priestly Formation
NCCB Committee on Campaign for Human Development
NCCB Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Affairs
Committee of Catholic-Jewish Relations
Chairman of the NCCJ Interfaith Council
Orlando Area Interfaith Sponsoring Committee
Tri-County Human Needs Assessment Committee
Florida State Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, 1998-2001
National Chaplain of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 1998-2002
Catholic Theological Society of America
Musicological Society of America
Catholic Poetry Society of America
National Catholic Educational Association
Noted Events
in Bishop Dorsey’s
Ministry:
Grammar School:
1934-42 Holy Name Grammar
High School:
1942-46 Cathedral High School
Seminary:
1946-48 Holy Cross Seminary, Dunkirk, NY
College:
1949-56 Jamaica, NY
(Philosophy) & Union City, NJ (
Theology and
Regular CP Studies)
Other Studies
1957-60 Rome, Italy
(Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, Gregorian University)
1958 London,
England
1959 Munich,
Germany
1984-86 Rome, Gregorian
University
Degrees:
- MA Theology - St. Michael’s,
Union City, NJ
- M Sac Mus – Rome
- STD “Summa Cum Laude” – Rome
Publications
1960 The
Singing of the Passion in the Roman
Liturgy (Thesis, Rome)
1960 Included in “The Invitation to the City,” Poetry
Anthology, Ed J. G. Brunini
1986 Pierre Toussaint of New York, Slave and Freeman:
A Study of Lay Spirituality in Times of Ecclesiastical and Social Change
(Thesis, Rome)
Citations:
- Knight Commander, Order
of the Holy Sepulchre (KCHS) – for
work on behalf of the Near East Refugees, 1978
- Peace and Unity Award,
St. Martin Porres Association, Miami,
FL “for building
bridges of harmony between races and cultures,” – 1989
- Appreciation
Award, National Council of Christians and Jews, Interfaith Council,
Miami, FL – 1990
- Founding President Award,
National Council of Christians and
Jews, Orlando Chapter - 1991 – 1993
- The
Pierre Toussaint Medallion, Office
of Black Ministry, Archdiocese of New
York,
presented in ceremony at St. Patrick’s
Cathedral by John Cardinal O’Conner,
for “special merit in the service
of freedom, human rights, and spiritual
values in the Black Community,” May
5th, 1996
- Appreciation Award, Ancient
Order of Hibernians – 2001
- Honorary Chaplain to Orange County Sheriff's Office - 2004
Memberships
in Church/Civil Societies:
- Florida
State Chaplain, Knights of Columbus,
1998-2001
- National Chaplain, Ancient Order
of Hibernians, 1998-2002
- Episcopal Liaison, Holy Childhood
Association
- CTSA – Catholic Theological
Society of America
- Musicological Society of America
- Catholic
Poetry Society of America
- National Catholic
Educational Association (NCEA)
- Twice Chairman of the Orlando Interfaith Clergy Conference
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)
Committees:
- Doctrine
- Priestly Life & Ministry
- Missions
- Liturgy
- Priestly
Formation
- Campaign
for Human Development
- Bishop’s
Committee for Ecumenical
and Inter-Religious Affairs
Ministry:
1960-1965 Director
of Formation
1960-1956 Teacher
1960-1986 Preaching Ministry: Parish Missions & Retreats
to Laity, Religious and Clergy
1965-1968 Rector
1968-1974 Provincial
Consultor
1968-1974 Provincial
Dean of Studies and Formation
1968-1974 Provincial
Director of Personnel
1974-1976 Executive
Assistant to the Provincial
1974-1976 Provincial
Secretary
1974-1976 U.S.
Regional Secretary, STAUROS (Louvain)
1976-1986 General
Consultor
1986 Ordained
Auxiliary Bishop of Miami, FL – March
19, 1986
1990 Installed
Bishop of Orlando, FL - May 25, 1990
2004 Retired - November 13, 2004
Mailing
Address:
P.O.
Box 1800
Orlando, Florida 32802-1800
Telephone: 407-246-4815
Fax: 407-246-4941 |
