Editor’s note: The following is a letter to the faithful Bishop John Noonan offered on his birthday, Feb. 26, 2026.

My Beloved Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord! I am grateful to God for your faithfulness as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. St. Paul reminds each one of us to stir into flame the gift of God! For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power, love, and self-control.

Today is my 75th birthday, and according to Canon 401 §1, I wrote a letter to our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, offering my retirement. I have served you, God’s holy people, as bishop of the Diocese of Orlando since December 2010, and as auxiliary in Miami since 2005. I pray rejoicing to God for my priestly ministry since the Sacrament of Holy Orders was conferred upon me in 1983, and I ask always for His blessing to lead His people that the bond of heaven flourish upon this earth.

Even though I have sent my letter to our Holy Father as prescribed by Canon Law, the appointment of a successor may take time. In the Province of Miami, there are two other bishops last year who submitted their letters of retirement, and they also await word from the Holy See.

Some of you may not be aware of these rubrics, nor care about them, for your whole relationship with God is not dependent upon a member of the clergy. Some of you regret the idea of change or question how the next bishop will lead as a shepherd. When Jesus walked the earth, He prayed for the people He served; He often went into prayer before or after serving the people within His public ministry. Jesus asks us to pray for one another unceasingly. This is what I would ask of each one of you. Pray for one another. Pray for me, God’s humble servant, as I pray for you. Pray for our Holy Father as he discerns who will be appointed the next bishop of the Diocese of Orlando. Do not ponder what the next bishop can do for you; rather, ponder how you can serve God and assist the bishop and all clergy in their ministry. None of us are present on this earth to only get something from someone. We are invited, through the Sacrament of Baptism, and our partaking in receiving Jesus the Eucharist, to serve one another; not to expect to be served.

Pope Leo XIV tells us that we are living images of the Lord. We are to be with one another through a unity that overcomes distances with a compassionate love. Christ leads us to become neighbor, equal to, or indeed lesser than others. Our holiness springs from the conviction that Christ can only be truly received by giving oneself generously to one’s brothers and sisters. Echoing this spirit, I suggest that we ‘carry on,’ not as we are, but as we are to be, growing in holiness.

Each one has been chosen, called, and sent as servants of the faith. During this season of Lent, as we prepare our heart to suffer the Cross with Jesus, may we come to know the gift of healing through His forgiveness that we are given eternal life. Through prayer, word and deed, may we forgive one another that His love flourishes the land. May a clean heart be the path of our pilgrimage to heaven.