By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic
Photographer: FILE PHOTO
Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey, CP: Born Dec. 14, 1929, entered the Passionist Congregation Aug. 15, 1949, ordained a priest April 28, 1956, ordained a bishop March 19, 1986, died Feb. 21, 2013.
Before being appointed to Orlando, Bishop Dorsey served as auxiliary bishop of Miami from 1986 to 1990. Archbishop Thomas Wenski succeeded Bishop Dorsey in Orlando after serving as his coadjutor for a year.
In a statement, he said Bishop Dorsey�s service to the Church and ministry as a bishop �exemplified� his episcopal motto, which is taken from the Rule of the Passionist Congregation, �Love is ingenious.� (See box). Archbishop Wenski first got to know Bishop Dorsey in Miami, where he arrived after working for the Passionist community in Rome.
�When then-Father Norbert Dorsey, a Passionist priest, arrived in Miami as the newly appointed auxiliary bishop, the priests kiddingly referred to him as the �monk from Rome,�� the archbishop said in a statement. �In the years he spent in Miami, he made a special effort to reach out to priests to affirm them in their ministry and was very close to them. He is still well regarded and remembered by the Miami clergy for this. Of course, I was at that time one of those clergy � Having known him was a great grace for me.�
Funeral arrangements for Bishop Dorsey
- Wednesday, Feb. 27: Reception of the body at St. James Cathedral, 215 North Orange Avenue, Orlando immediately following the 12:10 p.m. Mass, at which time the public will be invited for viewing, visitation and last respects. Prayer services will be held at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The vigil will begin at 7 p.m. with Evening Prayer followed by personal reflections.
- Thursday, Feb. 28: The funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, 8300 Vineland Avenue, Orlando at 11 a.m.
- Interment will be at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Springfield, Mass., on Friday, March 1.
Bishop Dorsey served as Orlando's bishop from 1990 until his retirement in 2004. He knocked on many a church's door during dedication ceremonies; under his leadership, the diocese added more than 16 new parishes, missions and schools. During his tenure, he expanded the diocese's ministry to the Hispanic community � such as through Radio Paz and health clinics for migrant and farm workers � and began a safe environment. He ordained 36 priests and 60 permanent deacons.
�Bishop Dorsey has always been a gentle but ardent servant of the Gospel,� said Bishop John Noonan of Orlando. �We express our grateful praise to God who made Bishop Dorsey an apostle and gave him to us as our shepherd and precious friend.�
Born in Springfield, Mass., Dec. 14, 1929, his parents, Leonard and Mary Ann Dowd Dorsey, named him Leonard James Dorsey. His father, a reserve U.S. Army officer and veteran of three wars, and his mother, who was active in civic, political and religious affairs, died before seeing their son become a bishop.
Leonard James Dorsey had an active social life as a young man, and after graduating high school he had two offers for scholarships. Instead, he entered the Passionist order. He attended Holy Cross Seminary in Dunkirk, N.Y., from 1946-1948 and pronounced his vows as a Passionist with the religious name of Norbert Aug. 15, 1949.
During an interview with the Florida Catholic before his installation as bishop of Orlando, Bishop Dorsey talked about the evolution of his name Norbert. He said members of the community would change their "civilian names," and his novice master told him and the other young men they could offer three names to choose from. Yet, Bishop Dorsey recalled how he did not choose Norbert as his religious name.
"I went in and mentioned my three names. (The novice master) said, �No,� to each of them," Bishop Dorsey recalled fondly. "Then he said, 'You'll be Norbert; the other one left last week.' It was not an auspicious beginning, but it stuck."
For Bishop Dorsey, who told reporters he loved his service as a missionary, especially in Papua, New Guinea, his work in the Passionist community did stick. Bishop Cuthbert O�Gara, CP, ordained him a priest April 28, 1956, at St. Michael�s Monastery in Union City. He studied in Munich, London and Rome, earning degrees of Maestro from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and a doctorate of sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome.
Bishop Dorsey was a composer of music, something retired Archbishop John C. Favalora of Miami recalled when he described Bishop Dorsey as a �prince of a priest and bishop.� The archbishop said he was saddened by the death of his �good friend and colleague,� a man who should be remembered as �a gentle shepherd of souls.� He added that Catholics of both the Orlando Diocese and Miami Archdiocese were �recipients and witnesses of his kind, gentle and loving pastoral care.�
�The bishop's long years of religious life as a Passionist prepared him well for the many crosses he bore in configuration with his Divine Lord Jesus whom he loved and served so faithfully,� Archbishop Favalora said. �Now he will enjoy the fruits of the sufferings of his latter years. Now he will share the eternal life, face to face with God, which emanates from the Cross of his crucified redeemer. Now he will enjoy the fullness of the heavenly hymns and celestial chorus, which his love for music sought after here. Rest now in peace, Norbert, dear friend.�
Bishop Dorsey was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Miami Archdiocese in 1986, where he served as vicar general and as executive director of the Ministry of Persons, a member of the pastoral council and president pro-tem for Black Catholic Affairs. Bishop Dorsey served as a member of the (then) National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry and chair of its Region IV. A believer in fostering relations with members of other faiths, he was also a member of the U.S. bishops' consultation with the Synagogue Council of America.
Bishop Dorsey was installed as Orlando�s third bishop May 25, 1990. At the time of his retirement, he recalled one of the highlights of his tenure � when he confirmed close to 2,700 young people Pentecost Sunday 1996 at the Orlando Arena, an event that gathered some 11,000 people.
�When I asked the young people to stand to receive the Holy Spirit, there was a great �whoosh!� as they stood up,� he recalled. �It was quite an experience for us. I have overseen so many confirmations � thousands � I want those young people � to know that while they may have forgotten the date or me, that I think about them and I've kept them in my prayers.�
Bishop Dorsey had great respect for his predecessor, Bishop Thomas Grady. Because of Bishop Grady�s dedication and love of people with special needs, Bishop Dorsey oversaw the completion of Bishop Grady Villas, a residential facility in St. Cloud for mentally-challenged adults. Bishop Dorsey took the reins of expanding Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine after Bishop Grady�s retirement. In 1993, Bishop Dorsey stood with Bishop Grady to celebrate the dedication Mass of Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine.
Bishop Dorsey also oversaw the completion of a cemetery for bishops and priests of the Orlando Diocese located on two acres of land at the back edge of Mary, Mother of God Chapel at San Pedro Center in Winter Park. The cemetery was a suggestion by Bishop Grady, who expressed to Bishop Dorsey a desire to be buried at San Pedro Center.
Bishop Dorsey was predeceased by his parents and brother, Paul. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Shirley L. Dorsey of East Longmeadow, Mass.; his niece, Gemma L. Dorsey of Boston; and Passionist Brother Augustine Lowe, his devoted brother in Christ of Orlando.
Funeral arrangements are pending, but parishes in the Orlando diocese have been asked to ring their church bells 15 minutes prior to the funeral Mass in loving memory of their beloved former shepherd.
In lieu of flowers, Bishop Dorsey asked contributions be made to the Passionist Community Support Fund, Passionist Pastoral Center 111 South Ridge Street, Suite 300, Rye Brook, NY 10573 or Bishop Dorsey Colloquium, for clergy education and care, Diocese of Orlando, PO Box 4905, Orlando, FL 32802-4905.
�Bishop Dorsey has always been a gentle but ardent servant of the Gospel,� said Bishop John Noonan of Orlando. �We express our grateful praise to God who made Bishop Dorsey an apostle and gave him to us as our shepherd and precious friend.�
Born in Springfield, Mass., Dec. 14, 1929, his parents, Leonard and Mary Ann Dowd Dorsey, named him Leonard James Dorsey. His father, a reserve U.S. Army officer and veteran of three wars, and his mother, who was active in civic, political and religious affairs, died before seeing their son become a bishop.
Leonard James Dorsey had an active social life as a young man, and after graduating high school he had two offers for scholarships. Instead, he entered the Passionist order. He attended Holy Cross Seminary in Dunkirk, N.Y., from 1946-1948 and pronounced his vows as a Passionist with the religious name of Norbert Aug. 15, 1949.
During an interview with the Florida Catholic before his installation as bishop of Orlando, Bishop Dorsey talked about the evolution of his name Norbert. He said members of the community would change their "civilian names," and his novice master told him and the other young men they could offer three names to choose from. Yet, Bishop Dorsey recalled how he did not choose Norbert as his religious name.
"I went in and mentioned my three names. (The novice master) said, �No,� to each of them," Bishop Dorsey recalled fondly. "Then he said, 'You'll be Norbert; the other one left last week.' It was not an auspicious beginning, but it stuck."
For Bishop Dorsey, who told reporters he loved his service as a missionary, especially in Papua, New Guinea, his work in the Passionist community did stick. Bishop Cuthbert O�Gara, CP, ordained him a priest April 28, 1956, at St. Michael�s Monastery in Union City. He studied in Munich, London and Rome, earning degrees of Maestro from the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, and a doctorate of sacred theology from the Gregorian University in Rome.
Bishop Dorsey was a composer of music, something retired Archbishop John C. Favalora of Miami recalled when he described Bishop Dorsey as a �prince of a priest and bishop.� The archbishop said he was saddened by the death of his �good friend and colleague,� a man who should be remembered as �a gentle shepherd of souls.� He added that Catholics of both the Orlando Diocese and Miami Archdiocese were �recipients and witnesses of his kind, gentle and loving pastoral care.�
�The bishop's long years of religious life as a Passionist prepared him well for the many crosses he bore in configuration with his Divine Lord Jesus whom he loved and served so faithfully,� Archbishop Favalora said. �Now he will enjoy the fruits of the sufferings of his latter years. Now he will share the eternal life, face to face with God, which emanates from the Cross of his crucified redeemer. Now he will enjoy the fullness of the heavenly hymns and celestial chorus, which his love for music sought after here. Rest now in peace, Norbert, dear friend.�
EPISCOPAL MOTTO
Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey�s motto was �Love is Ingenious.� It was taken from the Rule of the Passionist Congregation and 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.�
Bishop Norbert M. Dorsey�s motto was �Love is Ingenious.� It was taken from the Rule of the Passionist Congregation and 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.�
Prayer and meditation served as a base for Bishop Dorsey�s �preaching missions� in parishes, overseas missions, and assignments for his order. As a Passionist, he had supervised missions and provinces in 52 nations on five continents while fulfilling his former responsibilities as assistant general of the Passionist order.
Bishop Dorsey was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the Miami Archdiocese in 1986, where he served as vicar general and as executive director of the Ministry of Persons, a member of the pastoral council and president pro-tem for Black Catholic Affairs. Bishop Dorsey served as a member of the (then) National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry and chair of its Region IV. A believer in fostering relations with members of other faiths, he was also a member of the U.S. bishops' consultation with the Synagogue Council of America.
Bishop Dorsey was installed as Orlando�s third bishop May 25, 1990. At the time of his retirement, he recalled one of the highlights of his tenure � when he confirmed close to 2,700 young people Pentecost Sunday 1996 at the Orlando Arena, an event that gathered some 11,000 people.
�When I asked the young people to stand to receive the Holy Spirit, there was a great �whoosh!� as they stood up,� he recalled. �It was quite an experience for us. I have overseen so many confirmations � thousands � I want those young people � to know that while they may have forgotten the date or me, that I think about them and I've kept them in my prayers.�
Bishop Dorsey had great respect for his predecessor, Bishop Thomas Grady. Because of Bishop Grady�s dedication and love of people with special needs, Bishop Dorsey oversaw the completion of Bishop Grady Villas, a residential facility in St. Cloud for mentally-challenged adults. Bishop Dorsey took the reins of expanding Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine after Bishop Grady�s retirement. In 1993, Bishop Dorsey stood with Bishop Grady to celebrate the dedication Mass of Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine.
Bishop Dorsey also oversaw the completion of a cemetery for bishops and priests of the Orlando Diocese located on two acres of land at the back edge of Mary, Mother of God Chapel at San Pedro Center in Winter Park. The cemetery was a suggestion by Bishop Grady, who expressed to Bishop Dorsey a desire to be buried at San Pedro Center.
Bishop Dorsey was predeceased by his parents and brother, Paul. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Shirley L. Dorsey of East Longmeadow, Mass.; his niece, Gemma L. Dorsey of Boston; and Passionist Brother Augustine Lowe, his devoted brother in Christ of Orlando.
Funeral arrangements are pending, but parishes in the Orlando diocese have been asked to ring their church bells 15 minutes prior to the funeral Mass in loving memory of their beloved former shepherd.
In lieu of flowers, Bishop Dorsey asked contributions be made to the Passionist Community Support Fund, Passionist Pastoral Center 111 South Ridge Street, Suite 300, Rye Brook, NY 10573 or Bishop Dorsey Colloquium, for clergy education and care, Diocese of Orlando, PO Box 4905, Orlando, FL 32802-4905.
Jean Gonzalez of the Florida Catholic's Orlando edition contributed to this report.
