Florida Catholic | Meet The New Monsignors

Meet the new monsignors

Published: 02.27.08

MIAMI | As a jubilee year gift to the Archdiocese of Miami, Pope Benedict XVI conferred papal honors on 15 archdiocesan priests. Twelve were elevated to the rank of monsignor, and three others who already were monsignors were elevated in rank.

These honors represent the Holy Father’s affection for the dedicated work of all of the clergy in Miami. Some of them have been singled out for the papal distinction because of their years of service, others because of the position and special ministry they serve, and still others as representatives of ethnic and cultural groups within the archdiocese.

The papal honors will be conferred during a ceremony Sunday, March 2, 4 p.m., at St. Mary Cathedral, 7525 Pope John Paul II Ave. (Northwest Second Avenue), Miami. The public is welcome. Following are biographical sketches of those who are being honored.

Upgraded to protonotary apostolic supernumerary, the highest rank for monsignors outside the Vatican:

Msgr. William Hennessey

Born in Westfield, N.J., Sept. 14, 1935, Msgr. Hennessey grew up in Palm Beach. He entered the seminary for the Diocese of St. Augustine (the only one in Florida at that time) upon graduation from Palm Beach High School in 1953. Sent to study in Rome, he was ordained Dec. 20, 1961, for the 3-year-old Diocese of Miami. His first assignment was at St. Patrick, Miami Beach, followed by service in a number of south Florida parishes while concurrently serving in the educational field. One recurring assignment was principal of Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Opa-Locka, where he served from 1965 to 1969, 1971 to 1974, 1978 to 1985 and 1991 to 1995. He served as pastor of St. Mark, Fort Lauderdale, from 1985 to 1995, as financial administrator of the archdiocese from 1993 to 1995, and as vicar general and moderator of the curia since 1995. He was named a prelate of honor in 1996. Of this latest honor, he said, “Yes, I was surprised. I am grateful to the Holy Father for honoring me in this way and for honoring our archdiocese in this our golden jubilee year. Let us pray for Benedict XVI.”

Did you know?

Monsignor is a title of distinction bestowed by the pope to priests. There are three grades of monsignors: protonotary apostolic, prelate of honor to His Holiness and chaplain to His Holiness.

The term “protonotary apostolic” refers to the protonotaries, or notaries, at the Vatican. Traditionally, seven monsignors hold this title in the papal chancery, although their work involves much more than notarizing documents. Monsignors of the highest rank outside the Vatican are called protonotary apostolic supernumerary, which means “above the number” of seven.

Upgraded to prelates of honor to His Holiness:

Msgr. Andrew Anderson

Msgr. Anderson was born in Greenville, Mich., Aug. 20, 1948. After studying at Central Michigan University, he entered the seminary and was ordained Nov. 8, 1974, for the Diocese of Nashville, Tenn. He came to south Florida in 1979 and began working at the Metropolitan Tribunal in 1981. He was named officialis or head of the Tribunal in 1982, a position he retained until 1990, when he went to work in Rome for the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship. Upon his return to Miami in 1991, he was named rector of St. Mary Cathedral, where he served until 1999. In 1994, he was named judicial vicar of the Tribunal, a position he continues to hold. He is also director of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women and was named a chaplain to His Holiness in 2001.

Msgr. Michael Souckar

Born Oct. 8, 1962, in Fort Lauderdale, Msgr. Souckar was baptized at Blessed Sacrament and attended St. Anthony School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He entered the seminary after high school and was ordained for the archdiocese in 1988. He served at Holy Family in North Miami and St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores before pursuing higher studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He served as defender of the bond at the Metropolitan Tribunal from 1994 to 1996, when he went to Rome to attend Gregorian University. Upon his return in 1998, he became secretary to Archbishop John C. Favalora, a position he still holds. He was named chaplain to His Holiness in 2001 and archdiocesan chancellor in 2003.

Named prelates of honor to His Holiness:

Msgr. Seamus Doyle

Msgr. Doyle was born in County Wexford, Ireland, Feb. 12, 1931, and was ordained June 3, 1956, for the Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand. He came to south Florida in 1975, serving as associate pastor at St. Lawrence in North Miami Beach and St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores until 1983, when he was appointed pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pompano Beach. He returned as pastor to St. Rose in 1991, and since 1987 has served as archdiocesan chaplain to the Knights of Columbus. “In all walks of life awards are given,” Msgr. Doyle said of his being named a monsignor. “Sometimes they are deserved, sometimes not. Sometimes they go with the territory, sometimes with the particular job. Sometimes the right people get them, sometimes the wrong. As for myself, belonging to the ordinary run-of-the-mill priests, I do not know why I should be chosen for the prelate of honor to His Holiness award — probably my age. I am 52 years a priest. I have worked in six parishes doing mainly the same kind of day-to-day pastoral work. I have done my best according to my lights. The Holy Father, obviously on the advice of Archbishop Favalora, has given me this award in my declining years, and to both of them I say a sincere ‘thank you.’”

Msgr. Frederick J. Brice

Born July 5, 1928, in Evanston, Ill., Msgr. Brice obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame, concluding his studies in 1952. A few years later, he applied to the seminary for the Diocese of Miami and was ordained in 1969. In addition to parish assignments at St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores, St. Joseph in Miami Beach, St. Bartholomew in Miramar and St. Maurice in Fort Lauderdale, he has served as assistant chancellor, secretary and master of ceremonies to Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll and director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. He was appointed associate pastor at St. Paul the Apostle in Lighthouse Point in 1976 and named pastor in 1982, a position he still holds.

Msgr. Martin J. Cassidy

Msgr. Cassidy was born Feb. 23, 1931, in Swinford, County Mayo, Ireland. He was ordained for the Diocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh June 2, 1957, and came to south Florida in 1960, serving as associate pastor at a number of parishes, including Immaculate Conception in Hialeah, St. Anthony in Fort Lauderdale, St. Monica in Opa-Locka and St. Matthew in Hallandale. He served as administrator of St. Kieran in Miami from 1967 to 1970, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Riviera Beach from 1970 to 1974, pastor of St. Gregory in Plantation from 1974 to 1991, and since then as pastor of Assumption in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Msgr. Pedro Garcia

Msgr. Garcia was born in Matanzas, Cuba, Aug. 23, 1935, and entered the seminary in 1954. After studying in Cuba and in the Séminaire des Missions Etrangéres (Seminary for Foreign Missions) in Montreal, Canada, he was ordained for the Diocese of Matanzas Aug. 2, 1964. He served in various parishes in that diocese until 1971, when he moved to the Archdiocese of Havana and later to the Archdiocese of Santiago de Cuba. He came to the Archdiocese of Miami in 1984, serving as associate pastor at St. John Bosco in Little Havana, Our Lady of Divine Providence in Sweetwater, and San Lazaro in Hialeah, until his appointment as administrator of St. Ann Mission in Naranja in 1995.

Msgr. Emilio Martin

Born in Zamora, Spain, Nov. 23, 1928, Msgr. Martin attended the diocesan seminary in Tuy and was ordained for the Diocese of Tuy Feb. 17, 1952. He served in Spain until 1959, when he came to the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, to work in the Hispanic apostolate. In 1961, he moved to south Florida, working first at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Port Charlotte, and later at St. John the Apostle in Hialeah. After serving as associate pastor at St. Thomas the Apostle in Miami, Immaculate Conception and St. John the Apostle in Hialeah, and St. Mary Star of the Sea in Key West, he was named founding pastor of St. Joachim in South Miami Heights in 1972. He served there until June 1992, when he returned to St. John the Apostle as pastor. Becoming a monsignor, he said, “simply means to continue serving the church with greater priestly zeal and a greater spirit of service in my ministry to this wonderful community of St. John’s. I am profoundly grateful to our beloved Archbishop Favalora and to the clergy of this great archdiocese, but above all to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for naming me a prelate of honor.”

Msgr. James Parappally

Msgr. Parappally was born July 9, 1934, in Edathua, Kerala, India, and entered the seminary in 1950. He was ordained March 14, 1959, for the Diocese of Changanacherry in Kerala. He obtained a licentiate in social sciences from the Gregorian University in Rome in 1964 and a master’s in sociology from the University of Loyola in Chicago in 1967, followed by master’s degrees in education and economics from De Paul University in Chicago. From 1972 to 1983, he lectured in economics at St. Berchman’s College in Changanacherry. He came to the archdiocese in 1985, serving at St. Gregory in Plantation until 1992, St. Clement in Fort Lauderdale until 1995 and St. Gabriel in Pompano Beach until 2003, when he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Mercy in Pompano Beach. Since 1986, he also has served as chaplain for the Indian Catholic community in the archdiocese.

Msgr. Pedro Luis Perez

Born Oct. 23, 1926, in Havana, Msgr. Perez was ordained April 20, 1952, for the Archdiocese of Havana. He served in several parishes there until September 1961, when he came to the Archdiocese of Miami. In the early 1960s, he served as chaplain at St. Raphael’s Home and director of the Florida City Camp, both homes for boys arriving unaccompanied from Cuba. He also served as vice director of Cursillos in Spanish, and as associate pastor at Little Flower in Coral Gables, St. John the Apostle in Hialeah and St. Francis de Sales in Miami Beach, until being appointed administrator of St. Robert Bellarmine in Miami in 1971. He served as administrator of St. Cecilia in Hialeah from 1973 to 1979 and administrator of St. Agatha in Miami from 1979 to 1982, when he was appointed founding pastor of San Lazaro in Hialeah, where he continues to serve. Becoming monsignor, he said, “means I have to do what Our Lord said: ‘I came to serve.’ If anyone wishes to be first, he must be last and serve.” The fact that he will now wear a red cassock is a reminder, he added, of the blood of martyrs. “Whoever wears those clothes has to be willing to defend the faith unto death.”

Named chaplains of honor to His Holiness:

Msgr. Michael Carruthers

Born May 6, 1964, in Manhasset, N.Y., Msgr. Carruthers moved with his family to south Florida in 1973, settling in Jensen Beach. After graduating from Indian River Community College, he entered the seminary and was ordained for the archdiocese May 11, 1991. After serving two years as associate pastor at Epiphany in South Miami, he was named secretary to Archbishop Edward McCarthy and retained the position until 1998, when he became parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception in Hialeah. From 2002 to 2005, he studied at Florida International University, obtaining a degree in exceptional education. He joined the faculty of St. John Vianney College Seminary in June 2005, becoming rector six months later. Being named a monsignor, he said, “is an opportunity to give thanks to the many blessings that come to me because of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. I do not deserve any of those blessings. They are signs of the Lord’s goodness. It is also an opportunity to celebrate the ministry of priestly formation, where a young man is formed to be ‘another Christ,’ espoused in love to the church. As ‘monsignor’ comes from the words meaning ‘my lord,’ it is also an opportunity to remember who ‘my lord’ is — Jesus our high priest.”

Msgr. Oscar Castañeda

Born in Camaguey, Cuba, Jan. 21, 1954, Msgr. Castañeda attended Henry Filer Middle School in Hialeah and Miami Springs Senior High School and graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in childhood education. He spent seven years as a teacher in Miami-Dade County public schools before entering the seminary. He was ordained for the archdiocese May 16, 1987, and served as associate pastor at Corpus Christi in Miami until 1993, when he moved to St. Agatha. In 1995, he was named pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Opa-Locka, where he remained until 2001, when he was named vice rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity in Miami. He became rector of the shrine in 2003. A professed member of the Third Order Franciscans, he created Opus Caritatis Corp. in 2003, a fraternity whose purpose is to serve the poorest of the poor in the archdiocese. “The idea of being recognized for the work I do has never crossed my mind,” Msgr. Castañeda said. “I feel that I have been called by the Lord to serve his people and to allow him to use me as an instrument for his work. I am grateful to our Holy Father and to Archbishop John Clement (Favalora) for the gift given to the church in the Archdiocese of Miami. I can think of many, many other priests, religious and laypeople who would better merit such recognition. I will receive it on their behalf.”

Msgr. Terence Hogan

Msgr. Hogan was born in Washington, D.C., Oct. 6, 1952, attending schools in Orange, Calif., and Falls Church, Va., until arriving at Holy Rosary in Perrine in 1965. He entered the high school seminary at St. John Vianney in 1966 and was ordained for the archdiocese Oct. 18, 1980. He served as area coordinator of the vocations office from 1981 to 1984 and taught at St. John Vianney Seminary from 1982 to 1984, after which he pursued higher studies at the Pontifical Institute San Anselmo in Rome. He was appointed to the archdiocesan Office of Worship and Spiritual Life in 1991 while serving as associate rector of St. Mary Cathedral. He served at St. Boniface in Pembroke Pines and St. Thomas the Apostle in Miami until 1996, when he was appointed administrator of St. Augustine in Coral Gables. He was named rector of the cathedral in 1999 and director of the Office of Worship and Spiritual Life in 2001. “I am grateful for this honor that brings both a sense of humility and profound gratitude,” Msgr. Hogan said. “It is also a tribute to my family, friends and co-workers, from whom I draw strength and support.”

Msgr. Kenneth Schwanger

Msgr. Schwanger was born April 25, 1960, in Harrisburg, Pa. He studied business administration and law at the University of Florida before entering St. John Vianney Seminary in 1985. He was ordained for the archdiocese May 12, 1990, and served as associate pastor at St. Agnes in Key Biscayne until 1993, when he was sent for higher studies in Rome. When he returned in 1996, he was named full-time judge at the Metropolitan Tribunal, then adjutant judicial vicar in 1998, a position he still holds. In 2002, he was named pastor of St. Jerome Parish in Fort Lauderdale and is also promoter of justice for nonmatrimonial cases at the Tribunal.

Msgr. Jean Pierre

Msgr. Pierre, the first Haitian to be ordained for the archdiocese, was born in Thomazeau, Diocese of Port-au-Prince, Oct. 19, 1954. He attended high school and college seminaries in his native Haiti, studying for the Scalabrinian Fathers. After further studies in Mexico, where he learned to speak fluent Spanish, he obtained a master of divinity degree from the University of St. Michael College, Toronto, Canada. He was ordained for the archdiocese in 1988 and served for three years as parochial vicar at St. James in North Miami. From 1991 to 1996, he served at Sacred Heart in Homestead, then as associate rector of St. Mary Cathedral until 1998, when he returned to St. James as pastor. He continues in that position while also serving, since 2001, as director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and newly created Missions Office, and since 2003 as director of the Ministry to Cultural Groups. “The honor (of being named a monsignor) is not for me,” he said. “It’s for the people of St. James and what we have been able to accomplish in the parish and the school. I would prefer Father Pierre rather than Msgr. Pierre,” he added. “When they call me Msgr. Pierre I feel awkward.”

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