Diocese of Venice appoints vicar general
Bishop Frank J. Dewane has appointed Monsignor Stephen E. McNamara, Pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Fort Myers, to serve as Vicar General of the Diocese of Venice in Florida.
“This is done after much prayer and broad consultation among the priests of the Diocese of Venice,” Bishop Dewane said in a prepared statement.
The primary role of a Vicar General is to assist the Bishop and share administrative authority in the overall governing of the Diocese. This appointment came as a result of the death of former Vicar General, Monsignor Edward D. Moretti.
Msgr. McNamara has been Pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Fort Myers since 1982 and will remain in that capacity. He was born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. On June 10, 1967, and was ordained a priest at St. Patrick College, Carlow, Ireland, for the Diocese of St. Augustine.
“It is an honor and privilege to be called to serve in this important capacity for the Diocese of Venice by Bishop Dewane,” Msgr. McNamara said. “I ask for the prayers of all the faithful of the Diocese as I take on this new and exciting challenge.”
It is required for a bishop to appoint a Vicar General to assist him in the governance of the diocese. As a general rule, one Vicar General is to be appointed per diocese. The Vicar General exercises his office in the name of the Diocesan Bishop.
Over the years, Msgr. McNamara has served on numerous boards and is currently Chairman of the Priest Personnel Board, as well as being Treasurer of the Diocese, and Dean of the Central Deanery. He is a member of the College of Consultors, the Diocesan Finance and Investment Committee, the Real Estate Board, the Planning and Development Committee, the Peer Review Committee, and is also an ex-officio member of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council.
Pastoral assignments
Parochial Vicar, St. Martha Parish, Sarasota (Diocese of St. Augustine) 8-24-67 8-30-71
Teacher, Cardinal Mooney High School, Sarasota (Dioceses of
St. Augustine and St. Petersburg) 8-24-67 8-30-71
Spiritual Moderator, C.C.W. (Dioceses of St. Augustine and St. Petersburg) 12-27-68 8-30-71
Parochial Vicar, St. Cecilia Parish, Clearwater (Diocese of St. Petersburg) 8-30-71 6-6-72
Parochial Vicar, St. Cecilia Parish, Ft. Myers (Diocese of St. Petersburg) 6-6-72 7-19-74
Coordinator of Religious Education, Southern Deanery
(Diocese of St. Petersburg) 6-6-73 11-1-82
Administrator, Cypress Lakes Mission, Ft. Myers
(Diocese of St. Petersburg) 7-19-74 11-1-82
Pastoral Board for the Migrant Missions, Lee County
(Diocese of St. Petersburg) 12-11-79 5-6-81
Pastor, Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, Ft. Myers
(Dioceses of St. Petersburg and Venice) 11-1-82 Present
Chairman, Priest Personnel Board (Diocese of Venice) 7-1-95 Present
Finance Council (Diocese of Venice) 8-16-02 Present
Peer Review Committee (Diocese of Venice) 2-18-03 Present
Vicar Forane, Central Deanery (Diocese of Venice) 4-7-03 Present
Planning and Development Committee (Diocese of Venice) 2-15-04 Present
College of Consultors (Diocese of Venice) 6-1-04 Present
Real Estate Board (Diocese of Venice) 6-15-04 Present
Source: Diocese of Venice