John Gerard Noonan

Noonan was born in Limerick, Ireland. His parents were John Noonan (?-April 1, 1962) and Margaret Purcell (?-October 13, 1995).

In 1979, Noonan graduated from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Westchester, Florida with a BA. In 1983, he earned a Master of Divinity degree from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.

In 1996, Noonan earned a Master of Education from Boston College.[1]

On September 23, 1983, Noonan was ordained a priest at St. Paul of the Cross Church, North Palm Beach, Florida. He was then assigned as parochial vicar at St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pompano Beach, Florida, (1983–1989) while also serving as the chaplain for youth ministry in Broward County, Florida (1985–1987).

Noonan was then appointed Dean of Men at St. John Vianney (1989–1993), then priest in residence at St. Rose of Lima in Miami Shores, Florida (1993–1994). Noonan next became supervising principal at Monsignor Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens, Florida, (1993–1994) and then supervising principal at St. Brendan High School in Miami (1994–1996).

Noonan served as rector/president of St. John Vianney from 1996 until 2005.

On June 21, 2005, Noonan was appointed as Titular Bishop of Bonusta and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami. On August 24, 2005, he was consecrated at the Cathedral of Saint Mary in Miami.

Noonan's principal consecrator was Archbishop John Clement Favalora and his co-consecrators were Bishop Agustin Alejo Roman Rodriguez and Bishop Felipe de Jesús Estévez.

On October 23, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Noonan as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Orlando.[2]

On August 13, 2014, an Orlando man filed a lawsuit against Noonan and the diocese of Orlando. The plaintiff claimed to have been sexually assaulted when he was an altar boy in Sanford, Florida by Father William Authenrieth between 1976 and 1978.[3]

On June 15, 2017, Noonan attended a memorial service for victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting at St. James Cathedral in Orlando. He made these remarks:

“We need to walk with and accompany everybody — there is no exception, We treat everybody with dignity because they are made in the image and likeness of God and that’s what it’s all about.”[4]

On August 30, 2018, Noonan removed David Gillis, parochial administrator of the Church of Our Savior in Cocoa Beach, Florida, from the ministry. Gillis had been accused in a Pennsylvania investigation of sexual abuse of a minor years earlier.[5]