Former Nativity Parochial Vicar Takes The Helm At St. Stephen

This story was written by D'Ann White and was first posted June 29, 2013 at the Bloomingdale-Riverview Patch.

He may be new to St. Stephen Catholic Church in Valrico, but the Rev. Robert J. Schneider is already well-known to Tampa Bay Catholics.

Called "Father Bob" by his parishioners, Schneider has served as parochial vicar at Holy Cross Catholic Church in St. Petersburg (1989-1991), Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon (1991-1993), St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa (1993-1996), pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Petersburg (1996-2003) and pastor of Espiritu Santo Parish in Safety Harbor since 2003.

But starting Monday, July 1, Schneider will call St. Stephen Catholic Church home.

Schneider is the fourth priest to lead St. Stephen during its 25-year history. He inherits his position from the Rev. William Swengros, who arrived at St. Stephen in 2005.

Father Bill's Tenure At St. Stephen

During Swengros' tenure, the church at 5049 Bell Shoals Rd., Valrico, experienced unprecedented growth, attracting 15,000 members with an average 4,000 parishioners attending Masses each Saturday and Sunday.

The growing popularity of St. Stephen prompted the parish to launch a capital building campaign in 2011 to construct a new 38,000-square-foot church on the campus of St. Stephen Catholic School on Boyette Road.

The parish is now in the process of raising the $20 million needed to build the 1,600-seat church and a 19,000-square-foot parish center on the Boyette Road property. Parishioners have pledged $6 million for the church's construction. The remainder will come from the sale of the current church property and a low-interest loan.

Also under Swengros' guidance, the parish added dozens of new ministries, including a ministry to help the unemployed, the San Jose Home Makers, which provides furnishings to migrant farm workers establishing homes, a cultural diversity ministry and a council of the Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes.

Swengros also initiated the adoption of a sister parish in Calobre, Panama, in 2009, and began leading parishioners on mission trips to Calobre twice a year. Swengros, 54, is currently leading his final mission in Calobre.

However, the former high school music teacher, who was ordained a priest in 1992 and holds a doctorate in canon law, will be best remembered by St. Stephen parishioners for his tireless work ethic, inspirational homilies and biblical insights that attracted thousands of Catholics to his Masses each Saturday and Sunday.

"It's been a tremendous blessing serving St. Stephen," Swengros said.

Following the trip to Calobre, Swengros will attend a 30-day silent retreat and then head to Rome to participate in the Institute for Continuing Theological Education.

He then will attend a three-week Spanish immersion school in Costa Rica before beginning his new assignment as parochial vicar of St. Paul Catholic Church in Carrollwood, a church he's already familiar with, having served as parochial vicar there during his first years as a priest.

About Father Bob Schneider

A seminary contemporary of Swengros', Schneider, 57, grew up on a wheat farm in Salina, Kan., and attended Catholic elementary and high schools in Salinas.

He began his studies for the priesthood in 1973 at Conception Seminary College, Conception, Mo., and he completed his graduate work at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Salina on June 6, 1981.

Following an invitation from Bishop Thomas Larkin, former head of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Schneider arrived in Tampa Bay in 1989 and was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg on Nov. 11, 1993.

A passionate opponent of the death penalty, Schneider has served on the Florida Catholic Conference Committee against the Death Penalty for the Diocese of St. Petersburg since 1996, attending many vigils outside Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Schneider also serves on the Diocesan Culture of Life Committee, the Personnel Board and is the diocesan director of the Ecumenical and Inter-faith Outreach of the diocese.

In addition, Schneider helped found and co-chairs the Faith in Action for Strength Together, an interreligious organization in Pinellas County made up of Christians, Jews and Muslims who promote social justice within government.

"In our tradition, it's based on our Catholic social justice teaching … to make things right in society, to transform society over all," Schneider said in an interview last year with the Tampa Bay Times.

Schneider will celebrate his final Mass at Espiritu Santo at noon, Sunday, June 30. The Mass will be followed by a reception to thank him for his 10 years of service at the church.