Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop-elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, a Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, priest and canon lawyer, as the next bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida, accepting the resignation of Bishop Gerald Barbarito. The Holy See publicized the resignation of Bishop Barbarito, who had reached the customary retirement age of 75, and the appointment Dec. 19 in a press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Vatican’s daily bulletin of resignations and appointments.
The bishop-elect has served since 2020 as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona, Queens. He will succeed Bishop Barbarito, who has led the Palm Beach diocese since 2003.
In an interview with The Tablet following the announcement, Bishop-elect Rodríguez reflected on his years of ministry in Brooklyn, calling them “among the happiest of my life.” He said he had been “blessed with the opportunity to serve a diocese that is tremendously gifted about sharing love and sharing the joy of the Gospel,” adding that he will “always keep in my heart everything I have learned from the many members of the diocese.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, the bishop-elect entered the Salesians of Don Bosco at 19, professed solemn vows at 28, and was ordained a priest at 30 in Santo Domingo. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Brooklyn at 38 and became a U.S. citizen at 44.
According to the USCCB and the Vatican, the bishop-elect pursued extensive academic studies in philosophy, law, education, and canon law in the Dominican Republic, Rome, Washington, D.C., and Spain. His pastoral assignments have included directing Catholic schools in the Dominican Republic and serving in parish leadership roles across Brooklyn and Queens. Since 2017, he has also served as a defender of the bond on the Brooklyn diocesan tribunal, a canon law role that argues for the validity of marriages in Church legal cases.
He told The Tablet that when he received the news of his appointment during a phone call from Cardinal Pierre on Dec. 14, he couldn’t believe it.
“I started to freak out when I realized it was a legitimate phone call,” he said, adding that leaving Brooklyn was “a big surprise.” Despite that shock, he said, “I’m a Brooklyn priest, and so happily so, but when the Church calls, you have to answer.”
At an introductory press conference, Bishop-elect Rodríguez emphasized a pastoral approach rooted in faith and service.
“I do not bring much with me. Only myself, and my faith in Christ Jesus,” he said, adding that he takes as his own the words of St. Peter: “I have neither silver nor gold. But what I have, I give you.”
Bishop Barbarito welcomed his successor, telling The Tablet that the bishop-elect had already shown himself to be “a deeply spiritual and exceptional priest.” The diocese is “very blessed to have him as our new shepherd,” he remarked.
Looking ahead to his new assignment, the bishop-elect said the move to Palm Beach will be a “process of discovery and engagement” that will begin with listening to clergy and laity to discern the diocese’s most essential needs. He highlighted teamwork and a commitment to youth as key lessons he will carry with him, noting the importance of engaging young people as both the present and future of the Church’s mission.
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