PROSPECT HEIGHTS — As Bishop-elect Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez reflects on his time in the Diocese of Brooklyn, he said it’s the people and their commitment to the faith that he will remember no matter where life takes him.
“These years that I have been ministering in the Diocese of Brooklyn are among the happiest of my life,” Bishop-elect Rodríguez told The Tablet. “Throughout these experiences, I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve a diocese that is tremendously gifted about sharing love and sharing the joy of the Gospel.
“I will always keep in my heart everything I have learned from the many members of the diocese.”
On Dec. 19, Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop-elect Rodríguez to replace Bishop Gerald Barbarito, 75, as bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, Florida. His episcopal ordination and installation in the Diocese of Palm Beach will be held on a future date at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, according to a Diocese of Brooklyn spokesperson.
Bishop-elect Rodríguez told The Tablet he received a call with the news from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 14. He said at first he didn’t believe the call was real.
“I started to freak out when I realized it was a legitimate phone call,” he said. “It was a big surprise. Never in my wildest dreams [did I think] I would be leaving Brooklyn.
“I’m a Brooklyn priest, and so happily so, but when the Church calls, you have to answer.”
Almost a week after the call, Bishop-elect Rodríguez said he is still in shock.
He said relocating to the Diocese of Palm Beach will be a “process of discovery and engagement” that will begin with conversations with Bishop Barbarito and the local faithful to determine the diocese’s most essential needs.
“I’m going there with a very open mind, first of all to listen and to engage and to discover the joy,” Bishop-elect Rodríguez said.
Of the appointment, Bishop Robert Brennan credited Bishop-elect Rodríguez for the wonderful job he’s done as a priest in the diocese, specifically noting that his focus on staying close to the hearts of the people will serve him well as a bishop.
“He’s very, very intelligent. Very well spoken. Very logical. But he is also a man of the Church. He loves Jesus Christ,” Bishop Brennan told The Tablet. “As a pastor, in some ways, he’s bigger than life. He’s a big person physically, but the exuberance he brings is refreshing, and it’s all about love of Jesus Christ and love of the Gospel.”
A native of the Dominican Republic, Bishop-elect Rodríguez was ordained into the priesthood on July 3, 2004, in Santo Domingo, and became affiliated with (incardinated into) the Diocese of Brooklyn on June 29, 2012.
He is a canon lawyer with extensive experience in penal canon law and pastoral leadership. Besides his parish responsibilities, he serves the Diocese of Brooklyn in senior judicial roles, including as the promoter of justice and as a delegate of the diocesan bishop for penal cases. He is also fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, and French.
Bishop-elect Rodríguez has served four parishes in the diocese.
He was parochial vicar for St. Michael Parish in Sunset Park from 2009-2011, pastor of S.s. Peter and Paul Parish in Williamsburg from 2011-2014, pastor of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Jamaica from 2014-2020, and pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona from 2020 until his appointment to Palm Beach.
Bishop-elect Rodríguez said two things he’s learned in the Diocese of Brooklyn that he will bring with him are the importance of teamwork and the need to commit to the youth as the future and present of the Church’s mission.
“Working with different teams of committed members of the Church, both clergy and lay persons, has been one of the most important learnings for myself ,” he said. “I always try to be part of the team and be part of the process of discerning together what is the real Lord’s call, so I will bring that with me always to Palm Beach.”
As for the youth, Bishop-elect Rodríguez noted that “the centrality of the relevance of the youth is something essential that this diocese has never missed.”
He also highlighted the diversity of the Diocese of Palm Beach, which covers five counties in southeast Florida, and has more than 260,000 Catholics. It has a strong Haitian, Creole, and Asian presence, as well as a growing Hispanic population.
In fact, estimates from the University of Florida indicate that by 2035 Hispanics and African-Americans will combine to make up slightly more than half of Palm Beach County’s population.
“I look forward to working with all of them because we are one Church,” Bishop-elect Rodríguez said. “We need to be together and work together and continue listening to the Lord, too.”