PALM BEACH, Fla. — Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez as the sixth Bishop of Palm Beach, succeeding Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito who has led the diocese since 2003.
Rodríguez, currently pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona, Queens, New York, will oversee approximately 260,000 Catholics across 54 parishes and missions in the Diocese of Palm Beach, the Catholic church announced Friday.
The bishop-elect will be ordained and installed during a future Mass at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens. Additional details about the ceremony will be announced at a later date, the church said.
Barbarito introduced Rodríguez at an 11 a.m. press conference today at the Family Life Center of the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola, located at 9999 N. Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens.
"As required by Church law, Bishop Barbarito submitted his retirement letter to the Holy Father when he turned 75 on Jan. 4, 2025," according to the diocese.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Rodríguez was ordained to the priesthood on July 3, 2004, in Santo Domingo, according to the church. He became affiliated with the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, on June 29, 2012.
The bishop-elect is a canon lawyer with extensive experience in penal canon law and pastoral leadership, the church said in a news release. In addition to his parish responsibilities in Queens, he serves in senior juridical roles in the Brooklyn Diocese, including promoter of justice and delegate of the diocesan bishop for penal cases. Rodríguez is fluent in four languages: English, Spanish, Italian and French.
With the announcement of Rodríguez's appointment, Barbarito assumes the status of Bishop Emeritus of Palm Beach. He will serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Palm Beach until Rodríguez's ordination and installation.
