Diocese of Palm Beach Mission
The Mission of the Roman Catholic Church of Palm Beach, which comprises the people of God in the counties of Palm Beach, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie in the State of Florida, in communion with the Universal Church, whose visible head is the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ and in communion with the Diocesan Bishop, is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
This message of salvation is addressed to all of Christ’s faithful and to all people.
With stewardship of our God-given human and material resources, the Church of Palm Beach will strive to discern God’s will in satisfying the spiritual, moral, sacramental, educational and basic needs of all people, with justice, respecting the dignity of each person.
By planning and implementing pastoral, sacramental, charitable, educational and administrative services, the Church of Palm Beach, to the best of its ability and with the grace of God, will promote faith, hope and love.
Rev. Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Father Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez, currently pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Corona (Queens), New York, as the sixth Bishop of Palm Beach. The bishop-elect succeeds Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, who has served the diocese since 2003.
Bishop Rodríguez has begun his assignment as chief shepherd of the Diocese of Palm Beach, comprising of approximately 260,000 Catholics and 54 parishes and missions.
As required by Church law, Bishop Barbarito submitted his retirement letter to the Holy Father when he turned 75 on Jan. 4, 2025.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Bishop-Elect Rodríguez was ordained to the priesthood July 3, 2004, in Santo Domingo, and became affiliated with (incardinated into) the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, on June 29, 2012. He is a canon lawyer with extensive experience in penal canon law and pastoral leadership. Besides 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. Bishop-Elect Rodríguez is fluent in four languages (English, Spanish, Italian and French).
With the announcement of Bishop-Elect Rodríguez’s appointment, Bishop Barbarito assumes the status of Bishop Emeritus of Palm Beach. He also becomes the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Palm Beach until the day of Bishop-Elect Rodríguez’s ordination and installation.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bishop Barbarito was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn on Jan. 31, 1976. He earned a licentiate in canon law, and later served as vice chancellor, master of ceremonies and episcopal secretary before being named an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn on June 28, 1994, and ordained a bishop on Aug. 22, 1994. In 1999, Bishop Barbarito was appointed as bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, where he was installed on Jan. 7, 2000. Bishop Barbarito was named the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach on July 1, 2003, and was installed at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola on Aug. 28, 2003.
The Diocese of Palm Beach was established by Pope St. John Paul II in 1984, encompassing the counties of Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee, totaling 4,359 square miles. There is a total population of more than 2 million and a Catholic population of more than 260,000, served by nearly 300 ordained priests and deacons, with 20 Catholic elementary and high schools.