Bishop Manuel

I recently appointed a diocesan exorcist and an associate diocesan exorcist for the Diocese of Palm Beach. Both are outstanding priests of our diocese, already active in parish and school ministry, who have now been entrusted with this specialized responsibility in service to God’s people. Alongside these priests, we are establishing a Diocesan Exorcism Ministry Team to assist in the careful discernment of cases and, whenever truly necessary, in the celebration of solemn exorcisms within our diocese.

The Catholic Church’s present teaching is clear: the death penalty is inadmissible because it attacks the inviolability and dignity of the human person. For this reason, the Church is firmly committed to its abolition throughout the world.

My pastoral visits across our beloved Diocese of Palm Beach continue at full speed, giving me the opportunity to encounter our people, learn the history of our communities, and witness firsthand the faith, generosity and missionary spirit that animate our parishes.

Few responsibilities entrusted to the Church are more important than safeguarding the dignity, health and well-being of those entrusted to our pastoral care. This responsibility is especially profound when it concerns children, families and the educational communities that serve them.

As our nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States, we rightly give thanks for a country whose history has been profoundly shaped by generations of immigrants seeking freedom, opportunity and the chance to begin anew.

In a world that so often experiences loneliness, division and uncertainty, Ascension stands as a beautiful reminder that the Church is, above all, a family — a family gathered around the Eucharistic table, strengthened by the Word of God, and sent forth to proclaim the Gospel through lives of love and service.

At a time when migration, education, religious freedom and human dignity remain pressing concerns, Venerable Father Félix Varela continues to offer the Church a compelling example. He taught people to think, encouraged them to live in freedom and, above all, led them to Christ through the faithful exercise of his priestly ministry.

This Sunday, June 28, 2026, I will have the great privilege of joining the faithful of the Mission of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Delray Beach and its beloved pastor, Rev. Roland Desormeaux, C.S., as we celebrate the patronal feast of this extraordinary community of faith.

From May 26-28, I had the great joy of conducting my pastoral visit to the Mission of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Delray Beach. I was warmly welcomed by its faithful people and by its remarkable pastor, Rev. Roland Desormeaux, C.S., a Scalabrinian priest who has ministered there continuously for the past 39 years.

Maintaining the highest standards of a safe environment is essential in all the parishes, schools and ministries of the Diocese of Palm Beach because the Church’s mission is founded upon the God-given dignity of every human person, especially the most vulnerable.

Virgin, mystic, patriot and soldier, St. Joan of Arc remains one of the most extraordinary figures in Christian history. She is honored as the patron saint of France and of military personnel, and her life continues to inspire countless believers with its example of courage, fidelity and complete trust in the will of God.

My pastoral visits to the parishes of our Diocese continue with great enthusiasm and gratitude.

It fills me with joy and hope to see a young member of one of our parishes accomplish something so meaningful and inspiring. Is there any better way to honor the memory of another young saint, Bernadette Soubirous, to whom the parish is dedicated and to whom the Blessed Mother spoke, than building on these grounds a Rosary Park?

The principal theme of this year’s gathering, “Wounded Healers: Priestly Ministry in a Traumatized World,” invited the clergy to reflect deeply on the spiritual, emotional, and pastoral dimensions of priestly service amid the growing wounds and anxieties affecting contemporary society.

One year ago, on the evening of May 8, 2025, the eyes of the world turned once again toward the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as white smoke rose above the Vatican and the Church announced the election of a new Successor of Peter.