PALM BEACH GARDENS | Bishop Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez marked his 22nd anniversary of priesthood July 3, 2026, with a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola attended by parishioners and priests of the diocese. At the start of the liturgy, he mentioned that he was wearing the chasuble he wore for his 2004 priestly ordination in the Dominican Republic.
In his homily, the bishop recalled that it was the feast of St. Thomas the apostle, and it was a “pure coincidence” that his ordination with three other men fell on that particular saint’s day. He happily reported that all of his classmates remain in priestly ministry: one in Puerto Rico and two in the Dominican Republic.
“A tremendous lesson that I have learned throughout these 22 years is that the priesthood of all of us is not about us,” he told the concelebrating priests. “We’re certainly part of it. Without us, it could not be possible. But in the end, it’s not about us. It’s about the love that God has for his people. This is the mystery of our vocation as priests. At the end of the day, it is not about us.”
Each priest is a blessing from God to his people, Bishop Rodríguez said. “This gift is bigger than each one of us individually. We have our limitations. We have our betrayals, we have our sins, we have our talents, our strengths and our weaknesses. But the gift of the priesthood remains bigger than us.”
Addressing the priests and seminarians at the Mass, he urged them to trust in the Lord and endure the challenges and surprises of life.
Five years after his ordination, Bishop Rodríguez began ministry in the Diocese of Brooklyn. Before moving there, he had never served in a parish, always in schools in the Dominican Republic, he said.
“It was a huge discovery for me to become involved in parish ministry. I had the great privilege in the Diocese of Brooklyn to be part of four amazing parishes. Four wonderful communities of faith that truly made me rediscover Jesus and rediscover myself through my service to them,” the bishop said.
Being involved in parish life sparked a transformation, he said, making him “more centered in the mission of the Lord through the many services and commitments that we have in our parish life.” Those revolutionary changes were unexpected, and he encouraged the priests to be open to the Lord’s surprises every day.
At the end of the Mass, he acknowledged the constant contributions to him personally and to the local Church of Bishop Emeritus Gerald M. Barbarito and Father Chuck Notabartolo, diocesan vicar general.
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