Robert Joseph McManus

Robert Joseph McManus (born July 5, 1951 in Providence, Rhode Island) is the fifth Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts. He has been in post since May 14, 2004, where he succeeded Daniel P. Reilly, who retired.

Life before Worcester

McManus is the son of Edward W. & Helen F. (King) McManus. He grew up in the Providence area, graduating from Blessed Sacrament School and Our Lady of Providence High School. He is an alum of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and the Toronto School of Theology.

McManus was ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 1978 by Bishop Kenneth A. Angell of Providence. He had then served as an associate pastor at several parishes and chaplaincies throughout the diocese for nearly twenty years.

Appointments by John Paul II

He was elevated to the title of Monsignor on February 28, 1997 by Pope John Paul II. He was named and Auxiliary Bishop of Providence on February 22, 1999, and installed in Worcester on May 14, 2004.

Teen Pregnancy Conference Controversy

Bishop McManus was critical of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester renting out "sacred space" to the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnacy for workshops. He thought that the classes taught things which violated the teachings of the Catholic Church. On October 10, 2007, he issued a statement expressing his thoughts and criticisms of the conference.

External links

* [http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/bishop.html Bio on Diocesan website]