Our New PastorFather Paul S. Manning's vocation was nurtured in a large Catholic family in Ironia, New Jersey, as the eighth of ten children and began to take shape while he was studying wildlife management at Virginia Tech.  After completing undergraduate studies in philosophy, he earned a Sacred Theology Baccalaureate (S.T.B.) and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. Father Manning was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Paterson in 1985. 

Throughout his priesthood, he has served the diocese in a variety of ministries. He served as parochial vicar at St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Parsippany and as pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Clifton. He also served for ten years as diocesan vocation director, working with men and women in discernment and formation.

In the field of Catholic education, Father Manning served for nineteen years as a high school chaplain, theology teacher, and president of Morris Catholic High School, as well as the diocesan Vicar for Education. 

Most recently, he served as Vicar for Evangelization and Executive Director of St. Paul Inside the Walls, the Diocese of Paterson's Catholic Center for Evangelization in Madison, New Jersey. 

In July 2026, he began his current assignment as pastor of St. Joseph Church.

Our New Parochial Vicar
"I was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. After graduating from Sierra Vista High School, I joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq in 2007. Following the completion of my military service in 2010, I returned to my studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with the intention of becoming a dentist.

However, toward the end of my studies, I felt a persistent calling to the priesthood. With the support of my aunt in New Jersey, I moved East to discern my vocation among the many religious orders in the area. After a period of discernment and a meeting with the Vocation Director for the Diocese of Paterson, I had the privilege of shadowing Msgr. John Hart at Assumption Parish in Morristown for two weeks. That experience was a turning point; it gave me the clarity and encouragement I needed to follow Christ as a priest.

I began my formation at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. After completing my philosophy courses, Bishop Serratelli sent me to Rome to finish my theological studies. I was ordained a priest on August 1, 2020, and subsequently returned to Rome to complete an advanced degree (STL) in Dogmatic Theology.

Since returning to the Diocese, I have served at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne for two years and at St. Patrick Parish in Chatham for three years. I am now honored to begin my new assignment at St. Joseph Parish. I am very excited to join this community and look forward to meeting you all!"