Father 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.