Elias James Manning, OFM Conv. (14 April 1938 – 13 October 2019) was an American-born Brazilian Catholic bishop. He served as Bishop of Valença from 1990 to 2014. He was also a member of the

Conventual Franciscans The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.) is a male religious fraternity in the Catholic Church and a branch of the Franciscan Order. Conventual Franciscan Friars are identified by the affix O.F.M. Conv. after their names. They are ...

Biography

Manning was born in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany, New York, Albany. At the ...

, and had a brother and a sister. He attended

La Salle Institute La Salle Institute is an independent, private, Catholic college preparatory school run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Troy, New York, United States serving boys and girls in grades six through twelve. It was establi ...

. After graduating in 1959, instead of attending college he decided to attend St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer. During his time in seminary he served on a mission trip to

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, which inspired him to become a missionary and join the

. After graduating from seminary and being ordained in 1965 Manning traveled to

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, where he would spend his life as a Franciscan priest and missionary. In 1990 he was appointed Bishop of Valença. Manning died on 13 October 2019 at the age of 81.

Notes

1938 births 2019 deaths American expatriate Roman Catholic bishops in South America 20th-century American Roman Catholic bishops 21st-century American Roman Catholic bishops 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Brazil Conventual Franciscan bishops People from Troy, New York American Roman Catholic missionaries Roman Catholic missionaries in Brazil American emigrants to Brazil 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Brazil Roman Catholic bishops of Valença Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II {{Brazil-RC-bishop-stub