Kevin Michael Manning (2 November 1933 – 15 July 2024) was an Australian

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

bishop. Having been a parish priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, he served as Bishop of Armidale (1991–1997) and then as Bishop of Parramatta (1997–2010).

Biography

Manning was born 1933 in Coolah, Warrumbungle Shire, New South Wales. In the era of depression years and the disruption of World War II, he attended Sacred Heart Primary School in Coolah. After completing his studies at Propaganda Fide College in Rome, Manning was ordained as a

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' refe ...

Gregorio Pietro Agagianian Gregorio Pietro XV Agagianian (; anglicized: ''Gregory Peter''; Western , ''Krikor Bedros ŽĒ. Aghajanian''; born Ghazaros Aghajanian, 15 September 1895 – 16 May 1971) was an Armenian cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was the head o ...

on 20 December 1961. In the first half of the 19th century Propaganda Fide College had as its spiritual director St Vincent Pallotti and its students included at different times Saints Oliver Plunkett and John Henry Newman and also later Sydney's Cardinal Sir Norman Thomas Gilroy and Cardinal Patrick Francis Moran. Reverend Kevin Manning started his ecclesiastical career as a

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

in the Diocese of Bathurst. In 1983, the Canberra Times reported a novel way to celebrate an engagement to be married. A church service and engagement rings blessing was led by Manning at Marymead Chapel Narrabundah ACT. The young Manning was, for a time, based in Canberra and celebrated his 25th anniversary as a clergyman in 1987. He was interviewed by the Canberra Times for the occasion. After 13 years of service, from 1978, as assistant secretary and secretary to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Apostolic Pronuncio announced Manning's appointment as Bishop of Armidale. One collaborative agency of social justice, that evolved during these years and continues to this day was the Paulian Association's initiative of Palms Australia. Another is Project Compassion. On 10 July 1997, Most Reverend Manning was installed as Bishop of Parramatta by Edward Clancy, the then Archbishop of Sydney. He was consecrated as a Bishop at Armidale on 10 July 1991 and served as the eighth Bishop of Armidale from 1991 to 1997. He served as Bishop of Parramatta from 1997 to 2010, and held the title

Bishop Emeritus In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the c ...

. The current St Patrick's Cathedral was consecrated under his watch in November 2003. Campion College at Toongabbie, was opened under his watch in 2006. That year, he received the

Kahlil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and Visual arts, visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself reject ...

International Award.https://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s2007308.htm Manning was interviewed by the ABC Sunday Nights ''Second Hour'' program in August 2007. Manning died in Bathurst on 15 July 2024, at the age of 90. His funeral is scheduled to take place at St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta, on 2 August.https://parracatholic.org/events/bishop-emeritus-kevin-manning-funeral-mass/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Kevin 1933 births 2024 deaths Roman Catholic bishops of Armidale Roman Catholic bishops of Parramatta 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Australia Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II