Fifty years after being ordained to the priesthood, Auxiliary Bishop John Manz still lives among the Hispanic immigrant community that he has served for his entire ministry.

Bishop Manz, who resides at Good Shepherd Parish in Little Village, celebrates a half-century of priesthood and a quarter-century as a bishop on May 12. He now serves as auxiliary bishop of Vicariate IV, which includes near west suburbs of Chicago as well as parts of the West and Northwest sides.

At 75, he has sent a letter of resignation to Pope Francis as required by canon law, but he will continue to minister until it is accepted.

“I have always felt very welcomed by Hispanics,” said Bishop Manz, a Chicago native. “I have been able to develop friendships with them and understand their issues, many times not seen by the media. My involvement with them has made me a better priest and a better person. 

“My first parish [Providence of God] was in the Pilsen neighborhood, on 18th Street. It’s not there anymore. I was there for seven years,” Manz remembered. “Back then, it was a poor area. I became very fond of that parish. I got there when I was 25 years old. It was 1971, a time when people began to talk about the rights of Hispanics, of Chicanos. I remember having participated in marches and protests for their rights.”

His work as an advocate for immigrant rights has earned the affection of parishioners and leaders alike.

“Since the beginning of our ministry, not just Pastoral Migratoria in 2008, but also the Catholic Campaign for Immigration Reform in 2005, Bishop Manz has been a leader who has accompanied us during ups and downs,” said Elena Segura, associate director of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity. “I call him the ‘godfather of Pastoral Migratoria.’”

Bishop Manz’s vocation has also inspired others to discern whether they are called to priesthood. “Bishop Manz was my pastor at St. Agnes Parish when I was young and, together with Father Mike Enright, he invited me to consider entering the seminary and to discern if I had a vocation to priesthood,” said Father Esequiel Sánchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines.

As a priest, Bishop Manz — known to parishioners as “Father Juan” — served at Providence of God, St. Roman and St. Agnes of Bohemia parishes. Then, in 1996, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As a bishop, he has advocated for justice and dignity for his vulnerable brothers and sisters, serving as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers and as a member of the Diversity in the Church Committee and the Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America.

His responsibilities took him to 15 states with significant Hispanic presence, to minister to and speak with migrant workers, to listen to them. He visited workers in Kentucky and Alabama, and also traveled to Latin American countries, including Panama, where he spent half a year.

The situation of migrants in the United States continues to be a pastoral priority for Bishop Manz. It is a topic he speaks about with concern and disappointment.

“There are many problems at the border, with people coming from Central America,” Bishop Manz said. “The new administration has been open to finding improvements in solving these immigration problems, but I don’t think they are prepared. It is important to start over with new structures, especially to solve the case with minors.”

When it comes to the local church, he said the Renew My Church process and the accompanying reduction in the number of parishes has been painful, but necessary, as the archdiocese moves to create more vital parishes.

“Over the years there have been fewer people attending churches,” Bishop Manz said. “There are fewer people, fewer priests, less income, and many buildings in need of repairs. It causes pain everywhere. Although this has brought a lot of pain, sadness, concern, or anger among parishioners, most of them are faithful, and they accept it despite the difficulty.”

Despite the mandatory confinement that everybody has experienced to some extent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop Manz’s work has not stopped.

“During the quarantine we couldn’t travel, nor could I go to the office until just a couple of months ago, but we have had many meetings through Zoom,” said Bishop Manz said, who also maintains his pastoral involvement with the priests in Little Village.

Now, Bishop Manz looks at his priestly journey of half a century with satisfaction and gratitude.

“The work as a priest has never been easy, but I feel very fortunate,” he said. “I have had many experiences; I have never been bored and I think it is because I like people. As a priest, I believe I have received more than I have given.”