Fr. Dennis McManus is a priest of the Archdiocese of Mobile in Alabama. From 1997-2006, he worked as Associate Director of the Secretariat for the Liturgy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC. Pope John Paul II named him as consultor and theologian to the newly established Vox Clara commission of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on which he has served since 2001; Pope Benedict XVI then appointed Fr. McManus as consultor to the Congregation itself in 2010 and then as peritus to the Vox Clara commission. He has taught as professor of liturgy at Conception Abbey Seminary, the Dominican House of Studies, Dunwoodie Seminary, St. John the Evangelist Seminary in Boston and at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg.

Fr. McManus has written widely on liturgical topics, but specialized in the application of translation theory to the Roman Rite, and in the development of the Rites of Exorcism. Fr. McManus served as pastoral coordinator for the Archdiocese of New York in deliverance and exorcism ministry from 2009-2011. He is also the USCCB Delegate for Jewish Affairs and membered on both the Vatican-Baptist dialogue (2007-20012) and the USCCB-Reform Churches dialogue which issued its historic joint agreement on the form and recognition of baptism (2012). He was general editor of Paulist Press’ Ancient Christian Writers Series from 1994-2007 and translation editor of Varsity Press’ Ancient Christian Commentary from 1995-1998 . Fr. McManus has taught courses in theology, medieval literature, classical languages and Jewish studies for over 40 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in classical languages and philosophy from St. Mary’s College of California; a master’s degree in historical ethics from Georgetown University and a doctorate in historical ethics from Drew University. He serves as Professor in the department of Jewish civilization at Georgetown University and Professor of Systematic Theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg.