Father John Manno accepts Road to Emmaus Ministry Award from Executive Director Sheila Austin.
Fr. John Manno recognized for bringing hope and support to poorest neighborhoods
By: Eileen Jevis
Staff writer
The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:29) is the story of Jesus walking with two disillusioned disciples the day after His resurrection. The scripture is about finding hope in despair and recognizing Christ’s presence in daily life. The Gospel message is a reminder that Jesus walks alongside others in their suffering.
Fr. John Manno, founder of Emmaus Ministry, located on the south side of Syracuse, was honored at the inaugural Emmaus Ministry “Journey with Us” award ceremony held at the OnCenter on April 22. Father Manno serves as pastor of Saint Marianne Cope and Holy Family Parishes. He is also the Vicar for Clergy for the Syracuse Diocese, and serves on multiple boards and committees.
In his opening remarks at the ceremony, Fr. Manno described how Emmaus Ministry was established. “In 2007, I was minding my own business as the parochial vicar of Holy Cross Church in Dewitt,” he said. “Bishop Moynihan called me and said, ‘you need to go to St. James on the city’s south side. The bishop hesitated, and then said, ‘we need to do something.’”
When Fr. Manno asked the bishop what he had in mind, the bishop responded, “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out.”
“So, following his challenge, I went to the south side of the city and we started looking around at all the things that were going on,” explained Fr. Manno.
Fr. Manno was named pastor of St. James Church, now Our Lady of Hope, in 2008. He began looking for a way to reach beyond the walls of the church and bring the presence of Christ to individuals and families impacted by poverty, drugs, crime, and homelessness. The parishioners made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a way to bring the love of Christ to those in need. What had started with a sandwich, has now become the ministry’s comprehensive outreach program.
Father Manno said within days of his arrival at St. James, he met Sheila Austin, (now executive director of Emmaus Ministry) who gave him a pamphlet of the ministries that the parish was engaged in. “The week she and I met, there was an article in the Post-Standard about the 800 abandoned homes in the City of Syracuse, the majority of them in the 13205 zip code. And, within a month of our meeting, six people had been killed just blocks from the church.
“The reality that Bishop Moynihan had offered was true,” said Fr. Manno. “Something needed to be done. And little by little, it was the Holy Spirit leading us to where we are today.”
“When we started the ministry,” Fr. Manno continued, “we went to the Catholic Charities Men’s Shelter (then called Oxford Street Inn) to serve a meal. One of the guests staying at the shelter said, ‘This is nice, but will you come back?’ Essentially, he wanted to know if we would come back and serve another meal, or if it was a ‘one-and-done’ type thing.”
Father Manno said that the interaction reminded him of the Gospel of Luke when the disciples on the road to Emmaus say to Jesus, “stay with us…” In other words, explained Fr. Manno, the man was asking Jesus to stay with him.
Sheila Austin describes Fr. Manno as a gifted pastoral leader, unlike any she has ever met. She credits him for finding her way back to the Church after 30 years away. “He has a gift of meeting someone where they are in their journey and bringing them along to a deep level of understanding, to actively embrace, and to strive to ‘live’ the gospels,” said Austin. “He is an invaluable asset to the Emmaus board. His perspectives, guidance and recommendations are always founded in the mission – to bring the presence of Christ to others through acts of kindness and love, as Christ calls us to do.”
Deacon Bob Fangio has worked with Fr. Manno for 11 years at Holy Family Church. He said that Fr. Manno is truly authentic and true to the Catholic values he was raised with. “Love and compassion for his fellow man, especially the most disadvantaged, are his greatest qualities,” said Deacon Bob.
“I have always been so inspired by Fr. Manno’s grassroots effort of serving the needy of the Syracuse community,” added Bishop Douglas Lucia. “His initiative makes me wonder what else the Catholic Church can do to help individuals and families just making ends meet, as well as, addressing the issue of homelessness in this city. I am grateful for his dedicated response to Jesus’ request to his disciples: ‘As I have done, so you must do’ (Jn 13:15). May God continue to give success to Fr. Manno’s ministry among us!”
Looking at the hundreds of people who attended the ceremony, Fr. Manno is grateful the ministry is supported by many people on the south side and beyond. “I don’t know what the Holy Spirit has in store for Emmaus as we go forward, but my hope and prayer is that you will stay with us – with your prayers, your continued financial support, and your volunteerism,” said Fr. Manno. “We need you to stay with us, and together, all of us here and all those we serve, will encounter the risen Christ. And that makes all the difference.”
For additional information on how to volunteer, donate funds or much needed items, visit https://emmausministry.org/.
Emmaus Ministry 2025 Program Statistics
Meal Service
Unique Households Served: 1,405
Meals Serviced: 102,876
Food Pantry
Unique Households Receiving Monthly Pantry Bags: 427
Unique Individuals Served Monthly: 1,009
Total Monthly Pantry Bags Distributed: 1,228
Case Management Program
Guest Contacts: 1,070
Children’s Activities Program
Number of In-House Programs: 46
Number of Children Participating: 1,641
Clinic Visits
Dental Visits: 450
Medical Visits: 545
Volunteers
Volunteer Hours Logged: 12,717
Number of Adult Volunteers: 169
Number of Student Volunteers: 45
