Fr. Clemens Manista grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, in an area called “Hedgeville”, a part of St. Hedwig’s Parish. Following grammar school, Fr. Clem entered the seminary in 1962, and spent 12 years there. He was ordained May 4, 1974.

During 40 years of priestly service, Fr. Clem served as Associate Pastor at St. Johns Holy Angels Parish (Newark, DE), Church of the Holy Child (Wilmington, DE), and then Immaculate Conception Parish (Elkton, MD). Later he served thirteen years as Pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish (Bear, DE), during which time that community built its church.

His next assignment took him to Holy Rosary (Claymont, DE) for eleven years. During his stay there, the community went through the challenge of combining schools with nearby St. Helena, forming the John Paul II School. The last five years, Fr. Clem served with three other priests as a chaplain to Catholic patients at Christiana Medical Center (Newark, DE). During the last four years, he also served at St. Paul Parish (Delaware City, DE). He also served Catholic patients at the Governor Bacon Health Center, on the grounds of the old Ft. DuPont.

He was appointed Pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows / St. Peter the Apostle Parish on June 25, 2014.