The Fatima Center is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our dear and esteemed friend, Mr. John McManus, publisher of The New American and President of the John Birch Society. Please pray for the eternal repose of his soul.
Réquiem ætérnam dona ei, Dómine. Et lux perpétua lúceat ei.
Requiéscat in pace. Amen.
Also fitting are three Hail Mary’s and/or Psalm 129 (De profundis).
Our supporters may remember Mr. McManus best from his presentation, “We’re Being Led to a One-World Government and One-World Religion,” at The Fatima Center’s 2013 Path to Peace Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He also gave a memorable interview with Father Gruner after that presentation titled “America & the United Nations.” Both talks can be found on our YouTube channel by following the above links.
In 2020, Mr. McManus published his seminal book, The Deep Church Revealed: An Enemy Within, available from Loreto Publications. The book description from their site is an apt tribute to the life of this most loyal son of the Church:
“This book, written by a prominent and well known Catholic American, is the product of almost seventy years of close observation and deep study in a turbulent world of rapid change and degradation of church and society. Recently, the courageous Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò published an acknowledgment of the problems discussed in this book in his now world famous Open Letter to President Trump where he spoke of Freemasonry and the ‘deep church’. Because that letter appeared as this book was going to press, The Deep Church Revealed was added to the original title as a fitting description of its content.
“The revealing begins with a description of the Enlightenment philosophers and their anti-Catholic hatred, and the author proceeds from there to detail in forty-one astonishing chapters the story of how those men and the organizations they inspired grew and and spread their pernicious doctrines throughout the world and the Church.
“The plans that these Freemasonic organizations laid were remarkably successful, even though vigorously opposed by every Pope for over 200 years. ‘An enemy hath done this’ Our Lord said in the parable of the wheat and the cockles. Truly, this can be said today of the situation in His Church. The holy and vigilant Padre Pio told Fr. Luigi Villa in 1963 when he assigned Fr. Villa the task of exposing these enemies ‘Courage, courage, courage! For the Church is already invaded by Freemasonry that has already reached the Pope’s slippers.’
“We are thankful to Mr. McManus for telling this story briefly, succinctly, and with unbounded love for our Holy Mother the Church. He advises us, like Saint Peter, ‘Be sober and watchful, for your adversary the devil goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Whom ye should resist, fortes in fide.’”
The following memoriam was provided by Mr. C. Joseph Doyle of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts:
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts mourns the loss of one of its original members, John F. McManus of Reading, MA, who died on March 4th. John “Jack” McManus was 89 years old.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Jack was educated by the Jesuits at Brooklyn Preparatory School. He continued that education when he first came to Worcester, Massachusetts, to enroll in the College of the Holy Cross.
While at the Cross, Jack was a midshipman in NROTC. Upon graduation, after receiving a Bachelor’s degree in physics, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marines. Following a three year tour of active duty, Jack left the Corps to pursue a career as an electronics engineer.
Talented in his field, Jack received an award from the United States Air Force for his successful design of a component used in the production of third generation jet fighters.
As a loyal veteran, a patriotic American and a committed Catholic, Jack was attracted to the John Birch Society, because of that organization’s dedicated opposition to atheistic Communism.
In 1966, Jack McManus commenced a fifty-eight year professional association with the Birch Society. A close collaborator with Birch founder Robert Welch, Jack was a gifted and prolific writer, teacher, lecturer and media spokesman for the Society, who frequently appeared on national radio and television, including many programs hosted by Pat Buchanan.
Some of us also remember him as an articulate, highly informed and always compelling guest on Boston talk radio. Jack was the author of several books, and was the publisher of the Society’s magazine, The New American.
Beginning as a New England Field Coordinator in 1966, Jack became the Society’s Director of Public Affairs in 1973. From 1991 to 2015, Jack McManus served as President of the John Birch Society. From 2015 until his death, he held the title of President Emeritus.
Jack McManus was also a longtime friend and supporter of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Saint Benedict Center, now located in Richmond, New Hampshire. Jack was an occasional speaker at the Annual Saint Benedict Center Conference and contributed some notable articles to the Center’s website, Catholicism.org.
Jack McManus was happily married for 65 years to the late Mary O’Reilly McManus, who died in May of 2023.
John F. McManus was a pious, orthodox and traditional Catholic, and was a valiant defender of his country and its founding. He was also a Christian gentleman and an old friend, whom I have known for five decades. He will be sorely missed.
Requiem Services
We wish to extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the children, grandchildren and friends of Jack McManus upon the occasion of their grievous loss.
Jack was waked at the McDonald Funeral Home, at 19 Yale Avenue, in Wakefield, MA, on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
A traditional Latin Requiem Mass was celebrated at Saint Adelaide Parish, 708 Lowell Street, in Peabody, MA, on Monday, March 11, 2024.
Jack McManus was buried in Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts – a community that was his home for many years – on March 11, 2024.
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants and handmaids departed the full remission of their sins, that, through our devout prayers, they may obtain the pardon, which they have always desired, Who live and reign, world without end. Amen. – Collect of the the First Mass on All Souls Day