Salvatore Ronald Matano

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Salvatore Ronald Matano (born September 15, 1946) is a retired American Catholic bishop who led the Diocese of Rochester, New York, from 2013 to 2026. He previously served as Bishop of Burlington, Vermont, from 2005 to 2013.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Matano decided to become a priest after high school. He earned a philosophy degree from Our Lady of Providence Seminary College and was ordained a priest on December 17, 1971, in Rome. He later earned a Doctor of Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Matano held several church offices before becoming a bishop. He worked as assistant pastor, taught at a seminary high school, and held roles such as director of priest personnel, vicar for administration, and chancellor. He also spent time in Washington, D.C., as secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and served as vicar general of the Providence Diocese. He was named a coadjutor bishop of Burlington in 2005 and became bishop there later that year.

As bishop of Burlington, Matano led a plan to merge some parishes to better share resources as priest numbers declined. In 2013, Pope Francis appointed him to succeed Bishop Matthew H. Clark in Rochester, and he was installed as bishop there on January 3, 2014.

Matano has spoken out on church issues, including a 2018 statement of sorrow over the sexual abuse of minors by priests. He has also engaged with parish communities on matters like church closures and parish life, for example in 2021 during a forum in Auburn, New York.

In addition to his diocesan work, Matano served on the board of trustees for St. John’s Seminary in Boston. There were media reports in 2018 about the handling of Bishop Fulton Sheen’s canonization, in which Matano’s office was mentioned.

Matano announced in 2021 that he would submit his resignation when he reached the age of 75, as required, though he noted he would stay to help with the diocese through difficult times, including the bankruptcy process. On January 7, 2026, Pope Leo XIV accepted his resignation and named John S. Bonnici as his successor.