Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Division honors Monsignor Michael T. Mannion for his efforts to educate youth about the effects of substance abuse and violence and for his assistance to the local FBI’s community outreach program.

Father Mannion is a council member of the Camden Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and has received accolades for his efforts to reduce substance abuse and gang violence in the community. In 1980, Father Mannion co-founded the Bridge, a personal enrichment center for teenagers in Camden, New Jersey. The Bridge addresses the challenges of adolescence and recognizes the special psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the area’s youth, operating weekly empowerment sessions and off-site school and community programs.

Working with the U.S. Marshals Service, Father Mannion assisted with the organization’s Fugitive Safe Surrender Program. The successful program encouraged the city’s most violent predators to surrender to Father Mannion, due to his collaborative efforts with law enforcement. Father Mannion often volunteers as a chaplain not only to the FBI Philadelphia Division but also to many other community and law enforcement organizations. He also supports the division’s youth and employee assistance programs, providing information on substance abuse, suicide prevention, grief, addiction, and strategic urban community leadership.