THE NEXT Bishop of Killaloe will be Corkman Fr Kieran O’Reilly. The news, announced yesterday, came as a surprise in the diocese where Fr O’Reilly is unknown.
His name was not on the terna, or list of three names nominated by priests of the diocese to Rome as successor to Bishop Willie Walsh, who is retiring.
Fr O’Reilly (57) was born in August 1952. His father Seán was a former deputy lord mayor of Cork. Educated at Presentation Brothers, Scoil Chríost Rí, Turner’s Cross in Cork, and Coláiste Chríost Rí, Cork, Fr O’Reilly joined the Society of African Missions in 1970 at Wilton.
He attended St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, and undertook further study at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome where he obtained his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture in 1984. A professed member of the Society of African Missions since April 1977, he was ordained in June 1978 after which he went on the missions.
He was involved with pastoral work in the archdiocese of Monrovia, Liberia, for two years before returning to Rome to complete his Biblical studies between 1980 and 1984. He lectured for five years in the seminary at Ibadan in Nigeria, where he was from 1984 to 1988.
From 1990 to 1995 he was a member of the provincial council of the SMA’s Irish province and in May 1995 he was elected vicar general of the society. In 2001 he was elected its superior general and was re-elected for a second term in 2007. Since 2001 he has been based in Rome. As well as English and Irish, Fr OReilly also speaks French and Italian.
In a statement yesterday he said that to describe his reaction on learning of his appointment as “one of surprise would not be an understatement”. He added: “But in a spirit of service I accept this appointment and express my gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI for asking me to take on this ministry of service and leadership in the church of Killaloe.”
Bishop Walsh confirmed yesterday that the terna from the diocese didn’t contain the name of Fr O’Reilly “because the priests didn’t know him”.
He said he was told of the appointment two weeks ago. “Yes, I was surprised. I suppose it is always human to think or to hope that the man appointed might be someone you know. Somebody as it were ‘of our own’ and we did have a number of men who were quite capable of leading the diocese.”
However, Dr Walsh said that “there are a lot of advantages to a person from the outside coming in with new and fresh ideas and carrying no baggage from the past”.
He had spoken to a number of priests from the diocese yesterday “and they are warmly welcoming the appointment”. As for himself, “I am very happy with Fr O’Reilly’s appointment. I believe that it will be providential for the diocese.
“Fr O’Reilly will be bringing a very rich experience to the diocese. A diocese can be inward-looking and the Killaloe diocese can benefit from Fr O’Reilly’s worldwide vision of the church.”
He said he had “a sense of relief” that a successor has been appointed. “It is the end of an era, but also an exciting new beginning.” He will remain as bishop until Fr O’Reilly is ordained Bishop of Killaloe in late August or early September.
Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady congratulated Fr O’Reilly whom he has known “for many years”.
Acknowledging the contribution of Bishop Willie Walsh, he said the motto he took at his ordination was “Cinealtas Chríost”, meaning “the gentleness of Christ”. “He has very much lived out this motto in his episcopal ministry. Bishop Walsh is never afraid to speak out and to use his talent in communication to speak for the poor and the marginalised in our society or when it came to issues of injustice and wrongdoing.”