Daniel Patrick Reilly

{{Short description|American Roman Catholic prelate (1928–2024)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Daniel Patrick Reilly

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Bishop Emeritus of Worcester

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| church = Roman Catholic

| metropolis = Boston

| archdiocese =

| diocese = Diocese of Worcester

| appointed = October 27, 1994

| enthroned = November 8, 1994

| retired = March 9, 2004

| predecessor = Timothy Joseph Harrington

| successor = Robert Joseph McManus

| previous_post = Bishop of Norwich (1975–1994)

| ordination = May 3, 1953

| ordained_by = Russell McVinney

| consecration = August 6, 1975

| consecrated_by = John Francis Whealon, Vincent Joseph Hines, and Louis Edward Gelineau

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|05|12}}

| birth_place = Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|06|18|1928|05|12}}

| death_place = Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.

| buried =

| nationality =

| alma_mater =

| signature =

| coat_of_arms =

| motto = In kindness and in truth

| education = Grand Seminary in Saint-Brieuc, France
Boston College

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Daniel Patrick Reilly

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Bishop

| image =

| image_size = 200px

}}

Daniel Patrick Reilly (May 12, 1928 – June 18, 2024) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Norwich from 1975 to 1994 and as Bishop of Worcester from 1994 to 2004.

Reilly was named in multiple lawsuits that accused him of covering up molestation in the clergy. He denied any involvement.

Biography

=Early life and education=

Daniel Reilly was born on May 12, 1928, in Providence, Rhode Island, to Francis and Mary Ann (née O'Beirne) Reilly.{{cite book|last=Curtis|first=Georgina Pell|title=The American Catholic Who's Who|volume=XXI|year=1977|publisher=Walter Romig|location=Grosse Pointe, Michigan}} He entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, Rhode Island, in 1943, then in 1948 went to the Grand Seminary in Saint-Brieuc, France.

=Ordination and ministry=

Reilly was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Providence on May 30, 1953, by Bishop Russell McVinney at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Providence.{{cite news|title=Bishop Daniel Patrick Reilly|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/breilly.html|access-date=September 16, 2009|archive-date=November 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091130010239/http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/breilly.html|url-status=live}} After his ordination, Reilly briefly served in a parish before completing his graduate studies at Boston College.

In the Diocese of Providence, Reilly was named assistant chancellor (1954), secretary to Bishop McVinney (1956), chancellor (1964), and vicar general (1972).{{cite news|date=May 6, 2003|work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette|title=Bishop Reilly to retire|last=Shaw|first=Kathleen}} Reilly attended two sessions of the Second Vatican Council in Rome during the early 1960s and was raised to the rank of monsignor in 1965.

=Bishop of Norwich=

On June 5, 1975, Pope Paul VI appointed Reilly as the third bishop of the Diocese of Norwich.{{Cite web |url=https://catholicfreepress.org/news/bishop-reilly-enjoyed-being-with-the-people |title=Connor, Tanya. "Bishop Reilly enjoys being with the people", 'The Catholic Free Press, October 23, 2020 |access-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225155200/https://catholicfreepress.org/news/bishop-reilly-enjoyed-being-with-the-people |url-status=live }} He received his episcopal ordination on August 6, 1975, at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich by Archbishop John Whealon, with Bishops Vincent Hines and Louis Gelineau serving as co-consecrators.

In 1978, Reilly allowed Reverend Bruno Primavera to transfer from the Archdiocese of Toronto to Norwich. Before granting the transfer, Reilly received warnings from archdiocesan officials about Primavera's fondness for teenage boys. In addition, a majority of the commission in Norwich that vetted new priest voted against Primavera. After sexual abuse allegations were lodged against him in one parish, Reilly transferred Primavera. When complaints arose in the second parish, Reilly in 1980 sent him back to Canada. In 1990, Primavera was sentenced to four years in prison in New Mexico for sexually abusing boys.{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2007 |title=A Bishop in Denial Left a Legacy of Pain Diocese and Victims Still Pay Heavy Price for Reilly's Sheltering of Abusive Priests |url=https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/05_06/2007_05_13_Day_ABishop.htm |access-date=October 30, 2023 |website=The Day |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030163826/https://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/05_06/2007_05_13_Day_ABishop.htm |url-status=live }}

During his tenure in Norwich, Reilly transferred other priests facing allegations of sexual abuse to different parishes.

=Bishop of Worcester=

On October 27, 1994, Pope John Paul II appointed Reilly as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Worcester. He was installed on December 8, 1994. During his tenure in Worcester, Reilly reopened St. Joseph Parish but merged it with Notre Dame des Canadiens Parish in Worcester. He raised over $50 million for his Forward in Faith campaign to place the diocese in a stable financial condition.

In 2002, Reilly became the first Catholic bishop to open the annual synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2003, he expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions for same sex couples. However, he declared that he was open to discussion on giving public benefits to same-sex couples.{{cite news|date=November 7, 2003|work=National Catholic Reporter|title=Bishop brings reason to issue of gay benefits}}

=Retirement and death=

On March 9, 2004, John Paul II accepted Reilly's resignation as bishop of Worcester. He was succeeded by Bishop Robert McManus, then auxiliary bishop of Providence.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

On September 17, 2012, the Diocese of Norwich reached a $1.1 million settlement with a New London, Connecticut, woman who claimed that she had been sexually abused as a minor by Reverend Thomas Shea from Joseph Parish in New London. The woman claimed that Reilly, when bishop of Norwich, knew about Shea's history of abuse allegations, but kept transferring him to different parishes.{{Cite web|last=Altimari|first=Dave|title=Woman Gets $1.1 Million In Priest Abuse Case; Tells Ex-Bishop, 'Shame On You'|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-priest-abuse-settlement-20120913-story.html|access-date=October 29, 2021|website=courant.com|date=September 17, 2012 |archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029203023/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-priest-abuse-settlement-20120913-story.html|url-status=live}}

In October 2020, Reilly reminisced about running retreats for men and women of the US Armed Forces in South Korea and Hawaii. He also spoke of travelling by plane and ferry to Block Island to celebrate mass when he was a priest in the Diocese of Providence.{{Cite news |last=Connor |first=Tanya |date=October 23, 2020 |title=Bishop Reilly enjoys being with the people |work=The Catholic Free Press |url=https://catholicfreepress.org/news/bishop-reilly-enjoyed-being-with-the-people |access-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-date=February 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240225155200/https://catholicfreepress.org/news/bishop-reilly-enjoyed-being-with-the-people |url-status=live }}

On December 30, 2020, the newspaper The Day calculated that Reilly and the Diocese of Norwich faced 35 separate lawsuits by men who had been sexually abused during the 1990s as minors. The men all accused Brother K. Paul McGlade, a monk who ran the Academy at Mount Saint John in Deep River, Connecticut. As bishop, Reilly had served on the Academy school board that recruited McGlade from Australia.{{Cite web|date=December 29, 2020|title=Norwich diocese now faces 35 sexual assault lawsuits connected to Deep River school|url=https://www.theday.com/article/20201229/NWS04/201229488|access-date=October 29, 2021|website=The Day|language=en-US|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029203024/https://www.theday.com/article/20201229/NWS04/201229488|url-status=live}}

Reilly died on June 18, 2024, at the age of 96.{{cite news |last1=Hallenbeck |first1=Brian |title=Daniel Reilly, former bishop of Norwich, Worcester dioceses, dies at 96 |url=https://www.theday.com/local-news/20240620/daniel-reilly-former-bishop-of-worcester-norwich-dioceses-dies-at-96/ |access-date=June 21, 2024 |work=The Day |date=June 20, 2024}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.norwichdiocese.org/Stay-Informed/All-Diocesan-Articles/ID/18345/Bishop-Emeritus-Daniel-Reilly-Former-Shepherd-of-Norwich-Dies-at-96 |title=Bishop Emeritus Daniel Reilly, Former Shepherd of Norwich, Dies at 96 |access-date=June 20, 2024 |archive-date=June 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619194650/https://www.norwichdiocese.org/Stay-Informed/All-Diocesan-Articles/ID/18345/Bishop-Emeritus-Daniel-Reilly-Former-Shepherd-of-Norwich-Dies-at-96 |url-status=live }}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20050403215433/http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester Official Site]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160101202340/http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html Official site of the Holy See]

{{Succession box |

title=Bishop of Worcester |

before=Timothy Joseph Harrington |

after=Robert Joseph McManus |

years=1994–2004}}

{{Succession box |

title=Bishop of Norwich |

before=Vincent Joseph Hines |

after=Daniel Anthony Hart |

years=1975–1994}}

Category:1928 births

Category:2024 deaths