Daniel Patrick Reilly
Encyclopedia
Daniel Patrick Reilly is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Norwich
(1975-1994) and Bishop of Worcester
(1994-2004).
, Rhode Island
, to Francis and Mary Ann (née Bums) Reilly. He studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick
(1943-1948) before studying at the Grand Seminary in Saint-Brieuc
, France
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on May 30, 1953. He briefly served in a parish
before completing his graduate
studies at Boston College
. Serving the Diocese of Providence
, he was successively named assistant chancellor
(1954), secretary
to Bishop Russell McVinney
(1956), chancellor (1964), and vicar general
(1972). He attended two sessions of the Second Vatican Council
, and was raised to the rank of Monsignor
in 1965.
On June 5, 1975, Reilly was named the third Bishop of Norwich
, Connecticut
, by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following August 6 from Archbishop John Francis Whealon, with Bishops Vincent Joseph Hines
and Louis Edward Gelineau
serving as co-consecrators
. After nineteen years at Norwich, Reilly was named the fourth Bishop of Worcester
, Massachusetts
, on October 27, 1994. During his tenure at Worcester, he reopened St. Joseph Church but merged it with Notre Dame des Canadiens. He raised over $50 million for his Forward in Faith campaign to place the diocese in a stable financial condition. In 2002 he became the first Catholic bishop to open the annual synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
. In 2003 he expressed his unequivocal opposition same-sex marriage
and civil union
s, but declared he was open to discussion on giving public benefits to same-sex couples.
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Reilly retired as bishop on March 9, 2004. He was succeeded by Robert Joseph McManus
, then-auxiliary bishop
of Providence.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Norwich
Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Connecticut in the northeastern United States. It was erected on August 6, 1953 by Pope Pius XII....
(1975-1994) and Bishop of Worcester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. The geographic boundaries of the diocese are the same as those of Worcester County, Massachusetts, the geographically largest county of the...
(1994-2004).
Biography
Daniel Reilly was born in ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, to Francis and Mary Ann (née Bums) Reilly. He studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
(1943-1948) before studying at the Grand Seminary in Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc
Saint-Brieuc is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-History:Saint-Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who evangelized the region in the 6th century and established an oratory there...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on May 30, 1953. He briefly served in a parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
before completing his graduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
studies at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. Serving the Diocese of Providence
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode Island and the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in the state...
, he was successively named assistant chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
(1954), secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to Bishop Russell McVinney
Russell McVinney
Russell Joseph McVinney was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1948 until his death in 1971.-Early life and education:...
(1956), chancellor (1964), and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
(1972). He attended two sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, and was raised to the rank of Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1965.
On June 5, 1975, Reilly was named the third Bishop of Norwich
Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory or diocese in Connecticut in the northeastern United States. It was erected on August 6, 1953 by Pope Pius XII....
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following August 6 from Archbishop John Francis Whealon, with Bishops Vincent Joseph Hines
Vincent Joseph Hines
Vincent Joseph Hines was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Norwich from 1960 to 1975.Hines was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and was ordained to the priesthood on May 2, 1937...
and Louis Edward Gelineau
Louis Edward Gelineau
Louis Edward Gelineau is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1972 to 1997.-Biography:...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. After nineteen years at Norwich, Reilly was named the fourth Bishop of Worcester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. The geographic boundaries of the diocese are the same as those of Worcester County, Massachusetts, the geographically largest county of the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, on October 27, 1994. During his tenure at Worcester, he reopened St. Joseph Church but merged it with Notre Dame des Canadiens. He raised over $50 million for his Forward in Faith campaign to place the diocese in a stable financial condition. In 2002 he became the first Catholic bishop to open the annual synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. In 2003 he expressed his unequivocal opposition same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and civil union
Civil union
A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
s, but declared he was open to discussion on giving public benefits to same-sex couples.
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Reilly retired as bishop on March 9, 2004. He was succeeded by Robert Joseph McManus
Robert Joseph McManus
Robert Joseph McManus is the fifth Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts. He has been in post since May 14, 2004, where he succeeded Daniel P. Reilly, who retired.-Life before Worcester:...
, then-auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Providence.