Kieran O'Reilly (bishop)

The Most Reverend Kieran O'Reilly SMA KC*HS
Archbishop of Cashel and Emly
O'Reilly in 2015
Church	Roman Catholic
Archdiocese	Cashel and Emly
Appointed	22 November 2014
Installed	8 February 2015
Predecessor	Dermot Clifford
Orders
Ordination	17 June 1978
Consecration	29 August 2010 by  Dermot Clifford
Personal details
Born	(1952-08-08) 8 August 1952 (age 71) Cork, Ireland
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Killaloe Superior General and Vicar General of the Society of African Missions
Alma mater	Coláiste Chríost Rí St Patrick's College, Maynooth Pontifical Biblical Institute
Motto	Verbum tuum veritas (Your word is truth)
Coat of arms

Kieran Andrew O'Reilly SMA KC*HS (born 8 August 1952) is an Irish Roman Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Cashel and Emly since 2015.

Early life and education

O'Reilly was born in Cork on 8 August 1952, the first of five children to Seán and Theresa O'Reilly. He attended primary school in Scoil Chríost Rí and secondary school in Coláiste Chríost Rí, before entering the novitiate of the Society of African Missions in Wilton, Cork in 1970. ^{[1] [2]}

O'Reilly subsequently attended courses in philosophy and theology at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, being awarded bachelor's degrees in literature in 1974 and theology in 1977. He was later awarded a diploma in missionary studies in 1978. O'Reilly became a permanent member of the Society of African Missions by professing perpetual vows on 10 April 1977, and was ordained a priest on 17 June 1978. ^{[1] [2]}

Presbyteral ministry

Following his ordination, O'Reilly served for two years in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Monrovia, Liberia, before he was recalled two years later to undertake studies in sacred scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, from where he was awarded a licentiate in 1984. He was then appointed Professor of Biblical Studies at the major seminary of Saints Peter and Paul in Ibadan, Nigeria, where he taught until 1988. ^{[1] [2]}

O'Reilly was elected to the Provincial Council of the Society of African Missions by members of the Society's Irish province in 1989, and subsequently appointed Vicar General of the Society in 1995. He was elected Superior General of the Society on 5 May 2001, the fourth Irishman to serve in this post, and re-elected in 2007. ^{[1] [2]}

Episcopal ministry

Bishop of Killaloe

O'Reilly was appointed Bishop-elect of Killaloe by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 May 2010. ^{[3] [4] [5]} He was consecrated by the Archbishop of Cashel-Emly, Dermot Clifford, on 29 August in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Ennis. ^{[1] [6]}

He was a popular and accessible bishop with one only public controversy in August 2014, when men were invited to apply for a restoration of the Permanent Diaconate in the diocese. ^[7] Women, "who do the majority of the work in the parishes", had been "hurt and greatly disappointed" by O'Reilly's male-only invitation, forcing him to decide to "not now proceed with the introduction of the permanent diaconate at this time". ^{[8] [9]}

Archbishop of Cashel and Emly

O'Reilly was appointed Archbishop-elect of Cashel and Apostolic Administrator-elect of Emly by Pope Francis on 22 November 2014. ^{[10] [11] [12]} Following the formal union of the metropolitan see of Cashel with the diocese of Emly to form the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly on 26 January 2015, ^[13] he was installed as the first archbishop of the new archdiocese on 8 February, in the Cathedral of the Assumption, Thurles. ^{[14] [15]}

References

1. "Episcopal Ordination of Mgr Kieran O'Reilly SMA as Bishop of Killaloe". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference . 29 August 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
2. "SMA Superior General appointed Bishop". Society of African Missions. 16 May 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
3. "Rinunce e nomine". Holy See Press Office (in Italian). 18 May 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
4. "Announcement by Pope Benedict XVI on the resignation of Bishop William Walsh". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
5. "O'Reilly succeeds Walsh as Bishop of Killaloe". Raidió Telefís Éireann . Retrieved 10 March 2022.
6. Acheson, Dearbhla (3 September 2010). "Joyous occasion". The Clare Champion . Retrieved 10 March 2022.
7. Corless, Nicola (16 August 2014). "Married men to fill priest role". The Clare Champion. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
8. "Bishop under fire from priests". The Clare Champion. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
9. McGarry, Patsy (16 September 2014). "Bishop of Killaloe delays introduction of male-only diaconate". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
10. "Rinunce e nomine". Holy See Press Office (in Italian). 22 November 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
11. "Pope Francis appoints Bishop Kieran O'Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel & Emly". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
12. McDonald, Sarah (24 November 2014). "New Archbishop in tune with Pope's missionary church". Irish Independent . Retrieved 10 March 2022.
13. "Rinunce e nomine". Holy See Press Office. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
14. "Installation of Archbishop Kieran O'Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel & Emly". Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference. 9 February 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
15. Rogers, Stephen (24 November 2014). "Archbishop successor 'a scholar and gentleman'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 March 2022.

External links

• Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Willie Walsh	Bishop of Killaloe 29 August 2010 – 8 February 2015	Succeeded by Fintan Monahan
Preceded by Dermot Clifford	Archbishop of Cashel and Emly since 8 February 2015	Succeeded by Incumbent