Congratulations and best wishes to our new bishop, Most Reverend Kieran O’Reilly SMA, who was installed as Archbishop of Cashel and Emly at a ceremony in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles on Sunday 8th February.
Archbishop O’Reilly
Kieran O’Reilly was born in Cork on 8 August 1952 to Seán and Theresa O’Reilly. Educated at Scoil Chríost Rí and Coláiste Chríost Rí, he entered the Society of African Missions in Wilton, Cork in 1970. Bishop O’Reilly was ordained for the Society on 17 June 1978. He served in Liberia for two years in the Archdiocese of Monrovia before studying for a licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. From 1984 to 1989 he lectured in Scripture at the Major Seminary of Saints Peter and Paul, in Ibadan, Nigeria. From 1989 – 2010 he served on the Irish and International Councils of the Society of African Missions. In May 2010 he was appointed by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI as Bishop of Killaloe. In May 2014 Pope Francis appointed Archbishop O’Reilly as a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for Religious and Societies of Apostolic Life. At the time of the announcement of his appointment as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, he was serving as Bishop of the Diocese of Killaloe. He also serves as the Episcopal Secretary to the Irish Episcopal Conference.
Installation Ceremony
Before the ceremony, Archbishop O’Reilly was greeted by Monsignor Christy O’Dwyer, Dean of the Diocesan Chapter and twelve men and women representing the Deaneries of the Diocese. This welcome took place in the Cathedral courtyard in Thurles.
Archbishop Dermot Clifford, then formally welcomed his successor, Archbishop O’Reilly, to the diocese. The Apostolic Mandate (Papal Bull of Appointment) from His Holiness, Pope Francis, was read for the people by His Excellency Archbishop Charles J Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. Archbishop O’Reilly then take possession of the Chair (or Cathedra) in the Cathedral. Archbishop Clifford presented Archbishop O’Reilly with the Book of the Gospels and the pastoral staff, symbols of the office of the new Archbishop.
Homily
In his homily Archbishop O’Reilly said: “My journey as bishop in the Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly begins today. I ask you for your prayerful support to help me to fulfil the tasks which Pope Francis sets out for a diocesan bishop in The Joy of the Gospel. I read them to you as they are the blueprint for my ministry as your bishop. Pope Francis asks that:
“Each local Church make its missionary impulse ever more focused, generous and fruitful. I encourage each particular Church to undertake a resolute process of discernment, purification and reform. The bishop must always foster … missionary communion in his diocesan Church, following the ideal of the first Christian communities, in which the believers were of one heart and one soul (cf. Acts 4:32). To do so, he will sometimes go before his people, pointing the way and keeping their hope vibrant. At other times, he will simply be in their midst with his unassuming and merciful presence. At yet other times, he will have to walk after them, helping those who lag behind and – above all – allowing the flock to strike out on new paths. In his mission of fostering a dynamic, open and missionary communion, he will have to encourage and develop the means of participation…..with the missionary aspiration of reaching everyone as the objective (#30-31 The Joy of the Gospel).”
To read the full text of Archbishop O’Reilly’s homily notes please click here.
To see the official photographs from the installation ceremony please click here.