Colm O'Reilly

{{short description|Irish Catholic bishop (born 1935)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = bishop | honorific-prefix = The [[Most Reverend]] | name = Colm O'Reilly | honorific-suffix = | title = [[Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise|Bishop-emeritus of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]] | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | church = [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]] | archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Armagh|Armagh]] | diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise|Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]] | appointed = 10 April 1983 | term = | term_start = | term_end = 17 July 2013 | predecessor = [[Cahal Daly]] | successor = [[Francis Duffy (bishop)|Francis Duffy]] | other_post =  | ordination = 19 June 1960 ([[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]]) | ordinated_by = | consecration = 10 April 1983 ([[Bishop (Catholic Church)|bishop]]) | consecrated_by = | cardinal = | created_cardinal_by = | rank =  | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|1|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Colmcille, County Longford|Colmcille]], [[County Longford]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | nationality = [[Irish people|Irish]] | religion = [[Catholic Church]] | residence = | parents = John and Alicia O'Reilly | previous_post = | education = | alma_mater = | motto = | signature = | signature_alt = | coat_of_arms = | coat_of_arms_alt = }} '''Colm O'Reilly''' (born 11 January 1935) is an [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] [[prelate]] of the [[Catholic Church]]. He served as the [[Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise|Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]] from 1983 to 2013.

==Early life and education== The youngest of seven children, O'Reilly was born to John and Alicia O'Reilly in [[Aughnacliffe|Colmcille]], [[County Longford]].<ref name="diocese">{{cite news|work=[[Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]]|title=Bishop|url=http://www.ardaghdiocese.org/page6.html|access-date=2009-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106165739/http://ardaghdiocese.org/page6.html|archive-date=2009-01-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

His eldest brother, Peter (died 1988), was [[superior general]] of [[St. Patrick's Missionary Society]] for sixteen years, and another brother, Brendan (died 2000), was a member of the [[Divine Word Missionaries]].<ref name=diocese/> He studied at [[St. Mel's College]] in [[Longford]], and was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] a [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]] on 19 June 1960.<ref name="hierarchy">{{Catholic-hierarchy|bishop|borec|Bishop Colm O’Reilly|21 January 2015}}</ref> in Maynooth.

He spent his priesthood in [[Parish (Catholic Church)|parishes]] in the [[Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]], ministering first in [[Granard]] for nine years.<ref>{{cite book | last=Canning | first= Bernard| author-link= | title= Bishops of Ireland 1870-1987| location= [[Ballyshannon]] | publisher= [[Donegal Democrat]]| pages= 77| year=1988 | isbn= 1870963008}}</ref> In 1969 he was appointed [[curate]] and later administrator at [[St Mel's Cathedral, Longford|St. Mel's Cathedral]].<ref name=diocese/>

==Episcopal ministry== On 24 February 1983, O'Reilly was appointed [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois|Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois]] by [[Pope John Paul II]]. He received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal consecration]] on the following 10 April 1983 from Cardinal [[Tomás Ó Fiaich]], with Archbishop [[Gaetano Alibrandi]] and Bishop [[Cahal Daly]] as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]].

Widely seen as pastorally sensitive and displaying an empathy for people given his parish as opposed to academic experience he generally adopted a low-profile approach to his episcopal ministry but did some wider work within the [[Irish Bishops Conference]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://magill.ie/archive/irelands-bishops-who-are-these-guys|title = Ireland's bishops - Who are these guys? | Magill}}</ref> He was [[Chair (official)|Chairman]] of the Commission for the Missions and of the Liaison Committee for Child Protection; and a member of the Conference Department of Social Issues and International Affairs, Committee for Family and Children, Commission for Justice and Social Affairs, and [[Trócaire]].<ref name="conference">{{cite news|work=[[Irish Bishops Conference]]|title=Bishop Colm O'Reilly|url=http://www.catholicbishops.ie/missions/915-bishop-colm-oreilly|archive-url=https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20091102123135/http://www.catholicbishops.ie/missions/915%2Dbishop%2Dcolm%2Doreilly|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-11-02|access-date=2009-06-23}}</ref>

In 2009 he was greatly shocked by the fire at [[St Mel's Cathedral]] with which he had such a long association and O'Reilly spearheaded the campaign to rebuild and restore the fire ravaged building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2011/02/06/bishop-colm-oreilly-announces-design-team-for-the-restoration-of-st-mels-cathedral-longford/|title=Bishop Colm O'Reilly announces design team for the restoration of St Mel's Cathedral, Longford}}</ref> A 2011 audit into the diocese's handling of child sex abuse allegations stated that Bishop O'Reilly "displays a gentle caring approach but with great wisdom and honesty," and further that he along with the diocese's designated person in the area of child safeguarding, "ensures that allegations are addressed in full."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2011/11/30/4007945-bishops-handling-of-abuse-allegations-is-praised/|title = Bishop's handling of abuse allegations is praised}}</ref>

==Resignation== On 17 July 2013, Bishop O'Reilly's resignation from the [[Pastoral care|pastoral]] government of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise was accepted by [[Pope Francis]], in accordance with the [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']].<ref name="renduffy">{{cite web |url=http://attualita.vatican.va/sala-stampa/bollettino/2013/07/17/news/31412.html |title=Rinunce e Nomine |date=17 July 2013 |website=The Holy See |language=Italian |accessdate=18 July 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{wikiquote}}

* [http://www.catholicbishops.ie/ Irish Catholic Bishop's Conference]

{{S-start}} {{S-rel|ca}} {{S-bef|before=[[Cahal Daly]]}} {{S-ttl|title=[[Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]] |years=1983 – 2013}} {{S-aft|after=[[Francis Duffy (bishop)|Francis Duffy]]}} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oreilly, Colm}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from County Longford]] [[Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]] [[Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth]] [[Category:People educated at St Mel's College]] [[Category:Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II]]