Bernard O'Reilly
 Bernard O'Reilly was born in Dernavogy, Aughnacliffe, County Longford, Ireland on April 28, 1919 to Hugh and Bridget Ann Lee O'Reilly. One night in the 1930's, he felt compelled to see his teacher, a parish priest who was extremely ill. It was late, but the determined 15 year old bicycled 24 miles from his Irish hometown to visit his mentor. When he returned from the visit, he discovered that his teacher had died later that night. He said he knew that night he wanted to become a priest. He received his seminary education at St. Peter's in Wexford and was ordained a prist in the Holy Roman Catholic Church on June 10, 1945. He left Ireland and went to Los Angeles, California to serve in the Archdiocese there and was assigned to various parishes, including St. Rose of Lima in Maywood, St. Peter's in West Los Angeles and then St. Thomas More in Alhambra.  In 1962, he found a home at Our Lady of the Rosary, Paramount, where he served as an administrator and then the priest until he retired in 1995. He was quickly accepted by the members of the parish and they soon grew to love and respect him deeply. Fluent in several languages, he was able to converse with those who were not native English speakers. Fr. O'Reilly was very knowledgable in a myriad of subjects and believed strongly in education. He made certain that the students at Our Lady of the Rosary School received solid education and instruction and he encouraged each of them to strive for excellence. Fr. O'Reilly was elevated to Monsignor during his tenure at Our Lady of the Rosary and he was very proud of his callings, both as priest and monsignor. Monsignor O'Reilly never met anyone that remained a stranger for long. They quickly became important to him. He greeted hundreds of parishoners and neighbors with, "Hi, my friend". He frequently called himself the "simple, country priest".   Monsignor O'Reilly held a very special place in his heart for the ill and infirmed. His teacher and priest, from so long ago, became the first of hundreds of ill and injured folks he visited over the years. After retiring from actively serving as pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary, he continued his visits to the sick until his health began to deteriorate.
His health continued to fail, and on May 8, 2005, our cherished Monsignor Bernard O'Reilly entered eternal glory. He is survived by one sister, Mary Cooke of Ireland; many nieces and nephews; and his entire parish family. The city of Paramount, CA and surrounding communities will feel the void left by his death. Family and friends will gather to pay respects on Sunday, May 15 from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 14815 Paramount Blvd., Paramount, where a Vigil and Rosary service will be held at 7:00 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 16, 2005 at 11:00 AM, also at the church. The concelebrants will include several priests who shared a fond respect for Monsignor. Following the mass, he will be taken home to Ireland for burial in the family plot at Church of St. Colomcille, Aughnacliffe, County Longford. His Remains will be accompanied by a long-time friend and colleague, Mary Patridge, who oversaw his care during the last months. Monsignor Bernard O'Reilly, a loving, compassionate man of God will be missed deeply. For years, we heard, "Hi, my friend" so now, we each say "Farewell, my beloved friend"  The OLR parish lost a great shepherd. I was privileged to meet Monsignor O'Reilly and was honored to become organist at Our Lady of the Rosary church several years ago. And even though I now reside in The Netherlands, I will always fondly remember Monsignor O'Reilly. Dick Flikkema What a privilege it has been to have known Monsignor O'Reilly for 36 years! His generosity and kind heart were an inspiration to everyone with whom he came in contact. He lived his long life with integrity, dignity and dedication to helping the poor and less fortunate. Monsignor had a special talent for languages. He spoke Latin, Greek and Gaelic fluently and in his later years he "took to the books" again to master Spanish so that he could communicate better with the Hispanic members of his flock. However, his greatest love was poetry. How often I heard him recite every verse from his favorite poem, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by the famous Irish poet, William Butler Yeats. Every summer when he was home on vacation, he would visit his burial site in County Sligo. So, Monsignor, this one's for you. God saw you getting tired, Slan agat! Praise the Lord as Jesus is now bestoying His eternal love on Monsignor O'Reilly. Monsignor was a friend, a role model, a true pastor and shepard. A man of great strength, intellect, and compassion. He knew his Felipe Gonzalez I first met Father O'Reilly when he was assigned to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Paramount. I was the principal and he was the Pastor so we had a fair amount to do with one another. From the very beginning of his ministry there he was devoted to the welfare of the children and the sick. If I was asked for one word to describe Father O'Reilly it would be GENEROSITY and the second would be FAITHFULNESS. His whole life was a giving...of himself, of his friendship, of his earthly goods. It did not matter if you left Our Lady of the Rosary, he still continued to keep in touch. He was extra good to me when I was in Africa and when I used to meet him when I came back on vacation he would say to me with a twinkle in his eye, "You write great letters if one could read them!" His own penmanship was superb and mine left a lot to be desired! He was faithful to his parishioners, to his visits to hospitals and rest homes and to his friends. He loved a good joke and had the heartiest of laughs. Thank you, Barney, for your friendship. And so I say to you now: Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, (Celtic Blessing) Margaret O'Rourke, dmj Father O'Reilly was a big part of our lives. As children we were enrolled in Our Lady of the Rosary Parish School. He was a frequent visitor to the play ground and our classrooms. We looked up to him and had respect for such a man that had so much caring and love for everyone he had met. As years went on he helped our family through some trying times. He would remember stories of our school days and help us to see the light that God was with us and our loved ones that had passed on. He was a joy and a blessing to have known. He was a wonderful man and a gift to all. We will love your forever, Father O'Reilly. The Cabral Family My twin sister Merilyn and I were enrolled at Our Lady of the Rosary from first grade until 5th grade, then we came back in the 6th grade after our mother Leona Diffee died from cancer in June of 1973. My sister and I went to many foster homes after my mom died. I remember Father O'Reilly always including my mother's name on the list of folks who desperately needed our prayers, as she was sick for so long. Father O'Reilly was a loving warm man, and I was never afraid to go to him. He will be missed, thank you for your dedication to us and everyone around you. Jerilyn Diffee I grew up at Our Lady of the Rosary. Fr. O'Reily would always remind that he remembered me as a baby on the alter as my mom would clean church. Every time I would see him I would run to him and him would hug me and pat my cheeks with his hands and say "hi little Annie". I really loved him and think of him quite often. Teresa Griffen |
