Daniel Patrick Reilly

Daniel Reilly was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Francis and Mary Ann (née O'Beirne) Reilly.[1] He studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick (1943–1948) before studying at the Grand Seminary in Saint-Brieuc, France.[1]

Reilly was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1953.[2] He briefly served in a parish before completing his graduate studies at Boston College.[1]

Serving the Diocese of Providence, he was successively named assistant chancellor (1954), secretary to Bishop Russell McVinney (1956), chancellor (1964), and vicar general (1972).[3] He attended two sessions of the Second Vatican Council, and was raised to the rank of Monsignor in 1965.[3]

On June 5, 1975, Reilly was appointed the third Bishop of Norwich, Connecticut, by Pope Paul VI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on August 6, 1975, from Archbishop John Francis Whealon, with Bishops Vincent Joseph Hines and Louis Edward Gelineau serving as co-consecrators.[2]

After nineteen years at Norwich, Reilly was appointed the fourth Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts, on October 27, 1994.[2] During his tenure at Worcester, he reopened St. Joseph Church but merged it with Notre Dame des Canadiens.[3] He raised over $50 million for his Forward in Faith campaign to place the diocese in a stable financial condition.[3] In 2002, he became the first Catholic bishop to open the annual synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.[3] In 2003, he expressed his unequivocal opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions but declared that he was open to discussion on giving public benefits to same-sex couples.[4]

After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Reilly retired as bishop on March 9, 2004.[2] He was succeeded by Robert Joseph McManus, then-auxiliary bishop of Providence.