HOLY TRINITY TO HOST FIRST ORDINATION Paul Reilly, seen

HOLY TRINITY TO HOST FIRST ORDINATION
Paul Reilly, seen here being ordained a deacon last winter in Africa, will be ordained
a Catholic priest for the Missionaries of Africa on July 25 at Holy Trinity parish in El
Dorado Hills, marking the first ordination for the parish in its 23 year history.
By Julie Samrick
Staff writer
I feel called to be a witness to Christ's love in the African world," Deacon Paul Reilly says
of his decision to be ordained a Catholic priest this Saturday at Holy Trinity parish in El
Dorado Hills. The ordination will mark the first time in Holy Trinity's 23-year history the
sacrament of Holy Orders has been celebrated at the parish for a priest.
In the first of many remarkable aspects to his story, Paul, 35, wasn't raised Catholic,
but converted during his undergraduate years as a student at UC Berkeley, a point both
Holy Trinity's Monsignor James Kidder and Paul call ironic.
During a recent interview, Paul said the seeds of faith were planted years before. He
discussed his religious conversion and why he, the only American in an apostolic society of
500 worldwide, has chosen to make lifelong oaths of obedience and chastity to it, The
Society of the Missionaries of Africa.
Raised in the east Bay Area town of Clayton, Paul said he always identified as Christian,
but besides attending church on holidays with his parents, Tom and Chris Reilly, and
brother Kevin, 31, he had little religious upbringing.
"My husband was raised Catholic and I was raised Lutheran, but I remember thinking
religion was crammed down our throats," Chris said. "I didn't want to do that to Paul and
Kevin."
"I'd always felt a calling though," Paul explained. "I remember when other kids would go
to church camp, I wanted to go. Going away to college was the first time I had the
opportunity to search by myself.
He started attending 10 p.m. Mass at UC Berkeley's Newman Center, one of many
Catholic ministry centers at non-Catholic universities throughout the world. "I asked a
friend from the dorms if I could go with her and I loved it," Paul continued.
Conversion
He remembered that first homily he heard at the Newman Center. "The priest had different
hats as props. At first light, the service turned poignant when the priest finally held up a boat
captain's yellow slicker cap. "God is a boat captain,” Paul recalled the priest saying. "He
gives you directions so that you can survive the tough times, the stormy waters, but the
calm waters too. You need to listen to Him so you don’t fall overboard but you still have
freedom (to make choices).
"The images of the hats stayed with me," Paul said. "I kept going back." He went through
classes and was baptize Berkeley during the 2002 Easter Vigil.
When he thinks of Catholicism, Paul said "community, relevancy and tradition” come to
mind. "I've always been struck that everyone is reading the same reading wherever they
are as opposed to someone standing up saying, `I want to talk about Proverbs,' for
instance."
He was proud to be Catholic when Pope Francis was elected in 2013 and, instead of the
traditional blessing of the crowd, asked the people to bless him. "That was a reminder
that Christ embraces everyone," Paul said.
Paul didn't consider a priest vocation for several years. First he earned a BA in political
science with a minor in ancient Nordic languages, a nod to his mother's 100-percent
Swedish heritage. He earned a master's degree in international relations at the University
of Wales. He decided in his second year a PhD program at the University of London, and
to one day teach college, weren't for him.
"Things were weighing on his mind. We weren't sure what was going on," Chris said.
"School has always been Paul's thing. He's always had lots of friends, played sports,
went to the prom and things, but he's also introspective."
Choosing the Order
While studying in London, a missionary from The Society of the Missionaries of Africa
made an appeal during Mass one Sunday. "I don't remember exactly what he said but he
talked about Africa and the work they were doing there and it really touched me," Paul
said.
He moved back to Clayton and worked as an insurance underwriter to pay off student
debt, but couldn't stop thinking about the mission appeal.
In 2006, he contacted the Order in Washington, DC. The former Archbishop of Algiers,
a French nationalist named Charles Lavigerie, founded the Missionaries of Africa in 1868.
Today there are Missionaries of Africa in 23 African countries, Mexico, the United States,
Brazil, Asia, India and the Philippines. "It's all for the mission in the African world and in
countries where there are African immigrants," Paul explained. The official languages of
the Order are English and French.
"When I was working I did a lot of prayer time. It's a big commitment," Paul said. "When
you're earning $50,000 as a young person and then all of a sudden to say, 'No, l'm going
to leave all that and pursue this thing.' Some thought it was a rash decision. Now they're
incredibly supportive."
He spent three days in Washington, D.C., during the beginning of his time of
discernment, a time in which all people called to religious life must consider: Is this the
life for me? Is this the life God is calling me to do?
Lavigerie said to dress like, eat like and speak like the people, Paul said, and for the past
nine years Paul has done just that, living among the most disadvantaged people in the
world while studying theology and learning Spanish, French and Tigrigna (the language
spoken in an Ethiopian province). Paul was ordained a deacon last December, the final
step before becoming a priest.
"Religious orders take vows of poverty," he said. "I will take oaths of obedience and
chastity and to live simply." His oath will be to the Superior General of the Missions of
Africa.
He first lived in Guadalajara and then in French-speaking Burkina Faso, a country east of
Ghana in West Africa. There he got pastoral experience doing prison work. "Nothing too
religious; we just talked with prisoners," he said.
He then went to northern Ivory Coast and lived in a mental health hospital where he
spent time with patients. It was dangerous and Paul felt fearful at times living in rebelcontrolled territory.
He spent two years working with, disadvantaged youth in Ethiopia, where 1 percent of
the population is Catholic, yet Catholic charities make up the bulk of social ministries.
"We were in an Orthodox Christian community where 98 percent of the kids who came
were Christian orthodox," he said.
Free education was provided at the youth center, but he faced resistance. "Because
you're working with kids, you have to have a relationship with the orthodox clergy," Paul
said. "They were preaching against the youth center at first because they were suspicions
we were trying to proselytize.
"That's not our goal," Paul continued. The Order's goals are two-fold. 1. Social ministry:
empowering youth to better themselves so they can transform their own communities,
and 2. Ecumenical outreach: promoting unity among different Christian churches.
"On certain feast days we do invite the orthodox clergy to come to our church and we go
to theirs and learn from them too," Paul explained. "They were very receptive to that.
The main priest who was preaching against the youth center now comes for a cup of tea."
After three years not seeing his family, Paul returned from Ivory Coast earlier this month.
He said it's hard not to slip back into French at times. "I also remembered how wonderful
our life is here," he said. "We have a lot of things that make life easier and more
comfortable, like air conditioning."
Those comforts remind Paul why he's committed his life to The Society of Apostolic Life.
"One thing I love about the Missionaries of Africa is how they approach mission life," he
said. "It's more about witness. Not the guy who stands up in Times Square with a sign
that says, 'Convert or be damned.' That is not for me. The idea is by your very presence
and by the way you live, becoming a living, breathing symbol of Christ's love for others.
"I feel called to be a witness to Christ's love in the African world," Paul continued. "Africa
is a continent that has suffered greatly. There is poverty, sickness, war, exploitation.
Many need someone who will come and say, `I want to live and walk in my faith with
you. I don't want to try to convert you or try to sell you something. I just want to show
you that I'm here and I want to help you as much as I can."'
There are two types of priesthood. Diocesan priests commit to a particular diocese.
"Then you have the freedom to apply to a particular church but it's up to the Bishop to
assign," Monsignor Kidder explained.
Religious priests commit to a specific religious community. Paul already took the
perpetual oath to the Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa and to his
successors the day before he was ordained deacon.
The ordination
Paul's parents moved to El Dorado Hills in 2012. That summer while he was home from
Ethiopia, Paul started attending Holy Trinity and has become friends with Monsignor
Kidder, calling and e-mailing when possible. Kidder also called Paul's parents "very good
friends."
"Paul is an astute, marvelous man," Kidder said. "You'd need to be to take on a life as a
missionary in Africa. I admire how he's learned new languages."
Paul chose to celebrate his ordination at Holy Trinity so his extended family could attend,
but also as a message to young people. "I want to show young people mission life is
possible," he said.
"In Africa they tend to think the West has lost (its) faith," Paul continued.
"There's decreased Mass attendance, less people are getting married in the church and
vocations aren't what they used to be. Yet l'm always encouraged and impress when I go to
Holy Trinity and see a full, thriving, participatory community living their faith. I know we've
gone through some difficult times as a church, but in my experience, what I see happening
at Holy Trinity is a good indicator:"
During the ordination Mass, after the liturgy of the word, Paul will be called to come
forward. He will wear a white alb, lie prostrate and will sing the Litany of the Saints,
ending with the Hymn of the Holy Spirit. The Bishop (Jaime Soto) will ask Paul to recite
vows, including: Will you be obedient to your superior and his successors?
"I will publicly promise obedience to the Superior General and to his successors in the
presence of the Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento," Paul said. "My Superior General won't
be at the ordination, but the Provincial Superior of the Province of the Americas (Rev.
Gilles Barrette) will be present and it is he who will present me to the bishop for
ordination to the priesthood."
At least one French hymn will be sung to pay homage to his Order.
"Every sacrament has its own sign," Kidder explained. For Paul, this will include the laying
on of hands by the Bishop. This is believed to be the most important step in the
sacrament of Holy Orders as the bishop's hands represent the gifts of the Holy Spirit
going upon the ordained.
Nine priests from the Missionaries of Africa will be present to welcome Paul into their
society.
A paten and chalice will be given to then Father Paul, a symbolic gift at ordination that
enables the priest to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. "They are parallel to rings given
between a married couple," Kidder explained.
Paul is particularly looking forward to one special moment. "When the bishops and the
others priests place their hands on my head, I think that will be spiritually moving," he
said.
"I want to thank the Holy Trinity parish community," Paul continued. "I didn't grow up
here; my parents aren't even parishioners. But to welcome someone like myself for such
a big event for me is a wonderful witness from their (Holy Trinity's) point of view. I'm really
appreciative and thank God for their open arms."
The ordination Mass will occur Saturday, July 25, at 11 a.m. at Holy Trinity parish located
at Tierra de Dios Drive in El Dorado, Hills.
At 11 a.m. on July 26 Father Paul will say his first Mass. His first homely will center on that
day's Gospel reading, Joh: 6:1-15, when Jesus performs one of his miracles by multiplying
food to feed 5,000 people. As for what Paul wants to say? "I'm still thinking about it," he
said with a smile. "I have some ideas."
Kidder reiterated all sacraments are open to the public.
Paul's family will be at both services. "There aren't a lot of people willing to choose the
lifestyle of a priest," his mother said. "I didn't see it coming, but now I know this is exactly
right for Paul He is a great young man."
At the end of summer, Paul will return to Ethiopia where he'll work with disadvantaged
youth for three years before his next visit home.