Modeling the Church Through Preaching: An Interview With Monsignor William J. Reilly

The sun shone through the stained-glass windows of the third-floor Eucharistic Chapel at Immaculate Conception Seminary on August 22, 2025, as Monsignor William J. Reilly (Father Bill) reflected on his many decades of priestly ministry and preaching. The pastor emeritus of Most Holy Name Parish in Garfield, New Jersey, was interviewed as part of the Wisdom Figures of Preaching series of the "Preaching as Hospitality" program, a key initiative of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology.

Father Bill received a B.A. from St. Peter’s University in 1959 and an M.Div., M.A. degree through an affiliation program with The Catholic University of America and Immaculate Conception Seminary (Darlington) in 1965, the year he was ordained. He served in several parishes within the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, and has continued to minister in his retirement both in parishes and through his YouTube channel.

Hospitality is a key theme that permeates Father’s priestly vocation. During 14 years at his first assignment at St. Brigid’s in Newark, Monsignor taught English, learned to speak Spanish, supported Spanish-speaking ministries, and helped with immigration issues within the archdiocese. “As pastors, we have to be able to identify with the people we’re serving,” he stated. Father Bill helped establish the Immigration Assistance Service, a program still run by the archdiocese and Catholic Charities. He also has represented individuals in court, handled paperwork, and trained staff; he continues to offer immigration consultation services today.

Father Bill’s work in urban communities deeply influenced his ministry, highlighting the importance of genuine connection and listening to others’ stories and needs, especially the less fortunate. He looks to the Corporal Works of Mercy as a guide and a call to service and hospitality. “That becomes the reason for a lot of the ministry,” he said. “The needs of our people in inner-city ministry... would be considered somewhat different from the obvious needs of other parts of our community.”

Whether in his inner-city ministry or in his homilies, Father’s focus is helping people to come to know Christ ever more deeply. He is particularly attentive to those who are beginning the spiritual journey. He explained, “When people ask me, ‘I want to read the Bible, where do I begin?’ Personally, I say, ‘Go to the sermons in the Acts of the Apostles of Peter and Paul.’ That’s a summary of everything.”

While the path to Christ is joyful, Father warns that it can also be difficult, and we should embrace this challenge. His message is: “Do you believe that the Catholic life, Christian life, is a walk in the park?... That’s not what Jesus said. Jesus is telling us that it’s a challenge. Strive to enter through the narrow gate.”

Father is careful and thoughtful when preparing his homilies; he emphasizes the importance of starting with prayer and taking time to listen to the Holy Spirit. After taking notes on the Scriptures, Father prays and reflects on them throughout the week, focusing on what the Holy Spirit wants him to convey. In this way, Father allows God to speak through him sincerely to his audience, whether in person or online via YouTube. “It has to come from the heart, because you try to live what you’re teaching,” he remarked. “What do I feel the Lord is asking me to do unto others?”

This idea drives Father Bill’s vocation of serving others, connecting this principle to the entire Church: “The Church has to say, ‘These are the people who have come here. How do we welcome them? How do we model the Church?’” Being open and focusing on people’s needs is central to how he exemplifies this process. Whether he’s delivering a homily in Spanish, assisting someone through the immigration process, or sharing reflections online, Father’s work influences the Church’s mission of welcoming and serving its community. “We’re inspired by the people with their needs, with their hurts, to be able to be close to the people.”

The "Preaching as Hospitality Formation" program of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology seeks to form seminarians, diaconal students, and religious and lay graduate students of theology to be compelling preachers who will offer a hospitality of the heart as they break open the Word of God. The initiatives help to form preachers who will understand and embrace preaching as hospitality — a ministry of inviting, welcoming and offering compassion. The program also focuses on newly ordained priests and deacons and newly appointed pastors (less than five years) who are invited to reimagine their preaching through the lens of Christian hospitality.

To learn more about Wisdom Figures of Preaching, or ICSST’s Preaching as Hospitality Formation Program, please contact Alyssa Carolan at [email protected].

Categories: Faith and Service