Sister Dorothy Reilly, D.W., (Sister Montfort of Jesus Crucified), a Daughter of Wisdom, Islip, for 64 years, died Feb. 27.
Born in Queens, she attended St. Mary Gate of Heaven Elementary School and Our Lady of Wisdom Academy, both Ozone Park; St. John’s University, Brooklyn; and Catholic University of America, Washington D.C. She held a permanent New York State certification for physics/chemistry and state certification for administration and supervision of secondary education.
She made her profession into religious life on Aug. 2, 1947 and then taught physics, chemistry, religion and was a homeroom teacher at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Elementary School, 1947-48; Our Lady of Wisdom Academy, 1948-54, and 1963-67; Norfolk Catholic H.S., Norfolk, Va., 1954-63; and Christ the King R.H.S., Middle Village, 1967-77.
She served as provincial treasurer, 1977-88, and 1997-00, and was a member of the order’s leadership team, 1978-85. In 1987, she helped formulate and design the Handbook for Treasurers.
A year later, she assisted in establishing the Marie Louise Fund and throughout the years later jointly administered the assets. She set up initial computer accounting programs for the Generalate and later helped revise the handbook into the Directory for Financial Administration.
From 1988 to 2005, she ministered as financial consultant and treasurer for religious congregations in New York, Maine, and Maryland with the Brenner, McDonagh & Tortolani firm in New York.
She was an active member of several province committees concerning community life, governance and charism; including: Fire in Our Hearts, Wisdom Spirituality Team, Wisdom Charitable Trust, and Our Lady of Wisdom Academy Alumnae.
Outside the province, she was a member of Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investing, the parish finance committee at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Church; Women of Hope outreach group; and Catholic War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary, St. Louis de Montfort Post 1721 (member and historian).
She is survived by her brother Lawrence.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 3 at St. Mary Gate of Heaven Church, Ozone Park. Burial was at St John’s Cemetery. Middle Village.
Elvira Gomez, mother of Deacon Guillermo D. Gomez of St. Gerard Majella parish, Hollis, died March 8 following a long illness.
Funeral services were scheduled in Colombia.
Retired Bishop John C. Reiss of Trenton, who served as auxiliary bishop and bishop in his home diocese, died March 4 at Morris Hall, the diocesan home for the aged in Lawrenceville, N.J. He was 89.
The eighth ordinary in the diocese’s history, Bishop Reiss served as auxiliary bishop from 1967 to 1980 and bishop from 1980 until he retired in 1997.
During Bishop Reiss’ tenure, he opened eight new parishes, led a diocesan synod, introduced programs to enhance the spiritual life of the laity and clergy and raised more than $38 million to support diocesan ministries.
Cardinal Jose Sanchez, who once served as prefect of the Congregation for Clergy at the Vatican, died March 9 of natural causes at the Cardinal Santos Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines. He would have turned 92 on March 17.
A priest for 65 years, Cardinal Sanchez was the fifth Filipino to be named a cardinal.
Cardinal Sanchez left his native Philippines in 1985 after Pope John Paul named him secretary of the Congregation of the Evangelization of Peoples. He served in the post until being named prefect of the Congregation for Clergy in July, 1991. He resigned from the position in June, 1996.
The cardinal also served as president of the Commission for Preservation of Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church,1991-93.
With Cardinal Sanchez’s death, the College of Cardinals has 212 members, 124 of whom are under the age of 80 and, therefore, eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope.
