Remembering Monsignor Philip Reilly

A great pro-life hero has gone to his eternal rest in the month of All Souls. Monsignor Philip Reilly, the founder of the pro-life prayer and side-walk counselling group The Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, saved many lives by praying and witnessing outside abortion sites in New York.

Dame Colleen Bayer and Clare McClean embraced Monsignor Reilly’s philosophy of being physically present at the modern-day Calvary – the sites where God’s precious infants are killed. The following is a reflection by Colleen about how Monsignor Reilly was instrumental in the development of FLI’s vigils.

It was a humbling and blessed opportunity for my husband Terry and I to meet Monsignor Reilly in the Bronx, New York. We were drawn to attend the Helper’s Prayer Vigils that Monsignor Reilly started and was wholly committed to.

Every month, the pro-life faithful would gather together; Monsignor would offer Holy Mass at a parish Church and, after the Mass, would prayerfully and peacefully process to the local abortion place. A few would remain in the Church, praying before Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration. The Vigil always concluded with Benediction.

On our return to New Zealand, with the blessing of our Bishop, we gathered a small team, including Fr. Rory Morrissey, Geoff and Inge Forster, and we began our Vigils. We would often have up to 500 people give up a Saturday morning to pray and witness.

Starting with Holy Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Balmoral, Auckland, we would process prayerfully down to the Auckland Medical Aid Centre (the abortion site). Throughout, we would pray for mercy and the conversion of all those involved with the industry, for the women who suffer emotionally and physically, and for the tiny babies who would never see the light of day due to the terrible decisions made to end their lives.

Through the dedication and very hard work of Clare and Ian McClean, the Helper’s Prayer Vigils were held in Wellington for approximately twenty years.

Monsignor Reilly’s humility, steadfastness, and total love of God—the great author and giver of life—touched the hearts and souls of countless people around the globe. Mothers have been healed, and babies have lived and grown up to love their Mums and take care of them in return.

We owe Monsignor Philip Reilly much. He dropped everything to come to New Zealand to lead and teach us, and his legacy lives on in the prayer vigils that continue today.

May you rest in peace, Monsignor Reilly, and enjoy your eternal reward. Thank you for touching our lives in unimaginable and beautiful ways that brought us closer to God, making our commitment to the Catholic pro-life cause the very essence of our lives. So many have their life because of your faithfulness, love of the Holy Eucharist, and of the natural law.