There's nothing like a good strong exposure to John Paul II to inspire a young priest in the ways of holiness and the New Evangelization.

“Rome really formed me as I was praying it would,” says Father Timothy Reilly, who was ordained in 2003 for the diocese of Providence, R.I. He looked to the influence of the Holy Father, the universal Church and the blood of the martyrs.

He vividly remembers serving Mass for John Paul II on two occasions. The first time was New Year's Day. The second was in the Pope's private chapel; afterwards, he was among the servers invited to greet John Paul.

“Please pray I become a holy priest,” Father Reilly asked as he knelt before the Holy Father. “Under my breath as I got up, I whispered, ‘Like you’. I knew the kind of priest I wanted to be,” he adds. “The Lord had literally placed him in front if me. I came away almost hoping that something would rub off from his hands to mine.”

That was on Nov. 5, 2001. Today, as parochial vicar at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Wakefield, R.I., Father Reilly brings many gifts that did rub off during five years in Rome, especially a deep love for the Eucharist, reconciliation and the saints.

“I feel like I've got to learn about the saints from his sermons,” says parishioner Sharon Clossick, who describes Father Reilly in two words: holy and humble. “The time he spoke on St. Maria Goretti really stuck out for me. He had allowed us to venerate a relic of her after Mass. And he's helped bring me and my husband, Joe, deeper into prayer. He's such a prayerful man and he gives us that desire ourselves to want to pray more.”

Preaching on the saints and putting a real face on these Christian heroes is part of Father Reilly's regular routine. “That's part of our heritage,” he says, “but it's been taking a backseat for awhile.”

His own devotion is part of emphasizing a better “front-seat” position for the saints. “I had a devotion to St. Maria Goretti that goes back to when I was in the seminary,” he explains. “I really immersed myself in the virtue of chastity and celibacy. She has been a very good friend to me as I tried to answer the challenges and joys of this state in life.”

Bringing the saints to the attention of people is also part of the New Evangelization for him.

“How often John Paul called us in his thrust for the New Evangelization to embrace the example of the saints,” he points out, “because that call to holiness and dignity and sanctity belongs to each of us.”

Back to Basics

For Father Reilly, this is all part of the challenge of preaching authentic Catholic spirituality from the pulpit. That means focusing on Eucharistic adoration, the moral teachings of the Catholic faith, the Rosary, confession and preaching on vocations.

“It's kind of a back-to-basics approach,” he says, “just being faithful to that and trusting the Holy Spirit is working through that.

“The faith is so real, so eternal,” he adds, “we don't need to make it ‘nifty’ or ‘catchy’ because the truth is the beauty and goodness we are naturally attracted and drawn toward.”

It works. When Joseph Clossick, his wife Sharon and their four children go out to breakfast with other young parish families after Sunday Mass, the conversation always includes the homily.

“It's a way for us to get together to talk about his homilies and the way he challenges us younger Catholics to live the faith more deeply,” says an appreciative Joseph, explaining the challenges are grounded in Church teaching. “It forces you to look at the issues, like the Terri Schiavo case.”

Last May, when the Clossicks lost their fifth child, Father Reilly was back in Rome studying. “All during that time he was in touch with us by e-mail,” Joseph recalls. “Even though he couldn't be here physically, he was in constant touch with us.”

To Father Christopher Mahar at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in East Greenwich, R.I., “Father Tim has the mind and the heart of the Church.”

Father Mahar vividly recalls Father Reilly as a deacon and later priest at St. Peter's Basilica. “I would see him praying before the Blessed Sacrament, going to confession and talking to people,” he says. “He loved to talk to pilgrims coming by St. Peter's Basilica. I recognized his voice before I saw him. These people on vacation and visiting had a personal experience of the Vatican from this young man talking to them — and listening to their stories.”

Father Mahar brings up the way John Paul II spent time listening to young people and married couples, and interacting with them.

“Father Tim would be a priest who emulates that,” he says. “He's a priest who [engages people] the same way Pope John Paul engaged people.”

At the Crowned With Glory and Honor Conference held at St. Francis of Assisi in November for more than 150 kids from grades eight to 12, parishioner Susan Meehan watched yet again as the source and summit of Father Reilly's priesthood was revealed. It happened during Eucharistic adoration.

“His look of love upon Jesus as he was carrying the monstrance from the church to the conference was so beautiful to see,” says Meehan. “Many of us commented on that. He was a beautiful example for the youth to see love for Our Lord in the Eucharist.”

Some kids later told her their favorite part of the conference was adoration.

“He said he hoped to imitate John Paul II and be like him,” says Meehan. “There are many of us who believe he is just like him. He touches our heart that way.”

Joseph Pronechen writes from Trumbull, Connecticut.