Bishop Fintan Monahan has appointed Fr. Des Hillery, P.P. Nenagh as
Vicar General of the Diocese of Killaloe. Fr Hillery who is a native of
Milltown Malbay, Co. Clare was educated at St Flannan’s College, Ennis
and St Patrick’s College Maynooth.
He was ordained in 1984. He continued Post Graduate Studies in
Maynooth in 1984-85, receiving the STL and he completed the Higher
Diploma in Education in UCC while teaching in St. Finbarr’s College,
Farranferris.
He returned to the Diocese in 1986 and taught in St. Flannan’s
College Ennis until 1994 when he was appointed to the formation staff of
St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
While there he also took a one year
Diploma in Spirituality and Counselling in St Louis University,
Missouri, USA. He completed his appointment in Maynooth in 2005 and took
a course in Mission Studies in Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath as an
associate priest with the Columban missionaries.
In 2006 he volunteered
to work with the Columban Missionaries in Lima, Peru. He returned to the
diocese in 2012 and since that time has been serving as Parish Priest
of Nenagh.
Following the appointment of Bishop Kieran O'Reilly as
Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Fr. Des was electes as Administrator of
the Diocese until the ordination of Bishop Fintan on September 25th.
According to the Code of Canon Law (CIC 475): In each diocese, the
Diocesan Bishop is to appoint a Vicar General to assist him in the
governance of the whole Diocese.
(CIC 479) In virtue of his office the Vicar General has the same
executive power throughout the whole diocese as that which belongs by
law to the diocesan Bishop: that is, he can perform all administrative
acts, with the exception however of those which the Bishop has reserved
to himself, or which by law require a special mandate of the Bishop.