Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 20 Dec. 1922 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
3 pp; manuscript
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Early Life and Religious Formation
Bernard Clery (spelled Cleary in some provincial records) was born in Cork on 24 August 1888. He was invested with the Franciscan habit on 4 October 1909. He pronounced his religious profession on 16 October of the following year, 1910. His ecclesiastical curriculum was completed at the Capuchin friaries in Cork and Rochestown, where he pursued comprehensive studies in philosophy and theology. He was ordained to the priesthood on 1 July 1917, at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Cork.
Domestic Ministry and Emigration to America
Following his ordination, Father Clery spent four years serving the domestic houses of the Irish Capuchin Province. In May 1921, he was officially transferred to the order’s mission territory in the United States to join the American custody, where his early career spanned several key postings:
• Lincoln, Nebraska: Stationed from 1921 to 1922, assisting with regional pastoral duties.
• Watts, California: Detailed to Southern California in 1922 to conduct evangelical parish missions.
• Roseburg, Oregon: Transferred to the Pacific Northwest in 1924 upon his appointment as Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Illness, Disability, and Final Years
A short time after launching his active ministry in the United States, Father Clery contracted multiple sclerosis. The progressive nature of the condition left him completely disabled, bringing a premature end to his active parish labour. For more than twenty years, he was completely unable to take part in active work. He was highly esteemed by his superiors, brother priests, and the laity for enduring his illness patiently and valiantly. He passed away in Oregon on 19 May 1952. He was buried in Roseburg, Oregon.
Religious name: Fr. Bernard Clery OFM Cap.
Baptismal name: Richard Patrick Clery
Date of birth: 24 Aug. 1888
Place of birth: Montenotte Cottage, Cork
Name of father: Richard W. Clery
Name of mother: Joanna ‘Jennie’ Clery (née O’Flaherty)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 4 Oct. 1909
Date of first profession: 16 Oct. 1910
Date of final (solemn) profession: 21 Dec. 1913
Date of ordination (as priest): 1 July 1917
Missionary activity: Travelled to the United States on 18 May 1921
Date of death: 19 May 1952
Place of death: Roseburg, Oregon
Place of burial: Roseburg, Oregon
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Letter from Fr. Bernard Clery OFM Cap., Sacred Heart Rectory, Lincoln, to Fr. Peter Bowe OFM Cap., Provincial Minister, referring to internal administrative and health concerns regarding the Franciscan Capuchin friars stationed at the parish. He reports on a specialist’s urgent medical assessment of Father Edward Walsh’s severe eye affliction, stressing that he must immediately cease reading, writing, and close work for up to two years to prevent the condition from worsening. The letter discusses administrative options to cover his duties — including a temporary reassignment back to the friary in Abbottstown — while noting that a replacement pastor is expected to arrive from Oregon in January 1923, following delays caused by a serious automobile accident.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Walsh, Edward, 1881-1961, Capuchin priest (Subject)
- Bowe, Peter, 1856-1926, Capuchin priest (Subject)