Fr. Gerald Albert Buckley, O.P.
June 28, 1931 - August 15, 2017
In Portland, Oregon, on August 15th, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Father Gerald Albert Buckley O.P., Catholic priest, Dominican preacher and educator, was called into God’s presence. Born in Los Angeles, California, on June 28, 1931, youngest of the three sons of Mary and Cornelius Buckley, Gerald spent his earliest years in Los Angeles in the lively and loving embrace of their Irish forebears. After briefly attending Saint John’s Military Academy and Saint Agnes School, Gerald enrolled at Saint Matthew’s School. Having moved to the Bay Area, he attended Serra High School and Bellarmine Prep before advancing to Santa Clara University.
On August 14, 1951, Gerald entered the Dominican Novitiate in Ross, California, and began his studies for priesthood, with first profession of vows August 15, 1952, and solemn profession August 15, 1955. He studied at Saint Albert’s College, Oakland, and continued studies at St. Albert’s in Walberberg, Germany. He was ordained to the priesthood at the historic Cologne Cathedral, July 25, 1957. After ordination, he studied in Rome at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) where he earned the Licentiate of Sacred Theology and Lector of Sacred Theology.
In sixty years of ministry, Fr. Gerald taught, preached, and governed with a light-hearted spirit and a passion for evangelization— telling the world about Jesus Christ. He taught at Dominican University, San Rafael, and St. Mary’s College, Moraga. He served as Director of Western Dominican Preaching. He worked in campus ministry and served as superior at both the University of Oregon and Arizona State University. He served at Our Lady of the Mountain Parish in Ashland, OR, as pastor and prior at Holy Rosary in Portland, OR, as prior at St. Dominic’s in Los Angeles, and as prior at St. Albert’s in Oakland.
Fr. Gerald brought the joy of the Gospel to his preaching of the Word of God in his own engaging and inimitable way. Many souls were touched by his preaching and he exemplified the “joyful friar”—a true son of Saint Dominic. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Cornelius, and by his brother, James. He is survived by his brother, Fr. Cornelius Buckley, S.J., his sister-in-law, Winifred, and a wonderful host of nieces & nephews and grandnieces & grandnephews.
Services: Vigil (Wednesday, August 23, 7:30pm) and Mass (Thursday, August 24, 12pm) at Holy Rosary Church, Portland, OR; Vigil (Sunday, August 27, 7:30pm) and Mass (Monday, August 28, 10:30am) at St. Albert’s Priory, Oakland, CA; Burial at St. Dominic’s Cemetery, Benicia, CA (Monday, August 28, 2pm). To honor the memory of Fr. Gerald, gifts may be made securely online in support of the education of Dominican brothers and priests at opwest. org/ fr gerald buckley funeral.