Story by Sarah Reisert for the fall 2024 issue of The Augustinian magazine.
Read the full issue of the magazine and see more photos for this article here.
Early in the morning on Monday, June 10, 2024, a small group of people gathered at the Augustinian plot in Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken, Pa. Their task was an unusual but important one: exhuming the remains of Servant of God Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., from the plot where he had rested for almost 20 years. This was the first step in a week-long process that would see Fr. Bill’s earthly remains reinterred in St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Villanova, Pa., to allow greater access to the faithful who wish to visit Fr. Bill’s tomb and to seek his prayerful intercession.
For those who may not know his story, Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., lived an extraordinary life. He entered the novitiate of the Augustinian Order after graduating from Monsignor Bonner High School and was set to become an Augustinian in the usual way, but on February 22, 1965, Bill had a toboggan accident that left him almost completely paralyzed from the neck down. Despite this, Bill expressed his desire to continue as an Augustinian and professed vows in 1970. It required a special dispensation from Pope Paul VI for him to be ordained the first priest with quadriplegia in 1974. He went on to teach at his alma mater, Bonner, for almost 30 years, and was known as a gifted teacher, encouraging moderator, and compassionate confessor.
Though Fr. Bill passed away in 2006 his story continues to inspire people, reminding us that no matter what cross we are called to carry, we can carry it with humility, a willingness to accept help from others, and constant reliance on the Lord. In 2017, the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., was opened, and Fr. Bill was named a Servant of God. One day, he may be named a saint.
Recognizing the fondness and devotion so many people have for Fr. Bill, the Augustinians decided to remove his earthly remains from Calvary Cemetery and reinter him in the magnificent St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Villanova, Pa. The church held deep significance in Fr. Bill’s life: while a student at Villanova University and as a professed friar, Fr. Bill often attended Mass and prayed in church on campus. It is where he was ordained to the diaconate in 1973 and where his Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated in 2006. The faithful gathered in the Villanova Church in 2017 for the official solemn opening ceremony for his Cause for Canonization, and in 2021 for the closing ceremony of the archdiocesan inquiry into the life, heroic virtues, reputation of holiness, and intercessory power of Fr. Bill. In the Province’s efforts to promote awareness of the Cause, the Villanova Church served as the site for two milestone events: the tenth anniversary of his death in 2016 and the celebration of his fiftieth anniversary of ordination in 2024. It seemed only fitting that Fr. Bill’s remains come to their final rest here.
“As we know, our Church and Catholic faith have a rich tradition of preserving human remains for veneration,” explained Prior Provincial Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. “Throughout generations faithful pilgrims would visit burial sites where they could reflect, pray, and take inspiration from faithful disciples of Christ who have gone before us. They help to show us the way. Our brother, Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., is one such faithful disciple.”
Over five extraordinary days in June, the Augustinian community came together to prayerfully bring Fr. Bill to his final resting place. Come along as we give you an insider’s look at this holy time through the eyes of the people who were there.
THE CEMETERY
Renee Cirino, assistant manager of Calvary Cemetery, with Prior Provincial Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A., at the Augustinian plot. The Augustinian plot at Calvary Cemetery sits atop a rolling hill, with a commanding view of the rest of the cemetery. The mortal remains of friars have been interred here since 1980, and watching over them is Renee Cirino, M.S., assistant manager of the cemetery.
The cemetery was not her first experience with the Augustinians. “My father, a Monsignor Bonner graduate, talked about a number of Augustinian Priests that taught him in high school,” she remembers. “When I taught in Catholic education, working with a biology teacher at Monsignor Bonner High School, I met Fr. Jack Denny, O.S.A., and Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., along with other friars who were on the teaching staff at Bonner during this time. I remember being amazed by Fr. Bill and his dedication to the students at Bonner. Those boys respected him. He was well respected by the staff also.”
When Renee began working at the cemetery, she realized the Augustinians were under her care—a role she takes very seriously. “Seeing the Augustinian plots brought back many positive memories for me. I visited the section where their earthly remains are resting and looked around to see how the section was being maintained. I wanted to be a part of making their section at Calvary very nice.” Because of her efforts, a beautiful new sign marks the Augustinian plot so visitors can more easily find them.
Once the idea to reinter Fr. Bill’s earthly remains came about, Renee played a vital role. Reinterment is a complicated process. “Moving mortal remains is not simply a matter of excavation and transportation,” explains Fr. Thomas Dailey, O.S.F.S., in an article he wrote for CatholicPhilly. Fr. Dailey is a member of the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is very involved in the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A. “Because of Fr. Bill’s status as a Servant of God, the entire process is governed by formal procedures from the Vatican dicastery and is overseen by appointed members of an archdiocesan tribunal.”
“I was in correspondence with Fr. Robert Hagan, O.S.A., and guided him with the completion of the disinterment paperwork,” says Renee. “Once the paperwork was completed and notarized, we sent it to our corporate headquarters for approval. Once it was approved by corporate and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, we set a date to have Fr. Bill disinterred from Calvary. I also was in correspondence with O’Leary Funeral Home regarding the burial permit that was needed to complete the disinterment and reinterment process.”
Renee and Fr. Dailey were among the people gathered by Fr. Bill’s graveside that June morning, along with a photography team. Photography and videography would be a vital part of the process, clearly documenting for posterity every step in the disinterment and reinterment. The photography team had to sign non-disclosure agreements, not the only bit of paperwork signed by those in attendance—there were also sworn witnesses and notaries.
Fr. Bill’s remains were removed from his plot by cemetery staff, assisted by a team from the New Jersey-based Bradbury Vault Company. “Immediately afterward, his casket was transported to the O’Leary Funeral Home in nearby Springfield, Pa.,” explains Fr. Dailey. “There, the exhumation took place under the supervision of an archaeological consultant and a certified mortician, both of whom also have degrees in canon law and experience in working with causes of saints. After the procedures for the collection of relics were completed, the staff of the O’Leary Funeral Home prepared the remains for preservation.”
While Fr. Bill’s remains are no longer in their original place atop the hill in Calvary Cemetery, his casket has been reinterred where it lay for the past 18 years. Renee is already in talks with Fr. Rob about a new marker to indicate the spot where Fr. Bill rested for so long. “It was an honor to have this experience,” she says. “How often do you get to be a part of someone becoming a saint?”
THE SARCOPHAGUS
The sarcophagus in the Our Mother of Good Counsel alcove of the St. Thomas of Villanova Church looks like it’s always been there—and that’s by design. “We wanted to echo some of the elements present in the church: the columns, the pointed and rounded arches, the rose marble that you see throughout the current chapel,” says Lou DiCocco, pointing out each feature on the sarcophagus as he talks. Lou is the director and founder of St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studios, the firm brought on to create the new resting place for the remains of Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A.
The studio, based in Havertown, has overseen a number of extraordinary commissions, including at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. When the Augustinians began looking for someone to take the job, it turned out we had one of the best in the business just down the street. “Fr. Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., and Fr. Joe Genito, O.S.A. contacted me, saying they got the permission from the Vatican to exhume the body and transfer the remains of Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A.,” Lou remembers. “From our beginning meetings, I wanted to develop something that would be fitting, but also that would match in architecture, shape, and materials.”
The result is a beautiful rose and white marble sarcophagus, engraved with the words “Fr. William E. Atkinson, O.S.A. 1946-2006.” There are also four columns of green stone, once used in St. Cyril of Alexandria Parish in East Lansdowne, Pa., not far from Monsignor Bonner High School. “St. Cyril’s was a feeder church to Monsignor Bonner High School,” explains Lou. “We thought, what a great opportunity—maybe some students that Fr. Bill influenced and taught had attended this church and seen these columns.” Now they adorn Fr. Bill’s final resting place.
“It is our hope that this sacred space will provide greater access to the faithful who wish to visit his tomb and to seek his prayerful intercession,” says Prior Provincial Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. “We hope that students, faculty, campus visitors, and the public at large will visit Fr. Bill’s tomb to learn about the life and message of this Servant of God and ask for his intercession.”
Lou DiCocco agrees. “The beauty of our faith is the communion of saints, and I think it is something for us to strive toward. I think Fr. Bill’s message is just a tremendous message for so many, especially today. We need that message for everything—for all of us.”
THE REINTERMENT
On the morning of Friday, June 14, the mortal remains of Fr. Bill rested inside a champagne-colored coffin in a viewing room of the O’Leary Funeral Home. In his black Augustinian robe, Prior Provincial Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A., said prayers over Fr. Bill before the coffin was carefully loaded into the back of a silver hearse. The procession headed to St. Thomas of Villanova Church for what would be a private two-part service for Fr. Bill’s family, friends, and brother Augustinians.
The service opened with the ceremony of committal. “In the ceremony of committal, prayers for the commendation of Fr. Bill’s soul to God were said following the Order of Christian Burial,” explains Fr. Thomas Dailey, O.S.F.S. “The remains were then bound with ribbon and stamped with wax seals before being placed in the sarcophagus. Also placed in the sarcophagus was a parchment, or rogito, documenting the exhumation and translation that was signed by the archbishop, the members of the tribunal, the canonical witnesses, and both the Augustinian prior provincial and postulator general.” (Something less official went in the sarcophagus with Fr. Bill as well: his Bonner cap. “Bill’s Monsignor Bonner family will be happy to know that his Bonner hat, which was in his casket, also made the transfer,” said Fr. Rob during his homily that day. “I offered to switch it out for an O’Hara hat”—Fr. Rob’s own alma mater—“but no one would take it,” he said to laughter.)
Upon the close of the ceremony, a Mass of Thanksgiving for Fr. Bill’s life and service was held. The Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D., archbishop of Philadelphia, presided. “The archbishop is a close friend of the Augustinians and collaborator throughout this process,” said Fr. Rob. “This Eucharistic celebration allowed us to gather to remember the life, faith, patience, inspiration, and perseverance of our brother Bill, and to give thanks to God for his family, friends, caretakers, Augustinians, and others who walked with him as he carried his cross with the grace and strength that comes from the Lord.”
Fr. Dailey remembers, “In his closing remarks, the archbishop wondered whether Villanova University is now the only Catholic university to have a real ‘Servant of God’ on its campus. The archbishop encouraged the [university] to include Fr. Bill’s story in the curriculum and expressed his hope that, as a result of this translation, many students will come to know Fr. Bill’s life story, his example of virtue, and especially his faith.”
Fr. Bill is now at rest under a beautiful mosaic of Our Mother of Good Counsel, a title long held dear by the Augustinians. We hope that Fr. Bill’s intercession will be a source of good counsel as well. “As we gaze at the image of Our Mother of Good Counsel, now sitting above the mortal remains of our brother Bill, we will indeed remember him at the altar of the Lord,” said Fr. Rob during his homily. “We will remember the strength he took from the Eucharist. We remember the many Masses he celebrated for others, his close relationship with Jesus, and the help he humbly accepted from his family, friends, brother Augustinians. May others come here and be inspired by the way God’s grace enabled Fr. Bill to rise from his cross and persevere.”
We hope you will come to St. Thomas of Villanova Church to feel Fr. Bill’s presence and spirit as you overcome the hardships that life inevitably throws at us all. Encourage others to come with you, to learn about Fr. Bill and his exceptional life. “Fr. Bill would be happy to see the many people who stop and pray here to take hope and inspiration from his life,” says Fr. Rob. “But more importantly, he would encourage us to now look and see what God is doing in us and what we can do for one another. Servant of God, Fr. Bill Atkinson, O.S.A., pray for us.”
