Patrick Leary recalled for compassion, growing Catholic Charities

By all accounts, Monsignor Patrick Leary was the people’s clergyman.

The CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, who died in December at age 63, was honored April 25 during the charity’s Feast of Hope, which provides food for the homeless. Leary created the annual event under the moniker Thanksgiving in April.

“Monsignor possessed a tremendous love of God that radiated in all he did, particularly with the homeless,” the Rev. Timothy Wehn of Guardian Angel Cathedral said.

Wehn enjoyed a two-decade friendship with Leary. The two broke bread every Sunday between services.

“Even among clergy, friendship is important,” Wehn said.

In 1989, Leary served as chaplain of the Newman Center of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas in 1994, becoming a diocesan priest.

Leary achieved the title of monsignor — a position fourth in succession under the pope, behind cardinal, archbishop and bishop — in 1998.

The Buffalo, N.Y., native took the reins of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada in 2003 . He helped the nonprofit thrive, Catholic Charities spokeswoman Leslie Carmine said.

The staff grew to 250 employees. Programs such as the organization’s Tenant Based Rental Assistance, Foster Grandparent and Senior Services Medical Nutrition Therapy were added. Last year, under Leary’s guidance, the charity had a roughly $20 million budget.

“He had a charismatic personality, important in the business world,” said longtime friend Donald Campbell . “You could’ve dropped him anywhere in the corporate world and he would have succeeded. (CEO of Catholic Charities) is a hard job to do well, and he did the job extraordinarily well.”

But it was not merely Leary’s business savvy that helped him grow Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. It was also his heart.

“He had all of those skills in addition to his pastoral skills,” Campbell said. “He could be very tough when he needed to be ... and he was capable of extraordinary compassion.”

Clairmarie Slaveck, the Guardian Angel Cathedral’s business manager for nearly 30 years, agreed.

“He was a holy man in the true sense of the words,” she said. “He was as compassionate to a man on the street as he was to a best friend.”

Slaveck said many Catholic s tend to “put their priests on a pedestal ” but that Leary was the “common man” who had his own faults, goals and sense of humor like any other person.

“With Monsignor, what you saw was what you got,” she said.

During the Feast of Hope, Campbell spoke in Leary’s honor.

“If you knew Pat Leary, he was the type of guy who made you want to be a better person,” Campbell said. “I think that is a fitting epitaph for a man in his line of work.”

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Nolan Lister at nlister@viewnews.com or 702-383-0492.