World-Herald Story About Fr. Paul

From Tuesday's editions:

Rev. Begley, 82, served south Omaha parishes
By Jane Palmer, Omaha World-Herald Staff Writer

A Catholic priest for 53 years, the Rev. Paul J. Begley Jr. waded in nontraditional waters before and after he was ordained.

Begley served in the U.S. Navy as a radio operator on the aircraft carrier USS Nassau in the South Pacific during World War II.

He came home and worked summers in Omaha packing houses while attending seminary.

As the pastor of Assumption Catholic Church from 1978 to 1995, he launched a computer laboratory for the parish grade school and helped establish an unusual coalition of three neighborhood churches. CPL Inc. (standing for Catholic, Presbyterian and Lutheran) ran a grass-roots neighborhood reju venation program in south Omaha. It purchased rundown houses, refurbished them and sold them for bargain prices to poor families.

Begley died of heart failure on Jan. 22 at Bergan Mercy Medical Center. He was 82. His funeral Mass was Saturday at St. Bridget Catholic Church, his home church as a child.

An Omaha native and a gradu ate of Creighton Prep, Begley studied for the priesthood at St. Paul (Minn.) Seminary. He received college degrees from Conception (Mo.) Seminary and St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary, Wis.

Begley served the Omaha parishes of St. Pat rick, St. Adalbert and St. Stanislaus at various times. He also served parishes in the Nebraska towns of West Point, Hubbard, Homer, Wayne and Bellevue.

He co-founded the Catholic Hispanic Ministry for the Arch diocese of Omaha.

“Father Paul was an enthusiastic guy, all the time,” said a brother, Donald J. Begley of Omaha. “He really enjoyed life. His homilies were always short, direct and to the point. I don’t think they were ever longer than seven minutes. He would say ‘People have work to do.’ ” He loved cars and Creighton University basketball.

Begley’s other survivors include brothers William Begley and Patrick Begley and sisters Regina Begley and Rosemary Weide, all of Omaha.