BRIGHTON -- Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap. has announced the appointment of Father Edward M. Riley, until now parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Weymouth, as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Holbrook. The appointment of Father Riley to Holbrook was effective Aug. 1, 2007.

Born in Boston, Father Riley was raised in Wellesley where he attended St. John the Evangelist School and Wellesley High School. He graduated in 1984 from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management with a bachelor’s degree of science in business administration.

He comes from a large family: four boys, followed by four girls -- Father Riley is the second of the eight siblings.

Following his graduation he worked for six years in the Arthur Andersen Company and subsequently entered St. John’s Seminary. He spent a few years between his job and seminary volunteering in two vastly different places: at Brighton’s Franciscan Children’s Hospital and then in the Appalachian area of eastern Kentucky.

Cardinal Bernard Law ordained him to the priesthood at Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross on May 27, 2000 and assigned him as parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Norwood.

When he was ordained, Father Riley cited two main influences on his vocational choice. First, his own family who planted the seeds of faith and then of the late Father James Publicover, one-time parochial vicar at his home parish in Wellesley, who early on mentioned to Father Riley the possibility of his being a priest.

After he completed his first assignment in May of 2005, Father Riley was assigned as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Weymouth. Father Riley’s two experiences as parochial vicar were in very different but very busy parishes. His experience at Norwood in a parish with a school will be much appreciated; while the more recent experience at Weymouth with its own variety of ministries and busy schedule will contribute well toward his new role leading the faithful at St. Joseph’s in Holbrook.