Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles:
"I first met Monsignor Barry when I was attending Social Work School at the Catholic University of America in the years 1962-1964. During the summer of 1962 I spent a week with him in Los Angeles visiting many of the social service programs and projects around the Archdiocese. His personal fervor for helping others knew no limits, and I could scarcely keep up with him during those days. I learned from him that it is the depth of commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which is the measure of Catholic Charities, not the budgets and staffing charts of an organization.

"When I first came to Los Angeles as Archbishop, Monsignor Barry accepted my invitation to head up the Secretariat for Pastoral Services, and he served this leadership role with great distinction even as he continued as the active pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Claremont. He was one of my earliest and closest advisors, and I so valued his insights and his energetic vision for our Archdiocese.

"He had a deep and special love for all priests, and nothing gave him more joy than to have brother priests gather for a meal and a good discussion about some current topic in the Church, in the community, or even in sports. At the same time, he truly valued the role of the laity in the Church, and promoted enthusiastically lay leadership at all levels of Catholic Charities, of his parish, and of the Archdiocese. He was an avid supporter of the Archdiocesan Synod and its vision and mission.

"May our Risen Savior welcome this great priest of God into the eternal light and rest which he so richly deserves!"

Jean McKenna, parishioner and parish bulletin editor, Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Claremont:
"Monsignor's resume is so loaded that his humanity just might get lost. He was beloved by his family and friends, and spent plenty of quality time with them at his Newport Beach house in spite of his busy schedule. He loved nothing better than to navigate his 'party boat' at a leisurely pace through the byways of Newport Bay with them. He was very generous in sharing this idyllic place with Catholic ministries and groups for retreats and celebrations of all kinds.

"He was fun-loving and enjoyed participating in sports or games, volunteering every year for a turn in the dunk booth at the parish fiesta. He had a lively and outgoing personality that fostered the spirit of hospitality for which the parish is renowned. He preached continually on the love of God and exemplified that quality among young and old."

Msgr. John Sheridan, pastor emeritus, Our Lady of Malibu Church, Malibu, and friend for 64 years (a year ahead of Msgr. Barry at St. John's Seminary):
"Msgr. Barry was truly a wonderful priest. I so enjoyed being with him; he was never 'out of sorts'. He was a delightful person, very organized and could relate to anyone. We went on many vacations together that he arranged --- the Greek isles, the Caribbean and of course Hawaii where his brother had a home. He was so good at bringing people together and had a great sense of humor. Bill had a passion for people and a great sense of loyalty. We have stayed in touch all these years as good friends."

Msgr. Patrick Thompson, pastor, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Church, Lomita:
"A gifted priest, one who could make anyone feel important, was Bill Barry. He was truly 'fired up with zeal.' He had wonderful classmates who bonded together (Bishop William Johnson was a member of the 1944 class). He was the first head of the priest senate, a mentor to many priests and a model of a great priest. Bill knew how to empower people --- he could spot talent and got the smartest people to work with him. Truly his gift was dealing with people, being loyal, diplomatic and enthusiastic."

Msgr. Royale Vadakin, vicar general/moderator of the curia:
"As a very young priest, I succeeded Msgr. Barry as president of the priest senate. But without his wisdom and great experience that he shared, I would have been totally lost. Through his mentoring, I have learned the value and importance of what mentoring is in the life of a priest. He was a priest who exemplified love to everyone and who loved being a priest."

Msgr. Thomas Welbers, pastor, Our Lady of the Assumption, Claremont:
"I first met Msgr. Barry as a student at the North American College in Rome in 1972 and have remained friends all these years. When he retired from the Claremont parish it was a gift for me to continue what he had developed --- a community life that recognized lay leadership and hospitality. In his retirement, his home in Newport Beach was always open to friends, priests and parishioners."

Marilyn Scott, St. Philip the Apostle Church, Pasadena, Engaged Encounter leader:
"For the past two years my husband, Robert, and I have worked with Msgr. Barry in holding engaged encounter weekends. Even in his retirement, he undertook this ministry and the young people absolutely loved him. He showed such deep, solid faith and conviction and his energy endeared him to everyone. He projected a positive image of love and touched everyone he met."

Msgr. Gregory Cox, executive director, Catholic Charities:
"Since I was in the eighth grade at Our Lady of the Assumption, I have known Msgr. Barry, a priest who personified the virtue of love and acknowledged that any gifts and talents he had were given by God in order to serve others. He was a wonderful priest who looked on his ministry as a way of life, not a job. In fact, everything I learned about Catholic Charities (where I have been for 21 years) is based on his example.

"Most of all his energy, humor and sincerity are what set him apart. He was so loyal, to parishioners, family and fellow priests. His talent of wisdom enabled him to disarm any conflict in a group but his whole life was rooted in the Eucharist. He was able to reach out to any age group, any religious group, and was always comfortable with people as they were, not what they had. To me he was 'young' even in older retirement as he never did 'nothing' --- he was still driving to weddings, baptisms, funerals and conducting Engaged Encounter weekends. He was the same in the rectory as he was on the street to the people he served."