Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev John O'Reilly, d. 4 Feb 1904

John O'Reilly was born in Co. Meath, Ireland in 1840. He studied for the priesthood in the Seminary at Angouleme, France, where he was ordained in 1865. He joined the church in Queensland the following year and served as Curate in the Parishes of Ipswich, Warwick and at the Cathedral in Brisbane. Following the death of Fr Thomas O'Brien, he was appointed Parish priest at Maryborough. At the end of 1898, he was appointed Bishop's Secretary and Administrator of St Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane. He continued in this position until his death in 1904, aged 64. He had been a priest for 38 years. Pugh's list John O'Reilly as serving in Warwick in 1868 and 1869. He is buried in Nudgee Cemetery.
(Ref. Brisbane Archives, Linane O201, Southerwood and Pugh's)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 115-116:
Fr John O'Reilly

John O'Reilly was born in co Meath Ireland in 1840. He was educated for the priesthood at the Irish College in Angouleme, France. He was ordained in the beautiful cathedral of that ancient city' in 1865.(1)

Fr O'Reilly arrived in Moreton Bay aboard the Great Victoria on 31 December 1865 with Fathers Denis Byrne, Henry McDonough and Thaddaeus Hogan.(2) His first appointment was Ipswich where he served with the French Augustinians of the Assumption, Pere Brun and Brother Polycarp. "Polycarp used to declare that Fr O'Reilly spoke French like a native". The teacher in the parish school, James Breen, later returned to Ireland to be ordained a priest.(3)

Fr O'Reilly ministered in Warwick in 1868 and 1869.(4) He returned to Ipswich from 1870 to 1872 and was back in Brisbane from 1873 to 1878.(5) He arrived in Maryborough in March 1879 to be its third parish priest, following the sudden death of Fr Thomas O'Brien.

There were many changes in Maryborough parish during his 19 years as pastor. At the distribution of school prizes in 1879 he addressed the approaching withdrawal of the Sisters of St Joseph, after their ten years of educating the children of his flock:

They owed a deep debt of gratitude to the ladies who had devoted themselves so exclusively to their temporal and spiritual welfare and who had given up all worldly aspirations to apply themselves to the advancement of the young ones. If the Sisters had little reward in this world they would doubtless in the world to come when the great distribution of prizes would take place.(6)

At the invitation of Fr O'Reilly the Sisters of Mercy arrived in April 1880 to conduct the school previously conducted by the Josephites. The sisters took up residence in the old convent which was unpretentious to say the least. Fr O'Reilly was responsible for a new brick and stone convent blessed and opened by Archbishop Dunne in August 1893.

Following Bishop O'Quinn's death in 1881 Fr O'Reilly appears to have been the spokesman for priests who protested at the appointment of Dr Cani as administrator of the diocese. Together with other newspapers the Gympie and Maryborough press published, at Fr O'Reilly's behest, information surrounding this controversy.(7)

During his years in Maryborough he enlarged Fr Tissot's church which was rededicated in May 1885. In May 1887 the foundation stone of a new presbytery was laid by the Archbishop. Prior to this the priests resided in a rented cottage some distance from the site.

A boys school had been conducted by lay teachers in the old church vacated in 1872. On Sunday 2 September 1888 Archbishop Dunne blessed and opened a Christian Brothers School in Maryborough on land donated by a pioneer settler. Schooling commenced the following day with an enrolment of 110 boys. For the sum of £600 Fr O'Reilly purchased a home adjacent to the school as a residence for the brothers.(8)

At the end of 1898, after a very active and fruitful nineteen years in Maryborough, Fr O'Reilly was transferred to Brisbane to serve as archbishop's secretary and administrator of the cathedral. He was in the role for only six years, when, after a brief illness he died at Dara on 4 February, 1904.

Eulogies to Fr O'Reilly appeared in many newspapers, local and interstate:

One of the best priests that, Australia, in its long roll of great and good priests, can unfold. . . His sermons were of the real, solid and eloquent order. He spoke both from his mind and his heart, and his utterances were at once convincing and touching. They were not oratorical flourishes but were spoken by a man, earnest and full of sympathy for the salvation of men. It may be truly said that he loved to believe that few men were outcasts from their Father's house. . . One section of the community will miss him sorely – the poor of the city. Father John was their good and holy friend, and no doubt many unheard of acts of charity will find their reward from his Divine Master.

The work at the Cathedral is of an exceptionally laborious character, and this to the late Father John in all weathers performed with a will and an alacrity. About five weeks ago he had to give way before the approaching conqueror. His medical advisor (the Hon Dr Taylor) thought a change would effect an improvement. He was ordered to Southport, where his condition became very grave and he was sent to St Helen's private hospital, where the fading hopes of recovery began to be manifest. He was then removed to Dara, the Archepiscopal residence, where fortified by the rites of Holy Church, he calmly expired on Thursday, the 4th instant, at 10.00am at the age of 64 years.(9)

Various newspapers gave details of his funeral:

On Thursday evening the remains of the late revered priest were born from Dara to St Stephen's Cathedral, where Vespers for the dead were recited by the clergy present and at 10 o'clock on Friday morning a solemn Requiem Office and Mass were celebrated for the repose of his soul. The respect in which Father O'Reilly was held may be judged by the fact that the crowds present at the Requiem Mass filled the Cathedral and over-flowed into the grounds, then into the streets.(10)

The Archbishop presided. Fr Canali was the celebrant of the solemn Mass with Fr James Byrne as deacon and Fr T Kelleher as sub deacon. Archbishop Dunne gave the absolution at the catafalque. The funeral moved to Nudgee Catholic cemetery to be met by a guard of honour by the children of Nudgee orphanage and students from Nudgee College.

"He was laid to rest there with the blessing and prayers of his ecclesiastical chief, whom he loved so devotedly and served so faithfully."(11)

On 8 February a solemn Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Mary's Church at Maryborough. The celebrant was Fr Matthew Horan parish priest of Gympie and a close friend of Fr O'Reilly. Many parishioners attended to pray eternal rest for the parish priest who has ministered to them for nearly twenty years.(12)

Footnotes
1. Catholic Press, Sydney, 11 Feb 1904, p. 26.
2. Brisbane Courier, 5 Jan 1866, p. 2.
3. Catholic Press, Sydney, 11 Feb 1904, page 26
4. Prayer Calendar of Deceased Priests who served in Toowoomba Diocese.
5. Pugh's Almanac, 1868 and 1869.
6. Denis W Martin, St Mary s Parish Maryborough 1861-2011, 2011, p. 35.
7. Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, 21 Dec 1881, p. 3.
8. Denis W Martin, op. cit. pp. 44 to 46.
9. Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 13 Feb 1904, p. 24.
10. Catholic Press, Sydney, 11 Feb 1904, p. 26.
11. Ibid.
12. Age, Brisbane, 19 Mar 1904, p. 7.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.