Monsignor O'Reilly, Thames

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2, 14 January 1909, Page 52

Monsignor O'Reilly, Thames

The New Zealand Town and Country Life of December 23 had the following very appreciative notice of the life and work of the popular and highly esteemed pastor of Thames, Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly: — Than the Right Rev. Mgr. O'Reilly, of the Thames, no cleric is more widely known or respected — we had almost said beloved — by men of all denominations in the Auckland province. Born at Rosscarbery, County Cork, Ireland, on February 24, 1843,' Mgr. O'Reilly came out to New Zealand with his parents in 1852, arriving in Auckland in May of that year. He received private tuition from the ' priests of the diocese. It was at the Maori School, situated where the Bishop's house now stands in Ponsonby, that Mgr. O'Reilly began his ecclesiastical studies in 1858, later on taking charge of the school, which was established in connection with the Catholic Church. Monsignor, it may be here stated, is^a fluent Maori linguist, and has frequently acted as interpreter. His intimate knowledge of and acquaintanceship with the language have been of immense service to him in the many vicissitudes of his life in New Zealand. Maori boys from all parts of the diocese were enrolled at the Ponsonby School, and some steady work was put in, the groundwork of many a successful career being laid there. The Maori war breaking out in 1860 so affected the attendance, however, that it became necessary to close the school, for the pupils would not come to Auckland. Here it is worth noting that on the occasion of Cardinal Moran's recent visit to Auckland the reception arrangements 'at Rotorua were carried out by a committee, the , three leading members of which — Mita, Hira, and Wiremu Pauro — were former pupils of Mgr. O'Reilly's — a fact of which they made a special point of reminding his Eminence. In 1865 Mgr. O'Reilly went to Rotorua, with the pbject of establishing a Maori school there, and got mat-

ters so far under way that the timber was on the ground ready for the erection of the school, when another war scare broke out, occasioned by the Hauhau rising, when Patara and Kereopa passed through- the country on the way to Opotiki, the scene of the. Rev. Mr. • Volkrier's murder. The project was consequently abandoned, and Mgr. O'Heilly returned to Auckland and further prosecuted his studies, being ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Pompallier on February 24, \ 1866, which was the twenty-tluxd anniversary of his birthday. It is interesting to note that Monsignor O'Reilly is the only connecting link with that time and the "present in, the Auckland diocese, and, indeed, there is only one other in New Zealand— viz., the Yen. Archpriest Walshe, of Westport. Monsignor O'Reilly was then stationed as curate at St. Patricks Cathedral, where he remained for five years, until shortly after the arrival of Bishop Croke (the latter subsequently becoming Archbishop of Cashel, Ireland), who appointed him first resident priset at Coromandel. There he labored till July, 1878, when he was appointed to the charge of the Thames parish, remaining there to this day with, the exception of two years, when he "took charge ?oJ? r*. atrick ' s during the Bishop's visit to Europe in • L c death of the Rev - M S r - Paul at Onehunga Jvt> -ii t Blsh °P offered the appointment to Mgr. U Keilly, but the news of his projected removal from thoIhames was received -with so much disfavor by his parishioners and the public in general that out of respect to the JvtT^i cx P ressed in a numerously signed requisition Mgr. U .Keilly elected to continue his ministrations at the 1 names— a decision which was welcomed by the whole community, i In 1900 the rev. gentleman had conferred upon him the title of Monsignor, which he holds with a brief as one of the domestic prelates of the Pope's household. The dignity was conferred on him by his Holiness the late illustrious Leo XIII., on the recommendation of the Bishop/ and entitles him to assist at any papal function. Mgi. O'Reilly is chairman of the Thames Hospital irustees, a position which he has held for 21 years—adistinction which alone affords ample testimony of th« general esteem in which he is held. He is also senior member of the Diocesan Board of Education and of tha Diocesan Council, while he further holds office as dean or the Eastern district. He enjoys the distinction of being the senior priest of New Zealand, with the exception or the Archbishop of Wellington, who is his senior by a few months. There are older men in the ministry, but not older pnests than Mgr. O'Reilly. Fifjy-six years is a long time to look back upon,' and naturally Monsignor has many interesting reminiscences, i ISSi •\ he , U . Mgr - °' Reill y & ™t' knew it, numbered only 2000 inhabitants— the population of the metropolitan area at present is 100,000. St. Patrick's (the Cathedral) was the only Catholic Church in the then embryo city, and it is worth noting that the original building was opened practically -free of debt by a mere handful of Catholics, most of whom have since joined < the . great majority.' The first Bishop (the Rev. J. B. F. Pompallier) fixed the seat of his bishopric at Hokianga in 1838, but it was afterwards removed to Russell, the then seat of Government, and eventually to Auckland. The Marist Fathers came out with Bishop Pompallier in 1838 to establish the Church m^ New Zealand, and when, in 1848, the diocese ot Auckland was separated from the rest of the colony Bishop Viard, who was the coadjutor of Bishop Pompallier, went to Wellington, taking the Marist Fathers with him. The Sisters of Mercy came out from Home in 1850, and their labors of over half a century have been abundantly blessed. I was impressed while travelling through New Zealand, said Monsignor, ' with the vast improvements n the Catholic buildings, the convents, churches, and presbyteries—they speak for themselves of the marvellous growth of the Church during recent years.' 'It was uphill work at Coromandel,' Mgr. O'Reilly said, harking back to the early seventies. He had to practically open a new ecclesiastical district, and establish a church, school, and presbytery. Going to the Thames shortly after the gold fever had abated, in the days of the Queen of Beauty mine, Monsignore had a wide field to covor, for it embraced Paeroa, -Te Aroha, Waihi (which of course, was then unsettled), Karangahake, and Waitekaun. 'Travelling was far from easy in those days There were no coach roads; in fact, one could hardly take a horse over them, and it was quite a common occurrence to be bogged when making one's . way over the ranees There was no Catholic Church outside of the Thames' and Monsignore had to 'build churches at Paeroa and Te Aroha. ' Not only our own people subscribed to the fund, but representatives of all denominations. contributed their quota, and often unsolicited.' - Mgr. O'Reilly was the first priest to celebrate Mass ot Whangapoua, Te Aroha, Paeroa, and Waitekauri. Now

there are two priests at Paeroa — Dean Hackett and a curate. At Wailii there is Father Brodie; Father McGuinness is in charge at Te Aroha, and Father Broomfield is curate at Thames. So thirty years have seen a big advance in the Church work in that district. At Thames, the scene of his labors for so many years, Mgr. O'Reilly is held in the highest regard and affection by all denominations, his name is a household word with young and old, from one end of the district to the other, and, animated by a broad Christian charity to all men, he has formed a link in the chain of harmony which has proved stronger than any creed or belief. 'My motto,' said the rev. gentleman, 'is if we could not agree in all things, we could agree to differ.' And that is the spirit he has ever tried to foster. A zealotis priest, a true-hearted man, may he long be spared to continue his ministrations !