Patrick Thomas O'Reilly (December 24, 1833 – May 28, 1892) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1870 to 1892.

Biography

Early life

Patrick O'Reilly was born on December 24, 1833,"The First Bishop of Springfield", ''The National Magazine'', Volume 17, National History Company, 1893, p. vi
/ref> in

Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road that links Dublin (to the south) with Enniskillen, Bally ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, the son of Philip and Mary Conaty O'Reilly. The family immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts,. He attended St. Charles's College in

Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the mo ...

to study classics, then studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.

Priesthood

O'Reilly was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on August 15, 1857, by Bishop David Bacon. After his ordination, O'Reilly served as assistant pastor at St. John's Parish in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

. He then went back to Boston to organize St. Joseph's Parish there. In 1864, he returned to Worcester to serve as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

of St. John's Parish.Cummings, Thomas. "Springfield." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 16 September 2021

Bishop of Springfield

Pope Pius IX appointed O'Reilly as the first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Springfield on June 18, 1870. He was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on September 25, 1870, by Cardinal

John McCloskey John McCloskey (March 10, 1810 – October 10, 1885) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first American born Archbishop of New York from 1864 until his death in 1885, having previously served as Bishop of ...

, the youngest bishop in the United States at age 37. During his time as bishop, the Catholic population of the diocese increased from 90,000 to 200,000; its priests from 43 to 196; its religious women from 12 to 321. O'Reilly laid the

cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over time ...

s of nearly 100 church, school or buildings. The

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

of the Sisters of Providence of

Holyoke Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

and the orphanages at

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

, and

, were begun during his administration. O'Reilly persuaded the

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...

and the

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded to provide education to the poor. The institute was founded in Amiens, France, in 1804, but the oppo ...

to set up congregations in the diocese. Mercy Hospital in Springfield developed from a

mission of the

Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul The Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul are an apostolic congregation of vowed women religious, who rely on and proclaim the Divine providence, Providence of God. They are the only religious congregation founded in Kingston, Ontario. H ...

. According to author Stephen Kiltonic, O'Reilly was described as tall with "very kind gray eyes that would twinkle with humor". "The old folks, who remember him, speak of his quiet but convincing eloquence, his constant affability and kindness, his abiding trust in God that, to every cloud, gave a silver lining."Kiltonic, Stephen. "History of the Diocese", 150th Anniversary Celebration
/ref> Author William Byrne described O'Reilly as a supportive manager of his priests, allowing them to make decisions on their own. Patrick O’Reilly died in Springfield of

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of th ...

on May 28, 1892; businesses in Springfield closed for the day. He was buried in the vault below St. Michael's Cathedral in Springfield.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oreilly, Patrick Thomas 1833 births 1892 deaths St. Charles College alumni St. Mary's Seminary and University alumni People from County Cavan 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Springfield in Massachusetts