John O'Reily (bishop)
Encyclopedia
John O'Reily was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, the first Bishop
of Port Augusta, and the second Archbishop
of Adelaide
. Born in Kilkenny, Ireland
, O'Reily studied for the priesthood in Dublin. Upon his ordination in 1869, he migrated to Western Australia, serving as a parish priest in Fremantle
, and founding a Catholic newspaper there. When the Diocese of Port Augusta was established in 1887, Pope Leo XIII
named O'Reily as its first bishop. Concerned about the financial position of the diocese (which had inherited significant debt from the Diocese of Adelaide), he accepted the posting reluctantly. As bishop, he greatly improved the financial position of the new diocese, reducing its debt by half and earning a reputation as a competent administrator.
In 1894, O'Reily was appointed to replace the deceased Christopher Reynolds
as Archbishop of Adelaide. The archdiocese he inherited was burdened with substantial debt, again left over from the old Diocese of Adelaide. Through the sale of church assets and a fundraising campaign, O'Reily was able to eliminate most of the Archdiocese's liabilities while still investing in church infrastructure. He also actively participated in public discussions relating to education policy at a time when the role of the state in supporting religious education was topical. O'Reily publicly advocated government assistance for religious schools, stating that it was unfair Catholics paid taxes to support state schools, but received no funding for their own. In the later years of his life, poor health forced him to spend less time attending to his episcopal duties, and from 1905, he largely retreated from public life. At his request, Robert Spence
was appointed as his coadjutor and successor in 1914, and on 6 July 1915, he died at his house in Adelaide. O'Reily was highly regarded by many in South Australian society, with Adelaide's daily newspapers praising his character, administrative ability and positive relations with non-Catholics.
, Ireland, the son of Michael, a military officer, and Anne, née Gallagher. He completed his primary education at the parochial school
of St. John's Parish, and spent six and a half years at St Kieran's College
. Due to poor health, he decided against pursuing a military career, and in 1864 he entered All Hallows College
in Dublin to study for the priesthood. He learnt Irish, and studied mental philosophy, mathematics and ecclesiastical studies, achieving first prize in each of his classes. After being ordained on 21 June 1869, he left Ireland for Western Australia in October, arriving in January 1870. Having served briefly in Newcastle (present day Toodyay
) and Northam
, he became a parish priest in Fremantle
, establishing the West Australian Catholic Record in 1874 and serving as its publisher, editor and printer from 1883.
elevated the Diocese of Adelaide to an Archdiocese and metropolitan see. As a suffragan diocese
to Adelaide, the Pope established the rural Diocese of Port Pirie
, naming O'Reilly as its inaugural bishop. Upon his appointment, O'Reilly travelled to Adelaide, where he met with the Archbishop of Adelaide Christopher Reynolds
and the Cardinal
of Sydney
Patrick Moran to discuss the formation of the new diocese. The poor financial state of the Archdiocese made the discussions contentious, with O'Reilly concerned about the amount of debt Port Augusta would inherit from Adelaide. To ensure a sufficiently large population for the new diocese, Moran suggested that its boundaries be altered from those drawn up by the Pope, but Reynolds opposed this plan. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the discussions, O'Reilly decided to travel to Sydney to deliberate further with the Cardinal, prompting Reynolds to write to Moran:
On 27 October, O'Reilly wrote to Pope Leo XIII requesting permission to reverse his decision to accept the appointment to Port Augusta, believing he would be unable to administer a diocese with such significant debt and such a small, impoverished population. In addition, he wrote, he had no personal wealth to contribute to the finances of the diocese. The concerns O'Reilly raised prompted Cardinal Simeoni
of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
to call for an official church inquiry into the financial situation of the South Australian dioceses. The report found a total of almost £38,000 of debt, with the new Port Augusta diocese bearing £18,000. Following the report, O'Reilly's request was refused, and on 1 May 1888, he was consecrated in St Mary's Cathedral
in Sydney. Later that year, in an effort to save time while signing documents, O'Reilly removed an "l" from his surname.
Although the Sisters of St. Joseph
operated eight primary schools in the Diocese of Port Augusta, it was without a Catholic high school—boarding or otherwise. Accordingly, while he was staying in Sydney for his consecration, O'Reily sought to establish a convent for the Sydney-based Sisters of the Good Samaritan
in Port Pirie. At the bishop's expense, the order's Mother-General spent two months in Port Pirie, and once she had found appropriate living quarters, a school was established, teaching over 100 students. A convent for the sisters was completed in 1890 on the same block as the school.
Upon his return to South Australia, O'Reily immediately set about improving the financial situation of the Diocese of Port Augusta. He requested financial assistance from the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and divided the diocese into fund-raising districts, campaigning for contributions in each of them. With the permission of Archbishop Thomas Carr
in Melbourne
, O'Reily toured parishes in Victoria asking for funds for his new diocese. By 1893, he had reduced the diocesan debt by half, with his peers describing him as a "practical, clear-headed man of business" due to his administrative ability.
While Bishop of Port Augusta, O'Reily showed an interest in education policy. He authored a pastoral letter
on the matter in March 1889, and the next year gave a speech criticising the lack of government funding for Catholic schools. According to O'Reily, it was unfair and unjust that Catholics paid taxes to support state schools but received no government support for their own. O'Reily's views on education were frequently cited when the Free Education Bill (which aimed to make state schools free) came before the South Australian Parliament in 1890, but the cost of the scheme meant that the bill was not passed. Although there was some discussion of funding for religious schools when the bill was reintroduced the next year, these proposals failed to gain significant parliamentary support, and in 1891, the bill was passed without assistance for religious schools.
O'Reily suffered a long and serious illness through early 1894 and continued to suffer from migraines throughout the year, forcing him to delegate many of his duties to James Maher (his vicar general
) and John Norton (an official consultor) who would later become, respectively, the second and third Bishops of Port Augusta.
, revealing total liabilities of just over £37,000. O'Reily reckoned £10,000 could be paid off by selling land owned by the Archdiocese. Two weeks after his address, a meeting of Adelaide Catholics supported moves to liquidate the archdiocesan debts, with £3,600 pledged at that meeting, including £1,000 over four years from O'Reily himself, a significant portion of his income.
Since the sale or mortgaging of church land required an act of Parliament, in 1896, the South Australian Parliament unanimously approved The Catholic Church Endowment Society Incorporated Sale of Lands Bill. This allowed the Archbishop to make good on his intention to sell all diocesan land not used for church purposes, and over the next few years, land, surplus vestments and works of art owned by the Archdiocese were sold off. These sales, combined the efforts of the Archbishop and diocesan priests to secure donations from around the Archdiocese, meant that by 1901 O'Reily was able to report that the debt had been reduced by three-quarters. This had been achieved at the same time as expenditure was being made on new schools, churches and other diocesan buildings. In fact, O'Reily noted in his report for that year that the remainder of the debt could have been removed had expenditure been cut, writing:
sought to gauge public opinion on state education, scripture reading in state schools, and the provision of capitation
grants (fixed grants per student) to non-state schools. O'Reily weighed into the debate in The Register
, giving conditional support to scriptural instruction in state schools, so long as the teachers themselves were religious and Catholic students received instruction from Catholic teachers. On the subject of a capitation grant, O'Reily was strongly supportive, arguing that moral impediments prevented Catholics from using secular education, and that, since religious schools provided elements of secular education as well as religious instruction, they should receive government assistance. At the referendum, South Australians affirmed the system of free secular education, but rejected scriptural readings in schools and the capitation grant.
O'Reily blamed the Labor Party
for the loss of the capitation grant. According to O'Reily, the serving Premier Charles Kingston
could have been convinced to support the grant were it not for the objections of Labor, with whom Kingston had formed a coalition government. In 1899, in the lead-up to that year's general election
, O'Reily gave a speech criticising the Labor Party, accusing some Labor leaders of having "an evident disposition to crush [Catholic labourers] with successive burdens."
of Kilkenny
. Due to poor health, from 1905, O'Reily kept to himself in his house in Glen Osmond, leading to the local press referring to him as the "Recluse of Glen Osmond". Increasingly, his episcopal duties were fulfilled by Bishop of Port Augusta John Norton, who would have to visit the more remote parts of O'Reily's see on his behalf. As he became more frail, O'Reily would ask certain priests to accompany him when he travelled, among whom was the Dominican
prior
Robert Spence
. When O'Reily requested a coadjutor
in 1913, he chose Spence as his first preference for the role. Despite the reluctance of some clergy to the appointment of a religious as Archbishop, Spence was consecrated as coadjutor, with right of succession, in August 1914. O'Reily died on 6 July 1915 at his house in Glen Osmond, and was buried under a large Celtic cross
at the West Terrace Cemetery
.
During his time as Archbishop, O'Reily had formed positive relationships with many senior members of South Australian society, including the Anglican Bishop of Adelaide Nutter Thomas, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia
, Samuel Way
, who considered him a friend. In an editorial in 1913, The Advertiser praised O'Reily, lauding his administrative abilities and crediting the good relations between Protestants and Catholics in South Australia to his "broadness of mind and to his quiet determination to avoid all unnecessary controversy." Upon his death, The Register gave a glowing editorial, describing him as "loveable and highly estimable", a "hard hitter" and asserting that, had he not been a religious leader, he could have been "a leading financier, Imperial legislator or even an eminent military commander."
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Port Augusta, and the second Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Adelaide
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia....
. Born in Kilkenny, Ireland
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, O'Reily studied for the priesthood in Dublin. Upon his ordination in 1869, he migrated to Western Australia, serving as a parish priest in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, and founding a Catholic newspaper there. When the Diocese of Port Augusta was established in 1887, Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
named O'Reily as its first bishop. Concerned about the financial position of the diocese (which had inherited significant debt from the Diocese of Adelaide), he accepted the posting reluctantly. As bishop, he greatly improved the financial position of the new diocese, reducing its debt by half and earning a reputation as a competent administrator.
In 1894, O'Reily was appointed to replace the deceased Christopher Reynolds
Christopher Augustine Reynolds
Christopher Augustine Reynolds was a Roman Catholic clergyman who became the first Archbishop of Adelaide, Australia.Born in Dublin, Ireland on 11 August 1834, he was ordained to the priesthood on 20 April 1860. Thirteen years later, he was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Adelaide by the...
as Archbishop of Adelaide. The archdiocese he inherited was burdened with substantial debt, again left over from the old Diocese of Adelaide. Through the sale of church assets and a fundraising campaign, O'Reily was able to eliminate most of the Archdiocese's liabilities while still investing in church infrastructure. He also actively participated in public discussions relating to education policy at a time when the role of the state in supporting religious education was topical. O'Reily publicly advocated government assistance for religious schools, stating that it was unfair Catholics paid taxes to support state schools, but received no funding for their own. In the later years of his life, poor health forced him to spend less time attending to his episcopal duties, and from 1905, he largely retreated from public life. At his request, Robert Spence
Robert Spence (bishop)
Robert William Spence was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, and the third Archbishop of Adelaide. Born in Ireland, Spence became a Dominican priest, and after serving as a prior in Kilkenny, moved to Adelaide, Australia in 1898...
was appointed as his coadjutor and successor in 1914, and on 6 July 1915, he died at his house in Adelaide. O'Reily was highly regarded by many in South Australian society, with Adelaide's daily newspapers praising his character, administrative ability and positive relations with non-Catholics.
Early life
O'Reily was born John O'Reilly on 19 November 1846, in KilkennyKilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ireland, the son of Michael, a military officer, and Anne, née Gallagher. He completed his primary education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. John's Parish, and spent six and a half years at St Kieran's College
St Kieran's College
St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny, Ireland is primarily a Secondary school for boys. It has long been a nursery for hurling, and is located on College Road in Kilkenny in County Kilkenny, Ireland.- History :...
. Due to poor health, he decided against pursuing a military career, and in 1864 he entered All Hallows College
All Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
in Dublin to study for the priesthood. He learnt Irish, and studied mental philosophy, mathematics and ecclesiastical studies, achieving first prize in each of his classes. After being ordained on 21 June 1869, he left Ireland for Western Australia in October, arriving in January 1870. Having served briefly in Newcastle (present day Toodyay
Toodyay, Western Australia
Toodyay is a town located in the Wheatbelt region in the Avon Valley, 85 km north-east of Perth, Western Australia. Toodyay is connected to Perth via both rail and road.-History:...
) and Northam
Northam, Western Australia
Northam is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
, he became a parish priest in Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, establishing the West Australian Catholic Record in 1874 and serving as its publisher, editor and printer from 1883.
Bishop of Port Augusta
Following a recommendation from the first plenary council of Australia and New Zealand in 1885, in May 1887 Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
elevated the Diocese of Adelaide to an Archdiocese and metropolitan see. As a suffragan diocese
Suffragan Diocese
A suffragan diocese is a diocese in the Catholic Church that is overseen not only by its own diocesan bishop but also by a metropolitan bishop. The metropolitan is always an archbishop who governs his own archdiocese...
to Adelaide, the Pope established the rural Diocese of Port Pirie
Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie is a suffragan Latin rite diocese of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, erected in 1887 covering the Yorke and Eyre Peninsulas, Flinders Ranges, Nullarbor Plain, and Mid and Far North regions of South Australia, Australia....
, naming O'Reilly as its inaugural bishop. Upon his appointment, O'Reilly travelled to Adelaide, where he met with the Archbishop of Adelaide Christopher Reynolds
Christopher Augustine Reynolds
Christopher Augustine Reynolds was a Roman Catholic clergyman who became the first Archbishop of Adelaide, Australia.Born in Dublin, Ireland on 11 August 1834, he was ordained to the priesthood on 20 April 1860. Thirteen years later, he was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Adelaide by the...
and the Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
Patrick Moran to discuss the formation of the new diocese. The poor financial state of the Archdiocese made the discussions contentious, with O'Reilly concerned about the amount of debt Port Augusta would inherit from Adelaide. To ensure a sufficiently large population for the new diocese, Moran suggested that its boundaries be altered from those drawn up by the Pope, but Reynolds opposed this plan. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the discussions, O'Reilly decided to travel to Sydney to deliberate further with the Cardinal, prompting Reynolds to write to Moran:
On 27 October, O'Reilly wrote to Pope Leo XIII requesting permission to reverse his decision to accept the appointment to Port Augusta, believing he would be unable to administer a diocese with such significant debt and such a small, impoverished population. In addition, he wrote, he had no personal wealth to contribute to the finances of the diocese. The concerns O'Reilly raised prompted Cardinal Simeoni
Giovanni Simeoni
Giovanni Simeoni was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Propagation of the Faith from 1878 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1875....
of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
to call for an official church inquiry into the financial situation of the South Australian dioceses. The report found a total of almost £38,000 of debt, with the new Port Augusta diocese bearing £18,000. Following the report, O'Reilly's request was refused, and on 1 May 1888, he was consecrated in St Mary's Cathedral
St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney
The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Mary is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. The cathedral is dedicated to "Mary, Help of Christians", Patron of Australia...
in Sydney. Later that year, in an effort to save time while signing documents, O'Reilly removed an "l" from his surname.
Although the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...
operated eight primary schools in the Diocese of Port Augusta, it was without a Catholic high school—boarding or otherwise. Accordingly, while he was staying in Sydney for his consecration, O'Reily sought to establish a convent for the Sydney-based Sisters of the Good Samaritan
Sisters of the Good Samaritan
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan is a Roman Catholic Congregation of religious women commenced by , Australia’s first Catholic bishop, in Sydney in 1857. The congregation was the first religious congregation to be founded in Australia. The sisters form an apostolic institute...
in Port Pirie. At the bishop's expense, the order's Mother-General spent two months in Port Pirie, and once she had found appropriate living quarters, a school was established, teaching over 100 students. A convent for the sisters was completed in 1890 on the same block as the school.
Upon his return to South Australia, O'Reily immediately set about improving the financial situation of the Diocese of Port Augusta. He requested financial assistance from the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, and divided the diocese into fund-raising districts, campaigning for contributions in each of them. With the permission of Archbishop Thomas Carr
Thomas Joseph Carr
Thomas Joseph Carr was the second Roman Catholic archbishop of Melbourne, Australia.-Early life:Carr was born near Moylough, Galway, Ireland, and educated at St Jarlath's College, Tuam, and at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. He was ordained on 19 May 1866, was a curate for six years, and was then...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, O'Reily toured parishes in Victoria asking for funds for his new diocese. By 1893, he had reduced the diocesan debt by half, with his peers describing him as a "practical, clear-headed man of business" due to his administrative ability.
While Bishop of Port Augusta, O'Reily showed an interest in education policy. He authored a pastoral letter
Pastoral letter
A Pastoral letter, often called simply a pastoral, is an open letter addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances...
on the matter in March 1889, and the next year gave a speech criticising the lack of government funding for Catholic schools. According to O'Reily, it was unfair and unjust that Catholics paid taxes to support state schools but received no government support for their own. O'Reily's views on education were frequently cited when the Free Education Bill (which aimed to make state schools free) came before the South Australian Parliament in 1890, but the cost of the scheme meant that the bill was not passed. Although there was some discussion of funding for religious schools when the bill was reintroduced the next year, these proposals failed to gain significant parliamentary support, and in 1891, the bill was passed without assistance for religious schools.
O'Reily suffered a long and serious illness through early 1894 and continued to suffer from migraines throughout the year, forcing him to delegate many of his duties to James Maher (his vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
) and John Norton (an official consultor) who would later become, respectively, the second and third Bishops of Port Augusta.
Archbishop of Adelaide
After suffering a two-year illness, Archbishop Reynolds died in June 1893, and by January 1894, rumours of O'Reily being appointed as his successor were published in Port Augusta papers. Although he dismissed such speculation, a letter of appointment arrived from Rome in March, naming him as the next Archbishop of Adelaide.Archdiocesan finances
As Bishop of Port Augusta, O'Reily had fought to minimise the debt inherited from the old Diocese of Adelaide. Having reduced the new diocese's debts by half in his six years as bishop, upon becoming Archbishop of Adelaide, O'Reily found the rest of the old diocesan liabilities awaiting him, their size having actually increased. In 1895, he presented a report on the state of the archdiocesan finances to the Sunday congregation in St. Francis Xavier's CathedralSt. Francis Xavier's Cathedral
St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Adelaide, South Australia is the Roman Catholic cathedral in that city. It is classified as being a Gothic Revival building in the Early English style. The tower stands 36 m high and is 56.5 m lengthwise and 29.5 m horizontally. The foundation stone...
, revealing total liabilities of just over £37,000. O'Reily reckoned £10,000 could be paid off by selling land owned by the Archdiocese. Two weeks after his address, a meeting of Adelaide Catholics supported moves to liquidate the archdiocesan debts, with £3,600 pledged at that meeting, including £1,000 over four years from O'Reily himself, a significant portion of his income.
Since the sale or mortgaging of church land required an act of Parliament, in 1896, the South Australian Parliament unanimously approved The Catholic Church Endowment Society Incorporated Sale of Lands Bill. This allowed the Archbishop to make good on his intention to sell all diocesan land not used for church purposes, and over the next few years, land, surplus vestments and works of art owned by the Archdiocese were sold off. These sales, combined the efforts of the Archbishop and diocesan priests to secure donations from around the Archdiocese, meant that by 1901 O'Reily was able to report that the debt had been reduced by three-quarters. This had been achieved at the same time as expenditure was being made on new schools, churches and other diocesan buildings. In fact, O'Reily noted in his report for that year that the remainder of the debt could have been removed had expenditure been cut, writing:
Education policy
As Archbishop, O'Reily continued his participation in public discussions regarding education. In 1896, a colony-wide referendumSouth Australian referendum, 1896
A referendum was held in South Australia on 25 April 1896, and dealt with matters relating to secular and religious education. The referendum was held concurrently with a general election, the first in Australia in which women were eligible to vote, and was the first referendum to be held in...
sought to gauge public opinion on state education, scripture reading in state schools, and the provision of capitation
Capitation
Capitation can refer to:*Poll tax, or head tax, a tax of a fixed amount per individual*Capitation , a system of payment to medical service providers...
grants (fixed grants per student) to non-state schools. O'Reily weighed into the debate in The Register
South Australian Register
The Register, originally the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, was the first South Australian newspaper. It was first published in London in June 1836 and folded almost a century later in February 1931....
, giving conditional support to scriptural instruction in state schools, so long as the teachers themselves were religious and Catholic students received instruction from Catholic teachers. On the subject of a capitation grant, O'Reily was strongly supportive, arguing that moral impediments prevented Catholics from using secular education, and that, since religious schools provided elements of secular education as well as religious instruction, they should receive government assistance. At the referendum, South Australians affirmed the system of free secular education, but rejected scriptural readings in schools and the capitation grant.
O'Reily blamed the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
for the loss of the capitation grant. According to O'Reily, the serving Premier Charles Kingston
Charles Kingston
Charles Cameron Kingston, Australian politician, was an early liberal Premier of South Australia serving from 1893 to 1899 with the support of Labor led by John McPherson from 1893 and Lee Batchelor from 1897 in the House of Assembly, winning the 1893, 1896, and 1899 state elections against the...
could have been convinced to support the grant were it not for the objections of Labor, with whom Kingston had formed a coalition government. In 1899, in the lead-up to that year's general election
South Australian state election, 1899
State elections were held in Australia on 29 April 1899. All 54 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent liberal government led by Premier of South Australia Charles Kingston in an informal coalition United Labor Party led by Lee Batchelor defeated the...
, O'Reily gave a speech criticising the Labor Party, accusing some Labor leaders of having "an evident disposition to crush [Catholic labourers] with successive burdens."
Later life and legacy
In 1904, O'Reily travelled Europe to make his ad limina visit to Rome, and to visit his native Ireland where he was made a freemanFreedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
. Due to poor health, from 1905, O'Reily kept to himself in his house in Glen Osmond, leading to the local press referring to him as the "Recluse of Glen Osmond". Increasingly, his episcopal duties were fulfilled by Bishop of Port Augusta John Norton, who would have to visit the more remote parts of O'Reily's see on his behalf. As he became more frail, O'Reily would ask certain priests to accompany him when he travelled, among whom was the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
Robert Spence
Robert Spence (bishop)
Robert William Spence was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, and the third Archbishop of Adelaide. Born in Ireland, Spence became a Dominican priest, and after serving as a prior in Kilkenny, moved to Adelaide, Australia in 1898...
. When O'Reily requested a coadjutor
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
in 1913, he chose Spence as his first preference for the role. Despite the reluctance of some clergy to the appointment of a religious as Archbishop, Spence was consecrated as coadjutor, with right of succession, in August 1914. O'Reily died on 6 July 1915 at his house in Glen Osmond, and was buried under a large Celtic cross
Celtic cross
A Celtic cross is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. In the Celtic Christian world it was combined with the Christian cross and this design was often used for high crosses – a free-standing cross made of stone and often richly decorated...
at the West Terrace Cemetery
West Terrace Cemetery
The West Terrace Cemetery is South Australia’s oldest cemetery, first appearing on Colonel William Light’s 1837 plan of Adelaide. The 27.6 hectare site is located in the south-west corner of the Adelaide central business district, between West Terrace, Anzac Highway, Sir Donald Bradman Drive and...
.
During his time as Archbishop, O'Reily had formed positive relationships with many senior members of South Australian society, including the Anglican Bishop of Adelaide Nutter Thomas, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia
Supreme Court of South Australia
The Supreme Court of South Australia is the superior court for the Australian State of South Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. The Supreme Court is the highest South Australian court in the Australian court...
, Samuel Way
Samuel Way
Sir Samuel James Way, 1st Baronet , English-Australian jurist, was a Chief Justice from 18 March 1876 until 8 January 1916 of the Supreme Court of South Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of South Australia.Way was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1836...
, who considered him a friend. In an editorial in 1913, The Advertiser praised O'Reily, lauding his administrative abilities and crediting the good relations between Protestants and Catholics in South Australia to his "broadness of mind and to his quiet determination to avoid all unnecessary controversy." Upon his death, The Register gave a glowing editorial, describing him as "loveable and highly estimable", a "hard hitter" and asserting that, had he not been a religious leader, he could have been "a leading financier, Imperial legislator or even an eminent military commander."
External links
- O'Reily, John at the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition.
- Archbishop John O’Reilly at catholic-hierachy.org.