The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-31

The earthly remains of big-heart7d,
whole-souled Irish gentleman reposed in
a casket near the high altar in st.
Mary's cathedral yesterday morning.
The priest and acolytes chanted the
requiem, and the response from the
choir harmonized Che effects of subdned
prayer which Catholics offer up for the
eternal repose of departed souls. Every
one in Salt Lake knew ]. ]. O'Reilly,
and many were the, faces observed at
this gathering that one would see only
in mining camps and out in the busy
streets, but never in a place of wor-
ship. MI. O'Reilly was not alone
charitable churchman; he was essen
TALLY a man of the world.
When the office for the dead was con-
Guided, Father Kiley addressed the
large congregation, taking his text from
John 14-27: my peace l leave you;
my peace give you" He said;
Today you were summoned here by
the tolling of the funeral bell TO pay
the last tribute of respect to one whom
all who knew loved. To the voice OF
that bell, donated by the deceased
nearly a quarter of a century ago, no
member of this congregation more
faithfully responded than he did. To
him its sound was music, because "a
world Of happiness it foretold.
In every sketch written of the early
history of the Catholic church in Titan,
the name of J. J. O'Reilly is mentioned
as one who took an active part in its
foundation. He stood by its cradle and
from its infancy to its present he has
been identified with its growth. When
the good sisters. those angels of char
l, hnjT
missionary work, he was one of the
few Catholics who met them at the
threshold Of their new field Of labor
and extended that hearty and warm
greeting which was so characteristic of
him. During the struggles of its youth
he was one of the few pioneer Wor-
shippers who gathered round the rude
altar that stood beneath the floor of the
present edifice. On the scenes Of those
days he loved to dwell, and that little
church with its temporary Altar was
as deeply cherished by him as was the
stable of Bethlehem by the wise men
of the east who entered there with rev.
erential awe; because in that old adobe
building. like its counterpart at Bethle-
hem, Jesus was present.
To the knowledge of divine truths,
which he learned in his youth, he was
ever faithful. In his convictions he
remained firm, and complied with the
duties and obligations <njoined by the
faith he professed. For twenty-seven
years every Sunday morning his steps
were directed to the church, where he
knelt down before the altar in fervent
prayer, fulfilling the command to hear
mass on Sundays, and holy days of OBJ
legation" To him religion was what
1T was to Louis XVI of France. When
on the scaffold as a victim of the revo-
hutton, the priest said to him, Son OF
ST. Louis, ascend to heaven" the king,
in firm accents and distinct tones, re
piled: Dear father. tell al men that
religion is the only solace of the I'M
fortunate" 1t was the solace and COM
fort of the deceased, and helped to lend
charm and grace to his noble char
acter.
In his social relations he. was genial,
interesting and the soul Of honor. He
was charitable and kind to ALL with a
heart as large as the Wasatch noun
tains beneath whose shades his re-
mains will soon rest. To those who
were his confidential friends the tie OF
friendship grew stronger and more
binding, as it grew older; because his
intimate friends saw that in him there
was no guile.
Personally he was big-hearted man
warm in his affections, kind and char
liable to all, and far in excess of his
means, and with a generous, unselfish
nature that could entertain malice fol-
none.
He loved the country of his adop-
ton, and after God the stars and
stripes stood first in his affection, nor
would he suffer in silence anything
said against them. For his own neal
relatives he had the deepest affection
Their memory was enshrined in the
broad eXpanse of his loving heart. More
than once 1 have seen him cry when
his memory would recall the scenes Of
his childhood and the family circle
some dead and others living, but far
apart
AS 1 have seen and known him for
twenty-five years, SO I speak of him. A
faithful and consistent child of the
church he has been. not only during the
years of my acquaintance, but ever
since he was able to act and think fol
himself Faults and imperfections he
no doubt had, for they are part OF
human nature and frailty, but these
when weighed in the scale with his
other good qualities. will disappear be.
fore the charitable eye.
To many of his Catholic friends who
are neglectful of their duty and
the practice of their religion
his life should be an object
lesson. Neglect begets GOODNESS
and through coldness comes indiffer-
ence, which leads to doubt and this not
infrequently destroys faith and its
handmade. hope. which directs our
thoughts to future happiness and I'M
ending bliss. In that sad state the
unhappy soul cannot say with the
poet:
20 welcome pure-eyed Faith. white-hand-
ed Hope,
Thou lowering angel girt with gilden
Wings
To the unbelieving mind he is dead
forever There is no golden chain that
viii reach beyond the gaze OF death.
and unite them even in hope with the
departed ones whom they loved in life.
But to the believer in Gods truths he
is not dead but liveth. The eye of
faith extends its gaze beyond the vale
of death and shows us our friend ROBBED
in the garb of blissful immortality.
whilst hope carries US in spirit there.
and tells of the happy reunion that
present death has severed the union
that existed between James O'Reilly
and his friends. The parting will bring
grief TO the hearts Of many But the
thought of reunion in heaven should
bring consolation to all, and mitigate
the sorrow of his nearest friends. The
ardor of that hope must, however, be
commensurate with the efforts made to
lead a good Christian life. Remember
the words of Christ, words which were