The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-12-28
LEFT PRIESTHOOD 10 NED.
FORMER CURATE AT ST. MARY,S
CHURCH, NEW BRITAIN
O'ReIIIy an Accomplished YouRg
CIergyman-NOw Travelling Salesman
Married by City Attorney I'm Hart
ford.


Married by City Attorney I'm Hart
ford.
New Britain, Dec. 27.-Word was re-
ceived in this city to-day from Hart
ford that Peter ]. o'Reilly, formerly a
curate attached to st. Mary's Roman
Catholic church of this city, was mar
ried to Miss Mary o'Donnell, of Hart
ford, well known and progressing
young lady and a graduate of the New
Britain high school. --
On the certificate filed with the regis
trar of vital statistics the groom gave
his age as tWenty-eight and his occupa-
ton as travelling salesman. The age
Of the bride is given as twenty-five
years and she has been employed in the
millinery department of G. Fox & Co. in
Hartford. .".-@ ..
They were married on Monday, De-
cember IA. Their whereabouts are at
present not known, but it is presumed
that they are in the vicinity Of New
York city.
Until October IA the groom was at
tached to st. Mary,s parish in this city.
He had come here from Fort Wayne,
Ind. He was popular with the parish
toner's, and to the majority of them
was model young clergyman. OF re-
fined disposition, he was the master Of
an elegant form of speech, which made
his preaching at all times very accept
able.f
At the last Memorial day exercises he
was assigned by the pastor of St..
Mary's to represent the Catholics in the
public speaking. He made an address
in Central park, feryent with patriotism
and duty to the flag, which gained him
much flattering comment.
However, there were others who We're
aware that he took a deeper interest in
Miss o'Donnell than seemed consistent
with his priestly office. He was wont
to converse with her at every oppor-
tunity, but their meetings were at all
times in public and the frankness sur
rounding them disarmed comment The
young woman was held in general es-
TEEN. .....>@
O'Reilly's removal from New Britain
by Bishop Tierney was precipitate. He
was assigned to Willimantic, but there
were rumors afioat in well informed
circles that he had been sunnmarily dis
ciplined and was threatened with being
stripped of his priestly functions There
being some question of the bishops au-
thority over a priest loaned here from
another diocese, the information obtain
able is that he was dismissed from the
diocese and was assigned to a post in
New Jersey.
The presumption is that their affec-
ton had ripened to the degree that not
even the priests sense of sacred duty
was strong enough to permit an inter-
ruption. He renounced the priesthood
and they decided to wed.
The couple first called upon City At
torney Tuttle at a few minutes before
IL, and it was their desire to be married
before noon. Mr., futile inquired for
the license. go'Reilly had not obtained
one, saying that he did not deem it nee
essary. He was informed that it was
They made an appointment with the
attorney for o'clock, and on their re-
turn at that time were married.
The delay in making public the at
tendant circumstances is due to the eff
forts which have been made from many
different sources, with many different
church, relatives and fam
ily-to allow the incident to repose in
the nepenthe of oblivion.