The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-27
FATHER O'REILLY'S SYMPTOMS BETTER Good Priest Was Sinking But
 Rallied Slightly
  IS RESTING VERY QUIETLY While Father o'Reilly Showed Signs of Improvement Ills Condition
 is Such as to Leave Lit
 tie Room for Hope.
IS RESTING VERY QUIETLY

be in extremis, Monday night was still alive this morning at the hour of go- ing to. press.
 At St. Vincent's hospital where the beloved priest has been languishing since Thursday evening, when he fell from his horse at the brigade encampemnt, 1t was reported at midnight that he was sinking rapidly.
 Father O'Reil1y rallied several times during yesterday and even as late as half-past o'clock this morning there were symptoms Qf slight Improvements But humanly speaking his condition is such as to leave little room for hope.
 He was resting quietly at a. m.
 Sketch of Ills Life.
 Father O'Reilly was born In County Ca- van, Ireland. In his boyhood days he had good educational advantages. At the age of IT he came to this country and matriculated at St. Charles college, Ell cot City, Md. After classical course at 1 St. Charles he went to Montreal and en- tered the faomus La Grande seminary conducted by the sulpicians and from that institution he went to the seminary at St. Bonaventure. Penn where he com pleted his theological studies He was ordained priest by the late Bishop Quin- Ian, in the Visitation chapel at Mobile. December 19. 1s79
 Father O'Reilly's first and only charge until he came to Birmingham was at Whistler, near Mobile. The young priest was hard working and successful pas tor from the start
 He made friends readily and the Protes- tants as well as the Catholics of Whistler | became deeply attached to him. Transferred to Birmingham.
 In 1887 Father oReily was transferred to Birmingham as pastor of St. Paul's church. He found a struggling parish, and in addition to his work as pastor he attended the mission at Pratt City until a church was established there with A priest in charge.
 l St. Paul's congregation worshipped in the wooden buildig on Third avenue now known as St. Pauls hall. The father had not been hare long before he began to lay plans, under the direction of his bishop. for the erection of the splendid gothic ed- | y. ' was an undertaking that meant arduous work for the pastor. The church was er- rected in 1890. but 1t was furnished and decorated by degrees. Every year Father O'ReiIly found something to be done in the church in the way of em- bellishment, and only recently had let the contracts for a magnificent marble altar to take the place of the wooden altar.
 Several years ago Father O'Rellly saw the need here of a hospital conducted by the Sisters of Charity He brought the matter to the attention of the Very Rev. Father Lennon, supeior of the society, and soon induced him to establish hos pital in temporary quarters and plan for the erection of a large modern, perfectly appointed building. An institution de- signed for a great city, such as Birming- ham is to be- would require not only a vast outlay of money, but steady finan- cial assistance in order that charity pa- tients might be cared for.
 Father OReilly pledged his support and Father Lennon built the magnificent hos pital-St. Vincent's-that overlooks the | ty-seventh street. The hospital cost near ly a quarter of million dollars, and when the wings designed by the architect, are added the structure will have cost more than $350.0OO Father O'Rellly has work ed for St. Vincent's In season and out of season. The public will never know the amount of care and labor he gave to It, but all his work he counted pleasure The Orphans Home. About two years ago Father O'Rellly de- termined to establish in Jefferson coun- ty a home for orphans. This had been one of his fondest dreams. and he was a happy man indeed when his orphanage at East Lake was opened and paid for. He always loved children and In all of his appeals from the pulpit in behalf of the orphanage home at Mobile, and later of the home at East Lake. he reminded his congregation that no charity was so well bestowed as that which went to the orphans. In his big hearted solicitude he would say: Tt Is our bounden duty and 1t should be our pleasure to help these lit- tie ones who cannot help themselves"
 AS faStor.
 St. Pauls parish has grown rapidly within recent years. and the church mem bership now reaches nearly 35O0 Father o'Reilly has been a great pastor. Day or night he was ever ready, as all priests are, to go to the bedside of the sick and dying. As a spiritual advisor he was ever kind and helpful, and as an ambassador of Christ he set high example of for bearance and charity. He was an excep- tionaliy good preacher. His sermons were always practical and edifying and never failed to impress his hearers And in managing the business affairs of the church it is generally conceded that he has no equal among the clergy of this diocese.
 All the members of the congregation are bound to him with hooks of steel.
 As a Citizen.
 Outside of his pastoral life Father o'Reilly was a public spirited. broad minded. potential citizen; in many re- spects the foremost citizen of Jefferson county. Esteemed by every class-the rich and the poor. the learned and the unlettered, white and black-and looked upon as a wise and safe counsellor in affairs touching the well being of the Btr- fxsr. m