The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-09-07
SERVICES FOR
FATHER O'REILLY
(Continued from page 1.)


taken out by Father OReilly. He was
a friend of every man, but he was the
special friend to the poor. In Dubuque
remember he took me aronud to the
poor and helped them in his unosten-
tatious way.
HE loved his people from the depths
of his heart and when learned Of his
labor, / wondered how he found time
for prayer. Every morning he prayed
and said mass. And then his visit to
the blessed sacrament and his beads.
Why / fondu that he pent most of his
time in prayer for with his labors he
found that he needed prayer. That
prayer was the life of his soul.
"And he was man of study. Many
times talked to him OF the great prob
| lem of theology, of literature. and
many other problems and I always
found him well up in them. He spent
from four to six hours studying the
great problems of the time; studied
! literature of the past and passed.
ut is no wonder he was a power
among the rich and poor.
He was a debtor to every man and
he owes no debts and he goes forth
from our midst free from any of them.
1t seems to me that he could have
done nothing else but look after the
school. But when / think Of the con-
LESSONS he heard, of his work among
the poor. and of how he gave himself
: to prayer, and of the time to study,
think he had no time for any CO the
other works.
HE was the greatest of our pioneers
he was saint, a man of prayer and OF
| study and now he is gone to receive
Ibis Just reward and he leaves after
him the example of his self-sacrificing
life.
May God bless him for all good
things which have come to us from
:. his ministry. He has gone from us, the
: seed of his life has been planted II
our heart, 1t must die in us. Mediate
upon his life. bring 1t home to your
! self, think of his unselfishness anc
: then go and do likewise, and now Coo
. bless him, bestow on him His mercy
: Let us all pray that perpetual life ma!
; be his forever. Eternal rest give unto
him, o Lord, and let perpetual lif
]. shine upon him. Amen.
Shortly before the services pro
, cession had left the church Fathe
Dunnion read from the sanctuary
, telegram from Rt. Rev. Bishop LEM
!, han. who was unable to be present.
t; Following the services the funera
y cortege left the church and slowl
r wendell its way to the cemetery wher
a. Father O'Reilly was laid to rest in tn
r plot set ASIDE for priests In the pre-
r. cession were the many Catholic priests
1T children both boys and girls and tn
d men and women Of the congregation
There were a number of carriages
while possibly twenty private rigs too
part. At the Catholic cemetery shoi
h. services were held and the gray
,a blessed. before Father O'Reilly wa
% lowered to his final resting place.
p The last opportunity for the peopl
Of Keokuk to gaze upon his face wa
Just following the close OF services
the church The casket containir
- the body was in the front of the chure
20 with the glass panel and when service
- closed the people were permitted
"a march singly around for the last far
Z. well look. On the casket was the cha
=, ice and Father O'Reilly wore purp
Mt vestments.
". While Father O'Reilly is now restir
in the Catholic cemetery his memol