Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-05-20
OUR FIRST PARISH PRIEST.
Death Of Rev. Charles o'Rellly, Under
Whose Direction ST. Mlehael's Church
Was Built

Whose Direction ST. Mlehael's Church
Was Butt.
Rev. Charles O'Reilly, Sc, the first set
tied Roman Catholic priest in Brattle-
boro, died Monday at o'clock in his
home in West Rutland after a long III
ness. The funeral was held in st. Bird
gets church in that place Wednesday
morning at 10 O'Clock, with solemn pom
tfical mass of requiem, Right Reverend
Joseph ]. Rice, bishop Of Burlington,
being the celebrant. Burial was in Cal
vary cemetery in Rutland.
Rev. Father O'Reilly was born in Coun-
ty Cavan, Ireland and was ordained at
All Hallows college in Dublin June Is.
1856. Shortly after this he came to Am
erica with Rev Thomas Lynch, who
died recently in Fair Haven. Father
O'Reilly's work as first parish priest I'm
Brattleboro is referred to in the sketch
given below. After leaving here he built
a mission church in Proctorsville. In
1860 he was transferred to West Rutland
as pastor of st. Bridget's church, and he
continued his work there until about y
years ago, when he retired on account
of i'll health. His nearest relatives are
cousins and nieces.
Some OF the older residents Of the par
ish recall Father O'Rellly, when he lived
with the family Of the late Edmund Carey
fitted up as capel, before the present
church was built, is now occupied as a
dwelling house on Spring street opposite
the Dalton house.
The death Of Rev. Father O'Reilly calls
attention to the history of the Roman
Catholic church in this town. There were
but few Roman Catholics in this part Of
the country previous to the construction
of the Vermont and Massachusetts rail-
la n1. .sal
immigration in 1S47 and the years imme-
diately following. Mass was celebrated
for the first time in Brattleboro in
the early autumn OF 1S4S by Rev. Jo-
seph Coolidge Shaw, of Boston, under a
tree on the Wood farm, the present site
of Mornngside cemetery, in the presence
of so to 20 worshipers. Rev. Father Shaw
had come to the water cure, then a health
resort, and during his stay mass was said
two or three times. He took up only one
collection, the object of which was to en-
able a poor woman to bring her husband
and children from Ireland.
1t is understood that Rev. Father DAILY,
missionary, said mass about the same
time in the woods close to Broad brook
about two miles south Of the village
Fathers DAILY and O'Callaghan visited
Brattleboro at irregular intervals between
1S4S and 1858. officiating sometimes in a
nan VI Nllt Oiu revere House, on the site
of the Peoples bank, at other times in the
Alexander dwelling on Canal street, and
occasionally in a small brick building on
Green street
Soon after the organization of the Bur-
lington diocese, Rev. Zephyrin Druon,
whose service had been loaned by Bishop
Rape, of Cleveland, began to visit Brat
tleboro regularly, coming at first from
Burlington, and subsequently from Ben
II
about so Roman Catholic families in town.
he bought an old paint shop and fitted 1t
up as a chapel.
Rev. Charles O'Reilly became the first
settled pastor in 1855. His mission ter
ritory included all OF Windham county,
extending as far northwest as Ludlow and
as far north as st. Johnsbury. The first
recorded baptism for Brattleboro was that
of Thomas Moran. son of Garrett Moran
and Mary Cavanaugh, his wife. the date
thereof being Nov. 4, 1855. few chill
dren had been baptized by Father DAILY.
however, years before The first recorded
marriage in the parish was that of John
Sheady and Catherine Cunningham, which
took place May t. 1856. The present
church lot was acquired in 1863 by Ste
phen OHara, who transferred the title to
Bishop DeGoesbriand. This indirect
method of purchase was necessitated by
1liC. tAlStnNltS VI lHe Time. fdlntT
O'Reilly was enabled to hold services in
St. Michael's church before his departure,
and the work was continued by his sue
cessor, Rev Joseph Halpin, who came in
1869 and who died here in 1872. Father
Halpin brought a house for rectory, Fa =
ther O'Reilly raving lodged outside dur
ing his whole pastorate, chiefly with Mr..
Carey. Father Halpin was succeeded by
Rev. l.. n. st. Onge, who remained a year
lima he en-
the pastorate here by Rev. Henry Lane.
Father Lanes administration was sig
nalized by the completion of the church,
the building of parochial school, the in
PRODUCTION OF community OF Sisters OF
st. Joseph as tea cheers, the purchase OF
another house for rectory uses, and the
conversion of the old parochial residence
into a convent. He remained seven years
and was succeeded in May, 1881, by Rev.
Patrick Cunningham. Six years after
coming to Brattleboro Rev. Father Cum
ningham remodelled and enlarged the
church. adding 40 feet to the rear of the
edifice and building a spire under the d.
rection of Architect Guernsey OF Mont
pelier. He also built the new affairs, fur
nished the church with new pews, fres-
coed the interior. and put in 16 splendid
stained glass windows. eight of which
had been designed and executed in Mu-
mich, Baravia, the other eight coming
from Roremond, Holland. In 1889 Father
Cunningham erected the present parochial
| residence, on the site of the house which
had been bought by Father Lane, the
latter building being moved back and
then Joined to the new structure. At the
same time he graded the lawns, and laid
| down sidewalks and paths of concrete.
| During the following year he enlarged the
| convent, adding chapel and remodeling
| the interior. In 1896 he bought six acres
of land adjoining the old cemetery, In
| 1898 he remodelled the school building
and put into the tower of the church a
set of tubular bells.
Rev. Father Cunningham died August
10, 1904, and shortly afterward Rev. M. ].
Carmody, the present pastor. was appoint