The Most Reverend John O'Reily | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Adelaide | |
 John O'Reily c.1900 | |
| Archdiocese | Adelaide |
| Installed | 1895 |
| Term ended | 1915 |
| Predecessor | Christopher Reynolds |
| Successor | Robert Spence |
| Other post(s) | Bishop of Port Augusta, 1887–1895 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 21 June 1869 (Priest) |
| Consecration | 1 May 1888 (Bishop) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 November 1846 Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Died | 6 July 1915 (aged 68) Adelaide, Australia |
| Buried | West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, Australia |
| Nationality | Irish, Australian |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Parents | Michael O'Reily and Anne O'Reily, née Gallagher |
| Alma mater | All Hallows College St Kieran's College |
John O'Reily (born John O'Reilly, 19 November 1846 – 6 July 1915)[1] was an Australian Roman Catholic clergyman, the first Bishop of Port Augusta, and the second Archbishop of Adelaide.[2] Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, O'Reily studied for the priesthood in Dublin. Upon his ordination in 1869, he migrated to Western Australia, serving as a parish priest in Fremantle, and founding a Catholic newspaper there. When the Diocese of Port Augusta was established in 1887, Pope Leo XIII named O'Reily as its first bishop. Concerned about the financial position of the diocese (which had inherited significant debt from the Diocese of Adelaide), he accepted the posting reluctantly. As bishop, he greatly improved the financial position of the new diocese, reducing its debt by half and earning a reputation as a competent administrator.
In 1894, O'Reily was appointed to replace the deceased Christopher Reynolds as Archbishop of Adelaide. The archdiocese he inherited was burdened with substantial debt, again left over from the old Diocese of Adelaide. Through the sale of church assets and a fundraising campaign, O'Reily was able to eliminate most of the Archdiocese's liabilities while still investing in church infrastructure. He also actively participated in public discussions relating to education policy at a time when the role of the state in supporting religious education was topical. O'Reily publicly advocated government assistance for religious schools, stating that it was unfair Catholics paid taxes to support state schools, but received no funding for their own. In the later years of his life, poor health forced him to spend less time attending to his episcopal duties, and from 1905, he largely retreated from public life. At his request, Robert Spence was appointed as his coadjutor and successor in 1914, and on 6 July 1915, he died at his house in Adelaide. O'Reily was highly regarded by many in South Australian society, with Adelaide's daily newspapers praising his character, administrative ability and positive relations with non-Catholics.