Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/307

 Most Rev. J. o'Reiiy ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 281 districts, with 14 priests, 28 churches, and 7 presbyteries. In the beginning of 1895 there were 9 districts, 15 priests, 29 churches, and 8 presbyteries. In 1889 there were 610 children in the schools; in 1893 there were 875. In 1889 there were 6 convents, with 15 nuns, besides 11 lay teachers and 11 primary schools. In 1893 there were 8 convents, with 31 nuns, besides 9 lay teachers, 14 primary schools, and i high school. These figures exhibit a considerable expansion in the progressive cause of the Roman Catholic religion — an expansion which is to be ascribed chiefly to the efforts of the Bi.shop. His labors, so prolific of happy results and timely issues in the Port Augusta Diocese, were soon, howev^er, to be transferred to a higher sphere of exercise ; and the parting must have conjured up prominently in the memories of his fiock the amount of valuable work he had done for them and among them. By Papal decree, dated January 5, 1895, I^''- O'Reiiy was transferred to the Archiepi-scopal See of Adelaide, rendered vacant by the demise of Archbishop Reynolds. In March of the same year Dr. O'Reiiy took up his new exalted position. But, however high and honorable this See may have been, it was wofully embarrassed with debt. But the Archbishop proved equal to the efforts required to establish the finances of the .See on a stable basis. The liabilities at the date of his appointment amounted to no less than of the city and suburbs, to put before them a statement of affairs and to arrange with them a plan of operations for the liquidation of this heavy debt. Since that Conference the Archbishop has been hard at work at his scheme, and his efforts to diminish the debt have been well seconded by the clergy and laity. In connection with the old accounts, up to March ^i, 1900, an additional outlay of ^29,254 had to be incurred. This carried the total liabilities to over ^86,000. The moneys raised between the two periods of March 31, 1895, and March 31, 1900, totalled the handsome sum of ^105,510 3s. 4d. Thus the original liability was brought down within that short period to ^22,102 6s. 2d., and meanwhile the current expenditure of the diocese was being satisfactorily met by current revenue. Every department of the Church received Dr. O'Reily's fostering care and tutelage. He introduced into the Province, and estal)lished at Glen Osmond, the Passionist blathers, an order of priests devoted to the popular services known as missions ; also the Marist Brothers, members of the teaching order who have recently taken charge of upper and primary schools at Port Adelaide. Owing to his initiative, a community of the Dominican Fraternity has been established at North Adelaide, and a company of sisters of one of the Nursing Orders of the Church has taken charge of the Private Hospital on Strangways Terrace in the same part of the capital. Within the Church, Dr. O'Reiiy has formed one of its greatest pillars. He is an indefatigable worker, never allowing his studious enthusiasm for a moment to forsake him in the mundane world, while at the same time, with the ardor of the days of college life, the learned doctor can plunge into the beauties of classic lore or make a pleasurable excursion into the limidess domain of philosophy. Nobly pious his life has ever been, its unfailing utility in rendering altruistic services to his brethren and his adherents standing out prominently in the record of his past performances. Kindly and magnanimous, with a whole-hearted love for those in whose spiritual interest he labors, Archbishop O'Reiiy is a conspicuous ornament of the Church to which he belongs, and which he so ably and zealously serves.
 * ^57,ooo. His first essay consisted in summoning a general meeting of the Catholic laity