Matthias O'Reilly : Short Biography

His parents were John Reilly (b. circa 1856) and Catherine Stafford (b. circa 1859) and his sponsors were John Stafford and Anna Mary O’Reilly.  They lived in the townland of Moylett, Bailieborough, Co. Cavan.  It was noted on his baptismal record that he was a priest in the USA. In 1901, he was aged 8 and living with his parents and his widowed grandmother Catherine, (b circa 1811). His siblings were Patrick aged 10, Kate aged 6, Michael aged 4, Mary Anne aged 2 and Bernard aged four months.  In 1911, the family are altogether except for Matthias and his grandmother, most likely deceased, they stated there were six children and six were still living.  Matthias aged 18, was boarding with Patrick and Anne McKeirnan in Cullies near Cavan town, he was a scholar.

According to his headstone he was ordained on 3rd May 1918.

Matthias crossed the ocean to America on 11th March 1919, on the Adriatic. He was 25 and a clergyman. He stated that his nearest relative from whence he came was Patrick O’Reilly, Moylett, Bailieborough and his final destination was Wheeling. His ticket was paid by the Bishop of Wheeling and his intention was to stay with the Most Rev Dr O’Donahoe, the Bishop of Wheeling.  He was 5’10” tall with a fresh complexion, brown hair and grey eyes with no identification marks.

In 1920 US Census he was living in Wheeling Ward 3, Ohio, West Virginia in community with the Bishop and some other clergy and staff, he was the Assistant Rector.

On 3rd September 1921, he had visited home and his father was still living.  He was travelling with two other priests who were also returning to Bishop Dunham, St Edward’s Cottage, Huntington, New York.

In February 1924, he became the first resident pastor of the Holy Family Parish and the little mission at Windsor Heights in the Diocese of Wheeling, he stayed there until October. During this time mass was said for the coal miners in a shack. On 5th September 1924, he was naturalized as per the passenger record dated 23rd September 1928 he had left Cobh and was heading back to America on board the Adriatic.

In 1930, he was renting accommodation in Montgomery, Fayette, West Virginia and he had a radio set. In 1935 and in 1940, he live in a house that he owned at Bear Fork, Cove, Doddridge, West Virginia, he also had a housekeeper, Bertha Krayenbuhl. On 8th August 1932 he again travelled back to New York on the Georgic.

Quoted from the Blessed Sacrament parish site:

Before Blessed Sacrament parish was established, The South Charleston geographical area was within the boundaries of St. Anthony's Church on the west side.  In early 1941, Bishop John J, Swint paid a visit to Saint Anthony’s to inspect their rectory after it had been renovated.  During this visit, he discussed splitting Saint Anthony parish boundaries into two separate parishes. This new parish was to be Blessed Sacrament.

Fr. Joseph Norton officiated at masses until Bishop Swint appointed Fr. Matthias O’Reilly to establish the parish.  Father O’Reilly was born in Cavan County, Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day 1893 and came to West Virginia as a missionary.  For many years he rode horseback through the mountains to minister to his scattered parishes in Doddridge county, and in 1941 was stationed in Montgomery.  In that year Bishop Swint advised him he was sending him to South Charleston to establish a parish. His first question to the Bishop was, “May I take my housekeeper (Bertie Cranbull) and my horse?”  Bertie came with him to South Charleston, but his horse stayed behind.

Father O’Reilly served Blessed Sacrament for seventeen years during which time he celebrated his Twenty-Fifth Jubilee with a trip to Ireland as a gift from the parish.  The first church was established on Second Avenue with a small frame rectory next door. Carbide wanted to purchase the land that it was on, so the church was relocated to Fourth Avenue and E Street in 1948.  A solid brick rectory was built and Father O’Reilly moved into it in 1949. It is still used by our pastor today.

Another quote:

Father O’Reilly prayerfully accepted the request from Bishop John J. Swint to become the pastor of the state’s 77th church, Blessed Sacrament, located in South Charleston in 1941. The congregation grew under the guidance of Father O’Reilly and faith formation classes for children were quickly established.  In 1954, both the school and convent were completed and 125 students enrolled in six grades. With 658 members, the church continued to increase and the school grew to eight grades. The first class of 17 eighth graders graduated in 1956. Father O’Reilly died on February 9th, 1958 at the age of 60. Father Matthias O’Reilly served as pastor from 1941-1958.  Father O'Reilly was born March 17th 1893 and ordained May 3rd, 1918.  He was 48 years old and a priest for 23 years when he took on this request and set the stage for our growth into what we are today.

He died on 9th February 1958 at Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia and was buried on 13th February 1958 at Mt. Olivet, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Ohio County, West Virginia, Wheeling.  He had already made a will on 14th January 1953 and it was probated on 16th April, 1958, in his will he left his television set to his housekeeper and if he still owned an automobile, it was to be sold and the proceeds to be divided equally between his housekeeper and his sister Miss Mollie O’Reilly, who was living at St Malachy’s Presbytery, Beaufort St., Liverpool, England and he made the provision that if either of they had died in the meantime the whole proceeds to go to the survivor and if both of them had died the proceeds would go to the Most Rev. John J. Swint or his successor and he had life insurance with Shenandoah Life Insurance Co. Roanoke, Virginia.