The Augustinian
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VOLUME VIIVIII . .ISSUE ISSUE I III the augustinian JAMES T. O’REILLY, O.S.A.: A LIFE FOR GOD AND COUNTRY P. 3 THE RITE OF ORDINATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD P. 18 as a Friend oF the augustinians, you are at the heart oF our community care oF the sick and elderly JUSTICE and PEACE Foreign missions in Japan and peru thank you For joining in the spirit and For making a difference Vocations/Formation augustinian Volunteers help us reach our goal! Donate to the 2013-2014 fiscal year campaign! • Use the Envelope in this magazine • Go to www.AugustinianFund.org at page 12 to send your check to the to donate online by credit card Augustinian Fund table of contents the augustinian . VOLUME VIII . ISSUE II contents IN THIS ISSUE P. 3 James T. O’Reilly, O.S.A.: A Life for God and Country The view back to the life of Fr. James T. O’Reilly, O.S.A., shows an Augustinian who was born on May 1, 1851, the same day Queen Victoria opened The Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. The exhibit featured modern industrial technology, including machinery to make designs on textiles. Thirty-five years later, in 1886, Fr. O’Reilly would become pastor of St. Mary’s Church and its mission churches in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a planned mill town that would use 3 this modern equipment to produce wool and cotton textiles. Fr. O’Reilly was unyielding when he had a cause–and he had many causes: Catholic Education, Temperance, Ancient Order of Hibernians, assisting the massive population of IN EVERY ISSUE Catholic immigrants to build worship spaces, his Parish Calendar and his beloved May Procession. Fr. O’Reilly became part of the arbitration board that worked to settle Columns strikes during the turbulent times when mill workers labored Letter from the Provincial 2 long hours in life-threatening conditions for little pay. Fr. News and Notes 20 O’Reilly was a member of the arbitration board during six strikes in Lawrence, including The Great Lawrence Textile Keeping Track 22 Strike of 1912. It was the 1912 strike when Fr. O’Reilly In Paradisum 23 would encounter strike leaders who were pushing a clear agenda to overthrow Capitalist America, to create a Socialistic/Syndicalistic (industrial union based) America. acknowleDgments For Fr. O’Reilly, who was a well known patriot, the threat John J. Sheridan, O.S.A., (Archivist) and June Weiland (Assistant Archivist) for their generous of Socialism in his city became the biggest battle of his life. help in supplying information from the Province Archives at St. Thomas Monastery, Villanova, Pa.; the pastor of St. Mary of The Assumption: P. 18 Carlos E. Urbina, O.S.A., John F. DelloRusso, O.S.A., and the parish staff; Louise Sandberg, The Rite of Ordination Special Collections, Lawrence Public Library; Lawrence History Center, especially Executive to the Priesthood Director Susan Grabski, Archivist Jennifer Williams and volunteer researcher Kathleen On June 22, 2013, Craig M. McMahon, O.S.A., was Flynn; Historian Jonas Stundza; Philadelphia ordained to the priesthood at St. Thomas of Villanova Archdiocese Historical Research Center (PAHRC); Michael Foight, Falvey Library, Church. The photos taken by Daniel J. McLauglin, O.S.A., Villanova University. of the ordination give us the opportunity to show the Rite 18 of Ordination to the priesthood, one of the degrees of the main reference books Sacrament of Holy Orders. Life and Labors of Rev. James T. O’Reilly by Alice L. Walsh, 1924; History of Lawrence, Mass. by Maurice Dorgan, 1924; The IWW by Paul the augustinian Frederick Brissenden, 1919; “Report on Strike on the cover A publication of the Province of Textile Workers in Lawrence, Mass. in 1912,” Portrait of Fr. James T. O’Reilly at the time of his Silver Jubilee in 1899. of Saint Thomas of Villanova. United States Bureau of Labor, under the Photo by Teddie Gallagher. Commissioner of Labor, Charles Patrick Neil. the augustinian . FALL 2013 . 1 VOLUME VIII . ISSUE II letter from the prior provincial the augustinian Teddie Gallagher eDitor Kitty Sheridan associate eDitor 20nine layout anD Design LETTER FROM THE The Augustinian is a publication of the prior provincial Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. For queries, address changes and other correspondence, contact: Editor Dear Friends, Augustinian Provincial Offices I write this letter to you from Rome attending our General Chapter. We are discussing the P.O. Box 340 Villanova, PA 19085-0340 Order’s direction for the next six years and electing a new Prior General, as the Most Rev. Robert Prevost, O.S.A., is completing his second term and must step down. Fr. Prevost spent many years phone 610-527-3330 fax 610-520-0618 in Peru and was Provincial of the Midwest Province when elected General. email [email protected] In thinking about Fr. Prevost, his dedication to the missions and his awareness of Justice web www.augustinian.org and Peace issues one might think Justice and Peace is fairly new. Inside the current Augustinian magazine you will find the cover story about Fr. James T. O’Reilly, O.S.A., a former Pastor of St. Mary’s in Lawrence, Massachusetts. O’Reilly was an Augustinian priest, who welcomed augustinians immigrants who flooded into the small City of Lawrence, working with them to build their own Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova places of worship. He worked on behalf of Irish immigrants to promote them and at the same time Anthony M. Genovese, O.S.A. hold them and all of his parishioners to a high standard of service. He fought Socialism to keep prior provincial the institutions that America held sacred. To this day Fr. O’Reilly is still a controversial character Michael H. Bielecki, O.S.A. in the history of Lawrence. Fr. John E. Bresnahan, O.S.A., who at 102 is the oldest Augustinian secretary in our Province, remembers him well from his days at St. Mary’s Boys School where he was a Martin L. Smith, O.S.A. choirboy. “Father B.” as he is fondly called, was listed as a member of the choir that sang for Fr. treasurer O’Reilly’s Golden Jubilee Mass. “Father B” also attended his funeral Mass 88 years ago as a high school student. If you like the history of the Church during the Industrial Revolution, you should counselors enjoy this. Raymond F. Dlugos, O.S.A. We are blessed with five newly-ordained Augustinian priests in the United States. Fr. Craig Joseph L. Farrell, O.S.A. Gary N. McCloskey, O.S.A. McMahon, O.S.A., a graduate of Villanova University, was ordained for the Province of St. James D. Paradis, O.S.A. Thomas of Villanova. Craig is now attending the London School of Economics for his doctorate Martin L. Smith, O.S.A. and living with our brother Augustinians in London while helping out at an Augustinian parish. Carlos E. Urbina, O.S.A. Your contributions to the Augustinian Fund in the area of Vocations supported Craig through provincial offices his years of study for the priesthood and Craig and I thank you for your kindness. Also, for the second consecutive year, The Augustinian magazine received the 2013 Catholic Anthony P. Burrascano, O.S.A. Director of missions Press Association of United States and Canada’s First Place Cardinal John P. Foley Award for Jorge L. Cleto, O.S.A. Excellence in a Religious Order magazine. Teddie Gallagher was named one of the top three Director of hispanic vocations editors of any Catholic Newspaper or Magazine, with a John P. Foley Award for Individual John E. Deegan, O.S.A. Excellence–Editor. Great job Teddie and thank you Kitty Sheridan for all you do to make Director of justice anD peace our magazine what it is. Mario R. Dickerson I hope you enjoy this issue of The Augustinian and bless you all. Director of Development Patrick A. DiDomenico Director of augustinian volunteers Teddie Gallagher In Augustine, Director of communications Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A. Director of vocations Very Reverend Gary N. McCloskey, O.S.A. Anthony M. Genovese, O.S.A. Director of augustinian frienDs prior provincial James C. McMaster province of saint thomas of villanova senior financial officer John J. Sheridan, O.S.A. archivist 2 . the augustinian . FALL 2013 James T. O’Reilly, O.S.A.: A Life FOR God AND Country By teddie gallagher The blaze of history from the The reflection of Fr. O’Reilly’s fiery of Ireland and Irish immigrants coming history lights up a rare and turbulent time life and times of Father James to Lawrence, Fr. O’Reilly was chaplain to in America, in industrial labor relations the Ancient Order of Hibernians. He was T. O’Reilly, O.S.A., as pastor and in the Catholic Church. Beloved and just as active in welcoming and supporting of St. Mary’s Church for 39 years celebrated by so many in his day, O’Reilly immigrants from the many countries that was also resented and feared for his flocked into Lawrence for mill work. He (1886-1925) is still burning in willingness to act and speak out on issues was a true Augustinian who kept up with Lawrence, Massachusetts. and for his far-reaching connections outside the signs of the times and gave all of his of the Church, particularly in Lawrence. energy to what the Church teachings said He was ferociously outspoken, even within were right and just. This was true every pictureD above: fr. james t. o’reilly, o.s.a., the Augustinian community.