Identity area
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
Early Life and Religious Formation
James O’Reilly was born on 11 September 1862 in County Cavan to Philip O’Reilly and Catherine O’Reilly (née Plunkett). He entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order as a lay brother, receiving the religious name Seraphin upon his investiture on 2 February 1889. He pronounced his first vows on 4 February 1890, and made his solemn, perpetual profession on 22 February 1893.
Domestic Ministry in Ireland
Following his professions, Brother Seraphin was assigned to the domestic houses of the Irish Capuchin Province. The primary scene of his religious labour was Rochestown Friary in County Cork. He served there for three years.
Missionary Service in the United States
In October 1914, Brother Seraphin travelled from Ireland to support the expanding American mission field, dedicating his final decade to the Western American houses:
• Hermiston, Oregon: Arrived in late 1914 to assist the local friars. During his assignment, he provided critical manual labour and support to help build the new Hermiston parish church.
• Ukiah, California: Transferred to Northern California to join the community at St. Mary's Parish, where he ministered for several years.
Within the Ukiah friary, Brother Seraphin managed the domestic operations of the house. Contemporary records from 1924 described him as an excellent chef and housekeeper who maintained a robust, distinguished, and fatherly presence, standing six feet four inches tall and wearing a well-trimmed beard.
Illness and Decease
In the early months of 1925, Brother Seraphin’s declining health caused profound alarm to his religious superiors. After receiving the last Sacraments of the Church, he passed away peacefully on 28 June 1925, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in San Francisco, California. He was buried in Ukiah, California.
Religious name: Br. Seraphin O’Reilly OFM Cap.
Baptismal name: James O’Reilly
Date of birth: 11 Sept. 1862
Place of birth: County Cavan (Diocese of Kilmore)
Name of father: Philip O’Reilly
Name of mother: Catherine O’Reilly (née Plunkett)
Date of reception into the Capuchin Order: 2 Feb. 1889
Date of first profession: 4 Feb. 1890
Date of final (solemn) profession: 22 Feb. 1893
Missionary activity: Travelled to the United States in Oct. 1914
Date of death: 28 June 1925
Place of death: St. Joseph’s Hospital, San Francisco, California
Place of burial: Ukiah, California