Brother Cyprian O’Reilly, C.P., St. Paul of the Cross Province (1857-1904)

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Born James O’Reilly on February 21, 1857 in Ardagh, Ireland, he was the son of Michael O’Reilly and Rose O’Reilly. He came to the United States as a young man and for a time worked as a blacksmith. He entered the Passionist novitiate in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and professed his vows on May 6, 1875. Cyprian was his religious name. For his first eight years he was a cook and for the last fifteen years he was an invalid and assisted where he could in ministries among which was as a sandal maker and in his old trade as a blacksmith. He had cirrhosis of the liver and atheroma of the arteries. In his last days dropsy was an affliction as was a weak heart.