Ellen Reilly (1846 - 1907)

Born 6 Mar 1846 in Dublin, Ireland

Died 10 Mar 1907 at age 61 in Carmelite Monastery, Kilmacud, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Biography

Ellen Reilly was born in Dublin on 6th March 1846. She was the daughter of Martin Reilly and Ellen Burke.^[1]

She entered the Carmelite Monastery at Lakelands, Sandymount, Dublin on June 7, 1868 and took the name Sr. Mary Teresa Joseph Xavier of the Blessed Sacrament. She received the habit on 15th October 1868 and made her religious profession on November 21, 1869. In 1877 the Monastery relocated to Roebuck Road, Dublin and she lived there for the next four years.

In 1881 when she was 35 she went with six other sisters to make a new foundation at Kilmacud, where she was known as Sr. Mary Xavier . As she was young and strong and the prioress had bad health she was given the job of overseeing the workmen adapting the old Kilmacud Manor into a suitable building for a monastery. She had great mental and physical energy. When novices arrived she became novice mistress and was known as Mother Xavier. Later when she was elected prioress, she introduced spinning and weaving of serge for the nuns' clothing as well as making candles and ink. During her terms as prioress she also introduced poultry keeping and altar bread baking, so that the nuns could support themselves.

Mother Mary Xavier died at the Monastery on March 10, 1907

Sources

1. ↑ Book of obituaries at the Carmelite Monastery, Kilmacud.

• Monastery Records Date of death confirmed by image of Grave Cross