 On 27 October , O 'Reilly wrote to Pope Leo XIII requesting permission to reverse his decision to accept the appointment to Port Augusta , believing he would be unable to administer a diocese with such significant debt and such a small , impoverished population . In addition , he wrote , he had no personal wealth to contribute to the finances of the diocese . The concerns O 'Reilly raised prompted Cardinal Simeoni of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to call for an official church inquiry into the financial situation of the South Australian dioceses . The report found a total of almost £ 38 @,@ 000 of debt , with the new Port Augusta diocese bearing £ 18 @,@ 000 . Following the report , O 'Reilly 's request was refused , and on 1 May 1888 , he was consecrated in St Mary 's Cathedral in Sydney . Later that year , in an effort to save time while signing documents , O 'Reilly removed an " l " from his surname . 
