Sean O'Sullivan (priest)

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For other persons named Sean O'Sullivan, see Sean O'Sullivan (disambiguation).

Sean Patrick Paul O'Sullivan, CM, BA, LL.D (January 1, 1952 – March 9, 1989) was a Canadian politician and former priest.

Born in 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario, O'Sullivan showed an interest in politics at a young age: when he was 11 years old he worked for Ellen Fairclough in her election campaign and met John Diefenbaker for the first time. He was educated at Bishop Ryan Secondary School and Brock University in St. Catharines. In 1970, at age 18, he was chosen as president of the Young PCs of Canada.

In 1971, Diefenbaker appointed O'Sullivan as his executive assistant, and in the 1972 election, the 20-year-old O'Sullivan was elected MP for the riding of Hamilton—Wentworth, becoming the youngest member of the Canadian House of Commons ever at that point (in 1974, Liberal Claude-André Lachance became the youngest-ever MP). He rose quickly through the ranks of the party and was seen as a future cabinet minister or even leader. He was re-elected in 1974.

However, in 1977, O'Sullivan surprised many political observers when he announced that he was leaving politics to enter the Roman Catholic priesthood, eventually becoming Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Toronto, as well as publisher of The Catholic Register newspaper.

O'Sullivan learned he was suffering from leukemia in 1983. After treatment, the disease was in remission and he resumed his busy career. In 1986, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada. With the return of his illness in 1989, O'Sullivan entered Princess Margaret Hospital for a bone marrow transplant. He died there on March 9, 1989, aged 37.