Denis J. O'Connell
| The Right Reverend Denis Joseph O'Connell | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Emeritus of Richmond | |
 A photograph of Bishop O'Connell taken from The Catholic Church in the United States of America (published 1914) | |
| Province | Baltimore |
| See | Richmond |
| Installed | March 19, 1912 |
| Term ended | January 15, 1926 |
| Predecessor | Augustine Van de Vyver |
| Successor | Andrew James Louis Brennan |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco (1907–12) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination |
May 26, 1877 by Bishop James Gibbons |
| Consecration |
May 3, 1908 by Cardinal James Gibbons |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 28, 1849 Donoughmore, County Cork, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Died |
January 1, 1927 (aged 77) Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Buried |
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Richmond, Virginia, United States |
| Nationality | British until c. 1860, then American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | Michael O'Connell & Bridget O'Connell |
| Alma mater | Pontifical North American College |
Denis Joseph O'Connell (January 28, 1849 – January 1, 1927) was an Irish-born Catholic bishop for the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, in the United States.
Early life
O'Connell was born in Donoughmore, County Cork, then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the son of Michael O'Connell and his wife Bridget, née O'Connell. His family soon emigrated to the United States and settled in South Carolina, where his father's two brothers, Jeremiah and Joseph, were serving as missionary priests.<ref name=NCE /[1]
As a young man, O'Connell felt called to be a priest and came to the attention of the later-Cardinal James Gibbons, who was then the Apostolic Vicar for the State of North Carolina. After some initial studies in Maryland, in 1871 he was sent to Rome to study at the North American College there, established for seminarians of the United States.[2] After completing he studies, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1877 in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 28, by Gibbons, at that point the Bishop of Richmond, as a priest for his new diocese.<ref name=CE /[3]
Career
Later, after serving as secretary to Gibbons in his new post of Archbishop of Baltimore, in 1885 O'Connell (now a Monsignor) was appointed Rector of his alma mater in Rome, holding that position until 1895.[4] From 1903 to 1909, he served as the third Rector of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C..
In December 1907, O'Connell was named as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, for which office he was consecrated as the Titular Bishop of Sebaste in Cilicia in May 1908 by Gibbons, by then a cardinal
Episcopacy
O'Connell was named as the Bishop of Richmond by Pope Pius X in January 1912, taking office that following March. He served in that office until his resignation in 1926, at which time he was named the Titular Bishop of Mariamme.
Death
O'Connell died January 1, 1927, at the age of 77. He had been a priest for over 49 years and a bishop for over 18.[4]
Legacy
Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia, founded when the location was still part of the Diocese of Richmond, is named for him.
References
- ↑ "O'Connell, Denis Joseph". New Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- ↑
- ↑ "Bishop Denis Joseph O'Connell". Catholic Hierarchy.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1
| Preceded by Rev Louis Hostelot |
Rector of the Pontifical North American College 1885–1895 |
Succeeded by William H. O'Connell (later Cardinal) |
| Preceded by Thomas J. Conaty |
 Rector of CUA 1903–1909 |
Succeeded by Thomas J. Shahan |
|