Anthony O'Connell

Anthony J. O'Connell (May 10, 1938 – May 4, 2012) was a confessed child molestor who served as a Roman Catholic cleric, and the first Bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee. He later served as the third Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida.^[1][2][3]

Early life

O'Connell was born in Lisheen, County Clare, Ireland^[1] and studied at Mount St Joseph College in Cork and at Mungret College in Limerick. He emigrated to the U.S. at age 20 and entered Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

Career

On March 30, 1963, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri.^[1][2][3] Following his ordination, he was assigned as Director of Students at St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary in Hannibal, Missouri. He was named Spiritual Director in 1968 and was appointed Rector in 1970.

He served as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jefferson City from 1969 to 1988. He was a member of the Diocesan Commission for Personnel and President of the Priests' Senate. He was serving as Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary when he was appointed first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Knoxville on June 7, 1988.^[1][2]

On September 8, 1988, O'Connell was consecrated and installed as the first bishop of Knoxville. Archbishop Pio Laghi served as Principal Consecrator with Bishop James Daniel Niedergeses and Bishop Michael Francis McAuliffe serving as principal co-consecrators. On November 12, 1998, he was appointed the third Bishop of Palm Beach,^[1][3] replacing J. Keith Symons, who resigned after being exposed as a child molestor.

Exposure of misconduct

O'Connell admitted in 2002 that he had molested at least two students of St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary during his 25-year career there.^[4]

Stephen Spalding (1953–1982) was the first known O'Connell victim, and became one of three alleged victims from the graduating class of 1971. Spalding's mother reported the crime to the Diocese of Jefferson City in 1968. A Jefferson City priest, Fr. Christopher Dixon, an alumnus and faculty member of St. Thomas, revealed O'Connell's crimes in 2002.

Likewise, four former students, including two identified in media reports as "John C. C. Doe" and "Alexander" have stepped forward to make allegations in regard to O'Connell's actions against students in his charge.^[5][6]

The extent of O'Connell's transgressions in one student's case was documented by Time magazine.^[7]

O'Connell offered his resignation as Bishop of Palm Beach on March 8, 2002 and his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II on March 13, 2002.^[1][3]

Death

O'Connell died on May 4, 2012, six days before his 74th birthday, at Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, where he had been living under supervision since his 2002 resignation, following a long illness. His funeral Mass was Monday, May 7, 2012, at Mepkin Abbey.^[8]

References

Diocese of Knoxville
Ordinaries	Bishops Anthony Joseph O'Connell Joseph Edward Kurtz Richard Stika
Churches	Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral, Knoxville Parishes:
Education	High schools Knoxville Catholic High School Notre Dame High School, Chattanooga
Catholicism portal

Diocese of Palm Beach
Bishops	Thomas Vose Daily Joseph Keith Symons Anthony Joseph O'Connell Seán Patrick O'Malley Gerald Michael Barbarito
Churches	Cathedral St. Ignatius Loyola Cathedral Former St. Joseph's Church, Palm Bay
Education	Seminary St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary High Schools Cardinal Newman High School, West Palm Beach John Carroll Catholic High School, Fort Pierce Pope John Paul II High School, Boca Raton
Miscellany	Florida Catholic Old St. Anastasia Catholic School
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