Anthony O'Connell
Most Reverend Anthony Joseph O'Connell | |
---|---|
Bishop Emeritus of Palm Beach | |
Diocese | Palm Beach |
Installed | January 14, 1999 |
Term ended | March 13, 2002 |
Predecessor | Joseph Keith Symons |
Successor | Seán Patrick O'Malley |
Other post(s) | Bishop of Knoxville |
Orders | |
Ordination | March 30, 1963 (Priest) |
Consecration | September 8, 1988 (Bishop) |
Personal details | |
Born | |
Died | May 4, 2012 Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, South Carolina, U.S. | (aged 73)
Denomination | Roman Catholicism |
Anthony J. O'Connell (May 10, 1938 – May 4, 2012) was a confessed child molester 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.
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 admitting he molested five boys early in his priesthood.[4]
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.[5]
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 and left the priesthood soon after.[6]
Four former students, including two identified in media reports as "John C.C. Doe" and "Alexander," stepped forward to make allegations in regard to O'Connell's actions against students in his charge.[7][8]
The extent of O'Connell's transgressions was documented by Time magazine, noting that "Jefferson City diocese had been receiving complaints about sexual abuse by O'Connell as early as 1967."[9]
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]
Michael Boyd, a Knoxville native, filed suit against the diocese of Knoxville on July 18, 2019, claiming that when he was an altar boy he was abused by longtime Knoxville priest Xavier Mankel, and also by O'Connell. The suit was settled out of court for undisclosed terms, and the diocese admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement.[10]
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 a life of penance and prayer under supervision since his 2002 resignation. His funeral Mass was May 7, 2012, at Mepkin Abbey.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e Bishop Anthony Joseph O'Connell. Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved on April 17, 2010.[self-published source]
- ^ a b Diocese of Knoxville. GCatholic. Retrieved on 17 April 2010.
- ^ a b c d Diocese of Palm Beach. GCatholic. Retrieved on 17 April 2010.
- ^ Navarro, Mireya (4 June 1998). "Parish Seeks to Salve Hurts From Bishop's Molestations". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Ross, Brian; Schwartz, Rhonsa; Schecter, Anna (15 April 2008). "Victims: Pope Benedict Protects Accused Pedophile Bishops". ABC News. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ^ "Priest Breaks Silence on Abuse By Bishop". ABC News. 6 January 2006. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ "John CC Doe vs. Most Reverend Anthony J. O'Connell, Most Reverend John Raymond Gaydos, Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
- ^ "Accuser Decries Bishop’s 'Plantation’ Life," by John Lantigua, Palm Beach Post, Sunday, 17 May 2004
- ^ Padgett, Tim; Morrissey, Siobhan (22 March 2002). "A Catholic Student's Story". Time. Archived from the original on 28 October 2004. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ^ McRary, Amy (31 December 2019). "Diocese of Knoxville settles sexual abuse lawsuit out of court". Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- ^ Whigham, Julius. "Disgraced ex-leader of Diocese of Palm Beach dies at 73". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- All accuracy disputes
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- 1938 births
- 2012 deaths
- Irish emigrants to the United States
- Irish people convicted of child sexual abuse
- People from County Clare
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Knoxville
- Roman Catholic bishops of Palm Beach
- American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent
- American members of the clergy convicted of crimes
- Catholic priests convicted of child sexual abuse
- 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
- 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
- Roman Catholic bishops in Tennessee
- Violence against men in North America