Denis J. O'Connell (January 28, 1849 – January 1, 1927) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the

Diocese of Richmond The Diocese of Richmond () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in Virginia in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, Archdiocese of Balti ...

in Virginia from 1912 to 1926. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the

Archdiocese of San Francisco The Archdiocese of San Francisco (Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Arquidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the Unit ...

in California from 1908 to 1912. Before becoming a bishop, O'Connell served as rector of the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...

in Rome, then as rector of the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

in Washington, D.C.

Biography

Early life

O'Connell was born on January 28, 1849, in

Donoughmore Donoughmore (spelt ''Donaghmore'' by Ordnance Survey Ireland; Irish: ''Domhnach Mór'') is a civil and Catholic parish in County Cork, Ireland. This rural district lies west-northwest of Cork city. Donoughmore is divided between the Dáil Cons ...

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

to Michael and Bridget O'Connell. His family emigrated to the United States and settled in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

, where his father's two brothers, Jeremiah and Joseph O'Connell, were serving as missionary priests. As a young man, O'Connell felt called to be a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

and entered St. Charles College in

Ellicott City, Maryland Ellicott City is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its ...

, in 1868. In part due to the influence of his uncles, in 1871 he was sent to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

to study at the Pontifical North American College. "So brilliant was the young man that at his examination for the degree of

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

the cardinal prefect and examining professors accorded it to him by acclamation instead of by the usual method of balloting."

Priesthood

O'Connell was ordained in Rome for the Diocese of Richmond on May 26, 1877, by Cardinal Raffaele La Valletta. When Bishop

James Gibbons James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1877 unti ...

was appointed archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, he sent O'Connell to Rome in November as his procurator to accept the bishop's ''

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...

''. In 1884, O'Connell became secretary to Gibbons, and was sent to Rome with the decrees of the

Third Plenary Council of Baltimore The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three meetings of American Catholic bishops, archbishops and superiors of religious orders in the United States. The councils were held in 1852, 1866 and 1884 in Baltimore, Maryland. These three conferenc ...

. In 1885, O'Connell was appointed rector of the North American College a position he held until 1895. In 1887, he was given the papal honor of

domestic prelate Domestic may refer to: In the home * Anything relating to the human home or family ** A domestic animal, one that has undergone domestication ** A domestic appliance, or home appliance ** A domestic partnership ** Domestic science, sometimes cal ...

with the title of monsignor.“Most Rev. Denis Joseph O'Connell, D. D.” ''The Catholic Historical Review'', vol. 13, no. 1, 1927, pp. 100–104. JSTOR
/ref> Upon his return to Richmond, O'Connell was assigned to St. Peter's Parish. From 1903 to 1909, he served as the third rector of The Catholic University of America. On December 16, 1907, O'Connell was appointed as titular bishop of Sebaste in Phrygia by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

. O'Connell was consecrated at Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore by Cardinal Gibbons on May 3, 1908.

Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco

On December 24, 1908, O'Connell was appointed by Pius X as an

auxiliary bishop An auxiliary bishop is a bishop assigned to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. Auxiliary bishops can also be titular bishops of sees that no longer exist as territorial jurisdictions. ...

for the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Bishop of Richmond

On January 19, 1912, O'Connell was appointed as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Richmond by Pius X. O'Connell's resignation for health reasons as bishop of the Diocese of Richmond was accepted by the pope on January 15, 1926; he was named the titular bishop of Mariamme. Denis O'Connell died on January 1, 1927, in Richmond at age 77. Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School in

Arlington Arlington most often refers to: *Arlington, Virginia **Arlington National Cemetery, a United States military cemetery *Arlington, Texas Arlington may also refer to: Places Australia *Arlington light rail station, on the Inner West Light Rail in S ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, founded when the location was still part of the Diocese of Richmond, is named for him.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Denis J. 1849 births 1927 deaths 19th-century Irish people Christian clergy from County Cork Irish emigrants to the United States American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent Pontifical North American College alumni Pontifical North American College rectors Presidents of the Catholic University of America Roman Catholic bishops of Richmond 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Burials at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Richmond, Virginia)