Arthur Joseph O'Neill (December 14, 1917 – April 27, 2013) was an American prelate of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Rockford in Illinois from 1968 to 1994.

Biography

Arthur O'Neill was born on December 14, 1917, in

East Dubuque, Illinois East Dubuque is a city in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,505 at the 2020 census, down from 1,704 in 2010. East Dubuque is located alongside the Mississippi River. Across the river is the city of Dubuque, Iowa. ...

. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, by Bishop John Boylan on March 27, 1943.

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...

appointed O'Neill as bishop of the Diocese of Rockford on August 19, 1968. He was consecrated a bishop by Archbishop Gerald Bergan on October 11, 1968. Contemporary accounts described O'Neill as a compassionate man who enjoyed speaking with parishioners. Pope John Paul II accepted O'Neill's resignation as bishop of Rockford on April 19, 1994. Arthur O'Neill died on April 27, 2013, in

Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...

, at the age of 95.

References

1917 births 2013 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States People from Jo Daviess County, Illinois Roman Catholic bishops of Rockford {{US-RC-bishop-stub