Stuart O'Connell: Difference between revisions

Stuart France O'Connell SM 3rd Bishop of Rarotonga 1996-present
Personal details
Born	(1935-05-11)11 May 1935 Lower Hutt New Zealand

Robin France O'Connell SM was born 11 May 1935 in Lower Hutt. A life well spent Sat 31 Jul Bishop Stuart O’Connell at Fr Freddy Kaina’s ordination in April. 10042306 The last 50 years have gone by rather quickly for Bishop Stuart O’Connell, the Catholic Bishop of Rarotonga.

On Tuesday he celebrated his golden jubilee his 50th year since ordination as a priest. Today his milestone will be celebrated with a mass followed by a feast and entertainment.

Sitting and talking with the Bishop over a cup of coffee in his Avarua office, he recalls his early days in the seminary in New Zealand.

He still remembers the bright lights of Napier twinkling in the distance as he looked out of his window at the seminary on a Saturday night, and he wondered at the time if he had made the right choice.

“I was quite outgoing and quite sociable... so it was a big change,” Bishop O’Connell says with a smile.

Today, there are no regrets. He is happy with what he has achieved over the past 50 years since ordination and done things he never dreamed of doing.

Apart from travelling extensively with his work, Bishop O’Connell has had a meal with Pope John Paul II in Rome and been at a meeting with the current Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, when he was still a Cardinal.

He recalls how at the meeting with Pope John Paul II, the Pope asked him if he needed some money to help with his airfare as he had flown from New Zealand. Bishop O’Connell said that he told the Pope that would be appreciated, but thought it had been forgotten as nothing was forthcoming. He said on the day he and other Bishops left they lined to say goodbye to the Pope. When it was his turn, Pope John Paul II handed him an envelope with US$3000 inside.

Bishop O’Connell said joining the priesthood was something he had thought about while at school and something he wanted to try out to see if it was for him.

He completed his education at St Patrick’s College, Silverstream, near Wellington in 1953 and in 1954 entered Mount St Mary’s Seminary. He did novitiate at Highden in 1955 during which time the accommodation block burnt down on the evening of November 30, 1955.

The novitiate was then transferred to Greenmeadows near Napier.

He professed on February 11, 1956, at Greenmeadows where study continued with final profession in February 1959 and a sub-deaconate in December 1959.

He was ordained to the deaconate in February 1960 and the priesthood at Sts Peter and Paul Church, Lower Hutt on July 27, 1960.

The young priest began his teaching career the next year at his old school, St Patrick’s. After five years of teaching in New Zealand he was sent to Chanel College, Samoa, in 1966 as a teacher and spiritual director.

In 1970 he returned to St Patrick’s College and then went to St Bede’s College, Christchurch, in 1972-74 and during this time also completed his BA part time.

In 1975 he returned to Chanel College as rector and remained there until 1982.

In1983-84 he studied at the Catholic University of America where he completed his MA.

In 1985-85 he taught at Mount St Mary’s Seminary, from 1986-91 he was Vicar Provincial, and from 1992-96 he was Provincial of NZ Province of the Society of Mary.

In 1997 Bishop O’Connell became the Bishop of Rarotonga and was ordained in the cathedral in Avarua on February 22 of that year. (It is probably worth clarifying that although he is called the Bishop of Rarotonga, he is in fact the Catholic Bishop for the whole country).

Bishop O’Connell said he has been pleased with what he has been able to achieve in his time here.

One major highlight has been Cook Islander Fr Freddy Kaina being ordained as a priest earlier this year, while former news presenter Vincent Peters is currently studying at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva.

“It is always good to have locals (as priests) as they can achieve so much... much more than I could ever do.”

One of the challenges the Bishop was faced with was keeping the Catholic schools, Nukutere College and St Joseph’s, operating as, among other things, major refurbishments were needed.

He has managed to do this and also brought teacher pay parity up with their counterparts in other schools.

He said being a Bishop did not only involve matters of faith but you also had to be a good manager as well.

In May Bishop O’Connell turned 75 which officially means he is retired, although the church seems in no hurry to replace him, and he is quite happy to stay on until a successor is named. He said he has made his recommendations as to who should be his replacement.

He would like to stay on in the Cook Islands once he is replaced and perhaps be a parish priest somewhere, although he will always be a Bishop.

“As long as I remain healthy, I would like to stay.”

If he had it his way Bishop O’Connell would just like something small to mark his golden milestone but is resigned to the fact that this is unlikely to happen.

Tuesday marked the actual day of his golden jubilee and he celebrated with a special meal with the other priests.

Today at 11am there is a mass celebrated with all the priests at the Cathedral. At 1pm there will be lunch and entertainment at St Joseph’s School grounds.

He knows, given the island way, this is likely to be something special.

See also

• Catholic Hierarchy website Bishop Stuart France O'Connell SM' (retrieved 18 February 2011).

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