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{{Short description|American prelate}}
{{infobox bishopstyles |
{{Infobox Christian leader
name=Martin O'Connor|
| type = Bishop
dipstyle=[[The Most Reverend]] |
| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend
offstyle=[[Your Excellency]] |
| name = Martin John O'Connor
relstyle=[[Archbishop]] |
| honorific-suffix =
deathstyle=none |}}
| title = Titular Archbishop of Laodicea
'''Martin John O'Connor''' (May 18, 1900—December 1, 1986) was an [[United States|American]] [[prelate]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. He served as [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the [[Pontifical North American College]] (1946–64) and [[president]] of the [[Pontifical Council for Social Communications]] (1948–71).
| image = JFKWHP-ST-117-32-62.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Archbishop O'Connor accompanies First Lady [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis|Jacqueline Kennedy]] during her 1962 trip to the Vatican
| province =
| diocese =
| see =
| appointed =
| enthroned =
| ended =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| ordination = March 15, 1924
| ordained_by = [[Giuseppe Palica]]
| consecration = January 27, 1943
| consecrated_by = [[William Joseph Hafey]]
| other_post = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton|Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton]]<br>[[Pontifical North American College|Rector of the Pontifical North American College]]<br>(1946–1964)<br>[[Pontifical Council for Social Communications|President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications]]<br>(1948–1971)<br>[[Apostolic Nunciature to Malta|Apostolic Nuncio to Malta]]<br>(1965–1969)
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|05|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]], USA
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|12|1|1900|05|18|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]], USA
| buried =
| nationality =
| previous_post =
| religion = [[Roman Catholic]]
| residence =
| parents =
| alma_mater =
| signature =
| motto =
| coat_of_arms =
}}


{{Infobox archbishop styles
==Early life and education==
| cardinal name = Martin John O'Connor
Martin O'Connor was born in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[Pennsylvania]], to Martin John and Belinda Catherine (née Caffrey) O'Connor.<ref name=curtis>{{cite book|last=Curtis|first=Georgina Pell|title=The American Catholic Who's Who|volume=XIV|year=1961|publisher=Walter Romig|location=Grosse Pointe, Michigan}}</ref> His parents died when he was young.<ref name=death>{{cite news|date=1986-12-03|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=M.J. O'Connor, 86; Archbishop Served Vatican 2 Decades}}</ref> He received his early education at James Madison Elementary School, but was later transferred to the district's administration building to attend advanced classes.<ref name=gallagher>{{cite book|last1=Gallagher|first1=John P.|title=A Century of History: The Diocese of Scranton, 1868-1968|year=1968|publisher=Diocese of Scranton}}</ref> He entered St. Thomas High School at age 12, and enrolled at [[University of Scranton|St. Thomas College]] three years later.<ref name=gallagher/> He graduated from St. Thomas with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1918.<ref name=curtis/>
| dipstyle = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
| offstyle = Your Excellency
| relstyle =
| see =
| image =
| image_size =
}}


'''Martin John O'Connor''' (May 18, 1900 &ndash; December 1, 1986) was an American [[prelate]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. He served as [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the [[Pontifical North American College]] from 1946–1964 and [[president (corporate title)|president]] of the [[Pontifical Council for Social Communications]] from 1948–1971.
O'Connor then began his studies for the [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priesthood]] at [[St. Mary's Seminary and University|St. Mary's Seminary]] in [[Baltimore]], [[Maryland]].<ref name=curtis/> He continued his studies at the [[The Catholic University of America|Catholic University of America]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name=consecrated>{{cite news|date=1943-01-28|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Consecrated as Bishop Of Scranton, Pa., Diocese}}</ref> While a student at the Catholic University, he enlisted in the [[United States Army|Army]] after the United States entered [[World War I]].<ref name=consecrated/> He resumed his studies when the [[Armistice with Germany|armistice]] was signed.<ref name=consecrated/> O'Connor was then sent to study at the [[Pontifical North American College]] in [[Rome]].<ref name=prelate>{{cite news|date=1962-11-24|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=A Versatile Prelate: Martin John O'Connor}}</ref> He earned a [[Doctor of Sacred Theology|doctorate in theology]] from the [[Pontifical Urbaniana University|Urban College of Propaganda]] in 1925.<ref name=curtis/>


==Priesthood==
== Biography ==
On March 15, 1924, O'Connor was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] a priest for the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton|Diocese of Scranton]] at the [[Basilica of St. John Lateran]].<ref name=hierarchy>{{cite news|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|title=Archbishop Martin John O'Connor|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boconmj.html}}</ref> Following his return to Scranton, he was assigned as a [[curate]] at [[St. Peter's Cathedral (Scranton, Pennsylvania)|St. Peter's Cathedral]], where he served from 1925 to 1927.<ref name=curtis/> He then returned to Rome to further his studies, and earned a [[Doctor of Canon Law|doctorate in canon law]] from the [[Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare|Apollinare University]] in 1929.<ref name=curtis/> From 1929 to 1935, he was secretary to Bishop [[Thomas Charles O'Reilly]] and [[Chancellor (ecclesiastical)|chancellor]] of the diocese.<ref name=curtis/> He served as an associate [[Editing|editor]] of the diocesan [[newspaper]], ''Catholic Light'', from 1929 to 1932.<ref name=death/>


=== Early life and education ===
From 1934 to 1943, O'Connor was [[pastor]] of St. Peter's Cathedral.<ref name=consecrated/> He was named a [[Monsignor|papal chamberlain]] in 1931, and raised to the rank of [[Monsignor|domestic prelate]] in 1936.<ref name=curtis/> In addition to his pastoral duties, he became [[vicar general]] of the diocese in 1938.<ref name=rector>{{cite news|date=1946-11-22|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Bishop Named Rector Of College in Rome}}</ref>
Martin O'Connor was born on May 18, 1900, in [[Scranton, Pennsylvania|Scranton]], [[Pennsylvania]], to Martin John and Belinda Catherine (née Caffrey) O'Connor.<ref name="curtis">{{cite book|last=Curtis|first=Georgina Pell|title=The American Catholic Who's Who|volume=XIV|year=1961|publisher=Walter Romig|location=Grosse Pointe, Michigan}}</ref> His parents died when he was young.<ref name="death">{{cite news|date=1986-12-03|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=M.J. O'Connor, 86; Archbishop Served Vatican 2 Decades |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/03/obituaries/mj-o-connor-86-archbishop-served-vatican-2-decades.html}}</ref> He received his early education at James Madison Elementary School, but was later transferred to the district's administration building to attend advanced classes.<ref name="gallagher">{{cite book|last1=Gallagher|first1=John P.|title=A Century of History: The Diocese of Scranton, 1868-1968|year=1968|publisher=Diocese of Scranton}}</ref> O'Connor entered St. Thomas High School in Scranton at age 12, and enrolled at [[University of Scranton|St. Thomas College]] three years later.<ref name="gallagher" /> He graduated from St. Thomas with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1918.<ref name="curtis" />


O'Connor began his studies for the [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priesthood]] at [[St. Mary's Seminary and University|St. Mary's Seminary]] in Baltimore, [[Maryland]].<ref name="curtis" /> He continued his studies at the [[The Catholic University of America|Catholic University of America]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="consecrated">{{cite news|date=1943-01-28|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Consecrated as Bishop Of Scranton, Pa., Diocese}}</ref> While a student, he enlisted in the [[United States Army|U.S Army]] after the United States entered [[World War I]].<ref name="consecrated" /> Discharged in 1919, he resumed his studies at the university.<ref name="consecrated" /> After his college graduation, O'Connor went study at the [[Pontifical North American College]] in Rome.<ref name="prelate">{{cite news|date=1962-11-24|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=A Versatile Prelate: Martin John O'Connor}}</ref> He earned a [[Doctor of Sacred Theology|Doctor of Theology]] degree from the [[Pontifical Urban University]] in Rome in 1925.<ref name="curtis" />
==Episcopacy==
On November 14, 1942, O'Connor was appointed [[auxiliary bishop]] of Scranton and [[titular bishop]] of ''Thespiae'' by [[Pope Pius XII]].<ref name=hierarchy/> He received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal]] [[consecration]] on January 27, 1943 from Bishop [[William Joseph Hafey]], with Bishops [[Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara|Gerald O'Hara]] and [[George L. Leech]] serving as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]], at St. Peter's Cathedral.<ref name=hierarchy/> As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as vicar general of the diocese, a post which he held until 1946.<ref name=curtis/> He also served as pastor of [http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/1029smsj/ St. Mary's Church] in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]] from 1943 to 1946.<ref name=death/>


=== Priesthood ===
O'Connor was named [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the North American College in Rome on November 26, 1946.<ref name=hierarchy/> He would remain in this post until 1964, and during his tenure the college, which had closed in 1940 when [[Italy]] entered [[World War II]], reopened in 1948<ref>TIME Magazine. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869312-2,00.html Yankee Seminarians] October 19, 1959</ref> and later moved to a new location atop [[Janiculum|Janiculum Hill]]<ref>The Pontifical North American College. [http://www.pnac.org/general/about_NAC/history.htm A Brief History of the North American College]</ref>. Supposedly, O'Connor once said that his mission was "to educate others in gracious dining and [[Pope|papal]] protocol," to which [[Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.|Joe Kennedy]] responded, "Don't be such an ass."<ref>National Catholic Reporter. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1141/is_n7_v30/ai_14745859 Politics in the Purple Kingdom: The Derailment of Vatican II. - book reviews] December 10, 1993</ref> He is also believed to have disapproved of Archbishop [[Egidio Vagnozzi]]'s appointment as [[Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington DC|Apostolic Delegate to the United States]].<ref>Ibid.</ref>
On March 15, 1924, O'Connor was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] a priest for the Diocese of Scranton by Archbishop [[Giuseppe Palica]] at the [[Basilica of St. John Lateran]] in Rome<ref name="hierarchy">{{cite news|work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|title=Archbishop Martin John O'Connor|url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boconmj.html}}{{Self-published source|date=March 2015}}</ref> Following his return to Scranton, he was assigned as a [[curate]] at [[St. Peter's Cathedral (Scranton, Pennsylvania)|St. Peter's Cathedral Parish]], serving there from 1925 to 1927.<ref name="curtis" /> O'Connor then returned to Rome to earn a [[Doctor of Canon Law]] degree from the [[Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare|Apollinare University]] in 1929.<ref name="curtis" />


Returning to Pennsylvania in 1929, O'Connor was appointed secretary to Bishop [[Thomas Charles O'Reilly|Thomas O'Reilly]] and as [[Chancellor (ecclesiastical)|chancellor]] of the diocese.<ref name="curtis" /> He served as an associate [[Editing|editor]] of the diocesan newspaper, ''Catholic Light'', from 1929 to 1932.<ref name="death" />From 1934 to 1943, O'Connor was [[pastor]] of St. Peter's Cathedral Parish.<ref name="consecrated" /> He was named a [[Monsignor|papal chamberlain]] in 1931, and raised to the rank of [[Monsignor|domestic prelate]] in 1936.<ref name="curtis" /> In addition to his pastoral duties, O'Connor became [[vicar general]] of the diocese in 1938.<ref name="rector">{{cite news|date=1946-11-22|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Bishop Named Rector Of College in Rome}}</ref>
Pius XII, with the establishment of the [[Roman Curia|Curial]] office of the [[Pontifical Council for Social Communications]], named Bishop O'Connor as its first [[president]] in January 1948. He was named an [[Assistant at the Pontifical Throne]] in 1953.<ref name=curtis/> In November 1954, he was appointed a counselor of the [[Congregation for Catholic Education|Congregation of Seminaries and Universities]].<ref name=post>{{cite news|date=1954-11-12|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Pope Names U.S. Bishop to Post}}</ref> He was raised to Titular Archbishop of ''Laodicea in Syria'' on September 5, 1959. O'Connor attended all four sessions of the [[Second Vatican Council]] between 1962 and 1965.<ref name=hierarchy/> During the preparatory stages of the Council, he was named to head the press secretariat in June 1960.<ref name=aide>{{cite news|date=1960-06-21|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Pope Appoints Press Aide}}</ref> As head of the secretariat, he drafted a constitution dealing with the social media of communication, including the press, motion pictures, radio, and television.<ref name=media>{{cite news|date=1962-11-24|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=MEDIA GUIDANCE WEIGHED IN ROME; Document on Church's Role Pleases Vatican Council}}</ref> In September 1963, in response to complaints by journalists about the lack of news sources, he was appointed to head a new press committee for the second session of the Council.<ref name=chief>{{cite news|date=1963-09-08|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=PRESS CHIEF NAMED BY VATICAN COUNCIL}}</ref>


=== Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton ===
He became the first [[Nuncio]] to [[Malta]] on December 15, 1965. His appointment marked the first time a papal ambassador had been sent to a country in the [[United Kingdom]] since the [[English Reformation|Protestant Reformation]]. O'Connor, who resigned his [[Diplomatic missions of the Holy See|diplomatic]] post in May 1969, also resigned his Curial post on September 8, 1971, after thirty-three years of service. He returned to the United States in 1980.<ref name=death/>
On November 14, 1942, O'Connor was appointed as an [[auxiliary bishop]] of the Diocese of Scranton and [[titular bishop]] of ''Thespiae'' by [[Pope Pius XII]].<ref name="hierarchy" /> He received his [[Bishop (Catholic Church)|episcopal]] [[consecration]] on January 27, 1943, from Bishop [[William Joseph Hafey|William Hafey]], with Bishops [[Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara|Gerald O'Hara]] and [[George L. Leech]] serving as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]], at St. Peter's Cathedral.<ref name="hierarchy" /> As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as vicar general of the diocese, a post which he held until 1946.<ref name="curtis" /> He also served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]], from 1943 to 1946.<ref name="death" />


=== Rector of the Pontifical North American College ===
O'Connor died at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, at age 86.<ref name=death/>
O'Connor was named [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|rector]] of the Pontifical North American College in Rome on November 26, 1946, then still closed in the aftermath of World War II.<ref name="hierarchy" /> O'Connor reopened the college in 1948,<ref>TIME Magazine. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930034526/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,869312-2,00.html Yankee Seminarians] October 19, 1959</ref> having supervised its construction of new campus on [[Janiculum|Janiculum Hill]] in Rome.<ref>The Pontifical North American College. [http://www.pnac.org/general/about_NAC/history.htm A Brief History of the North American College] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813170808/http://www.pnac.org/general/about_NAC/history.htm |date=2007-08-13 }}</ref> Supposedly, O'Connor once said that his mission was "to educate others in gracious dining and [[Pope|papal]] protocol," to which U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.|Joseph Kennedy Sr.]] responded, "Don't be such an ass."<ref name="NCR">Hebblethwaite, Peter. [https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Politics+in+the+Purple+Kingdom%3A+The+Derailment+of+Vatican+II.-a014745859 "Politics in the Purple Kingdom: The Derailment of Vatican II" - book review]. ''National Catholic Reporter''. December 10, 1993.</ref> O'Connor allegedly disapproved of Archbishop [[Egidio Vagnozzi]]'s appointment as [[Nunciature of the Holy See in Washington DC|apostolic delegate to the United States]].<ref name="NCR" />

=== Curial official ===
With the establishment of the [[Roman Curia|curial]] office of the [[Pontifical Council for Social Communications]], Pius XII named O'Connor as its first [[president (corporate title)|president]] in January 1948. He was named an [[Assistant at the Pontifical Throne|assistant at the pontifical throne]] in 1953.<ref name="curtis" /> In November 1954, O'Connor was appointed as a counselor of the [[Congregation for Catholic Education|Congregation of Seminaries and Universities]].<ref name="post">{{cite news|date=1954-11-12|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Pope Names U.S. Bishop to Post}}</ref>

O'Connor was raised to titular archbishop of ''Laodicea in Syria'' on September 5, 1959. O'Connor attended all four sessions of the [[Second Vatican Council]] between 1962 and 1965.<ref name="hierarchy" /> During the preparatory stages of the Council, he was named to head the press secretariat in June 1960.<ref name="aide">{{cite news|date=1960-06-21|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=Pope Appoints Press Aide}}</ref> As head of the secretariat, he drafted a constitution dealing with the press, motion pictures, radio, and television.<ref name="media">{{cite news|date=1962-11-24|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=MEDIA GUIDANCE WEIGHED IN ROME; Document on Church's Role Pleases Vatican Council}}</ref> In September 1963, in response to complaints by journalists about the lack of news sources, he was appointed to head a new press committee for the second session of the Council.<ref name="chief">{{cite news|date=1963-09-08|work=[[The New York Times]]|title=PRESS CHIEF NAMED BY VATICAN COUNCIL}}</ref>

=== Apostolic Nuncio to Malta ===
He became the first [[Apostolic Nunciature to Malta|Nuncio to Malta]] on December 15, 1965. According to his ''Los Angeles Times'' obituary, "the appointment marked the first time a papal ambassador had been sent to a country in the [[United Kingdom]] since the [[English Reformation|Protestant Reformation]] 400 years earlier"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-05-mn-734-story.html |title=Archbishop O'Connor, 86; Papal Adviser, Ambassador |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=December 5, 1986}}</ref> – although technically, Malta was no longer in the United Kingdom after 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1964/86 |title=Malta Independence Act |year=1964 |publisher=The National Archives (UK)}}</ref>

=== Retirement ===
O'Connor resigned his [[Diplomatic missions of the Holy See|diplomatic]] post in May 1969 and his curial post on September 8, 1971. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1980.<ref name="death" />Martin O'Connor died on December 1, 1986, at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre at age 86.<ref name="death" />


==References==
==References==
{{Ibid|date=July 2010}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{s-start}}
==External links==
{{s-rel|ca}}
*[http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boconmj.html Catholic-Hierarchy]
{{succession box |

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title=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton|Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton]]|
years=1943&ndash;1946 |
after=&ndash; }}
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title=[[Pontifical North American College|Rector of the Pontifical North American College]] |
title=[[Pontifical North American College|Rector of the Pontifical North American College]] |
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years=1946&ndash;1964 }}
years=1946&ndash;1964 }}
{{succession box |
{{succession box |
title=[[Pontifical Council for Social Communications|President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications]] |
title=[[Pontifical Council for Social Communications|President of the Pontifical<br />Council for Social Communications]] |
before=none |
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after=[[Andrzej Maria Deskur]] |
after=[[Andrzej Maria Deskur]] |
years=1948&ndash;1971 }}
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{{succession box |
{{succession box |
title=[[Nuncio]] to the [[Malta]] |
title=[[Apostolic Nuncio]] to [[Malta]] |
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after=[[Giuseppe Mojoli]] |
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{{s-end}}

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME =Oconnor, Martin John
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Catholic bishop
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1900
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = 1986
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Martin John}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Martin John}}
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1900 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholic bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century American Roman Catholic titular bishops]]
[[Category:Diplomats of the Holy See]]
[[Category:St. Mary's Seminary and University alumni]]
[[Category:St. Mary's Seminary and University alumni]]
[[Category:The Catholic University of America alumni]]
[[Category:Catholic University of America alumni]]
[[Category:Pontifical North American College rectors]]
[[Category:Participants in the Second Vatican Council]]
[[Category:Participants in the Second Vatican Council]]
[[Category:Pontifical Council for Social Communications]]
[[Category:Pontifical Council for Social Communications]]
[[Category:University of Scranton alumni]]
[[Category:University of Scranton alumni]]
[[Category:People from Scranton, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Scranton, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Apostolic nuncios to Malta]]
[[Category:Catholics from Pennsylvania]]

Latest revision as of 22:39, 1 September 2024

The Most Reverend

Martin John O'Connor
Titular Archbishop of Laodicea
Archbishop O'Connor accompanies First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy during her 1962 trip to the Vatican
Other post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton
Rector of the Pontifical North American College
(1946–1964)
President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications
(1948–1971)
Apostolic Nuncio to Malta
(1965–1969)
Orders
OrdinationMarch 15, 1924
by Giuseppe Palica
ConsecrationJanuary 27, 1943
by William Joseph Hafey
Personal details
Born(1900-05-18)May 18, 1900
Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
DiedDecember 1, 1986(1986-12-01) (aged 86)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA
DenominationRoman Catholic
Styles of
Martin John O'Connor
Reference styleHis Excellency
Spoken styleYour Excellency

Martin John O'Connor (May 18, 1900 – December 1, 1986) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Pontifical North American College from 1946–1964 and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1948–1971.

Biography

[edit]

Early life and education

[edit]

Martin O'Connor was born on May 18, 1900, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Martin John and Belinda Catherine (née Caffrey) O'Connor.[1] His parents died when he was young.[2] He received his early education at James Madison Elementary School, but was later transferred to the district's administration building to attend advanced classes.[3] O'Connor entered St. Thomas High School in Scranton at age 12, and enrolled at St. Thomas College three years later.[3] He graduated from St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1918.[1]

O'Connor began his studies for the priesthood at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.[1] He continued his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[4] While a student, he enlisted in the U.S Army after the United States entered World War I.[4] Discharged in 1919, he resumed his studies at the university.[4] After his college graduation, O'Connor went study at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.[5] He earned a Doctor of Theology degree from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome in 1925.[1]

Priesthood

[edit]

On March 15, 1924, O'Connor was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Scranton by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome[6] Following his return to Scranton, he was assigned as a curate at St. Peter's Cathedral Parish, serving there from 1925 to 1927.[1] O'Connor then returned to Rome to earn a Doctor of Canon Law degree from the Apollinare University in 1929.[1]

Returning to Pennsylvania in 1929, O'Connor was appointed secretary to Bishop Thomas O'Reilly and as chancellor of the diocese.[1] He served as an associate editor of the diocesan newspaper, Catholic Light, from 1929 to 1932.[2]From 1934 to 1943, O'Connor was pastor of St. Peter's Cathedral Parish.[4] He was named a papal chamberlain in 1931, and raised to the rank of domestic prelate in 1936.[1] In addition to his pastoral duties, O'Connor became vicar general of the diocese in 1938.[7]

Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton

[edit]

On November 14, 1942, O'Connor was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Scranton and titular bishop of Thespiae by Pope Pius XII.[6] He received his episcopal consecration on January 27, 1943, from Bishop William Hafey, with Bishops Gerald O'Hara and George L. Leech serving as co-consecrators, at St. Peter's Cathedral.[6] As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as vicar general of the diocese, a post which he held until 1946.[1] He also served as pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, from 1943 to 1946.[2]

Rector of the Pontifical North American College

[edit]

O'Connor was named rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome on November 26, 1946, then still closed in the aftermath of World War II.[6] O'Connor reopened the college in 1948,[8] having supervised its construction of new campus on Janiculum Hill in Rome.[9] Supposedly, O'Connor once said that his mission was "to educate others in gracious dining and papal protocol," to which U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy Sr. responded, "Don't be such an ass."[10] O'Connor allegedly disapproved of Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi's appointment as apostolic delegate to the United States.[10]

Curial official

[edit]

With the establishment of the curial office of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pius XII named O'Connor as its first president in January 1948. He was named an assistant at the pontifical throne in 1953.[1] In November 1954, O'Connor was appointed as a counselor of the Congregation of Seminaries and Universities.[11]

O'Connor was raised to titular archbishop of Laodicea in Syria on September 5, 1959. O'Connor attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965.[6] During the preparatory stages of the Council, he was named to head the press secretariat in June 1960.[12] As head of the secretariat, he drafted a constitution dealing with the press, motion pictures, radio, and television.[13] In September 1963, in response to complaints by journalists about the lack of news sources, he was appointed to head a new press committee for the second session of the Council.[14]

Apostolic Nuncio to Malta

[edit]

He became the first Nuncio to Malta on December 15, 1965. According to his Los Angeles Times obituary, "the appointment marked the first time a papal ambassador had been sent to a country in the United Kingdom since the Protestant Reformation 400 years earlier"[15] – although technically, Malta was no longer in the United Kingdom after 1964.[16]

Retirement

[edit]

O'Connor resigned his diplomatic post in May 1969 and his curial post on September 8, 1971. He returned to Pennsylvania in 1980.[2]Martin O'Connor died on December 1, 1986, at Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre at age 86.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  2. ^ a b c d e "M.J. O'Connor, 86; Archbishop Served Vatican 2 Decades". The New York Times. 1986-12-03.
  3. ^ a b Gallagher, John P. (1968). A Century of History: The Diocese of Scranton, 1868-1968. Diocese of Scranton.
  4. ^ a b c d "Consecrated as Bishop Of Scranton, Pa., Diocese". The New York Times. 1943-01-28.
  5. ^ "A Versatile Prelate: Martin John O'Connor". The New York Times. 1962-11-24.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Archbishop Martin John O'Connor". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
  7. ^ "Bishop Named Rector Of College in Rome". The New York Times. 1946-11-22.
  8. ^ TIME Magazine. Yankee Seminarians October 19, 1959
  9. ^ The Pontifical North American College. A Brief History of the North American College Archived 2007-08-13 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ a b Hebblethwaite, Peter. "Politics in the Purple Kingdom: The Derailment of Vatican II" - book review. National Catholic Reporter. December 10, 1993.
  11. ^ "Pope Names U.S. Bishop to Post". The New York Times. 1954-11-12.
  12. ^ "Pope Appoints Press Aide". The New York Times. 1960-06-21.
  13. ^ "MEDIA GUIDANCE WEIGHED IN ROME; Document on Church's Role Pleases Vatican Council". The New York Times. 1962-11-24.
  14. ^ "PRESS CHIEF NAMED BY VATICAN COUNCIL". The New York Times. 1963-09-08.
  15. ^ "Archbishop O'Connor, 86; Papal Adviser, Ambassador". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 1986.
  16. ^ "Malta Independence Act". The National Archives (UK). 1964.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
–
 Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton
1943–1946 		Succeeded by
–
Preceded by Rector of the Pontifical North American College
1946–1964 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
none
 President of the Pontifical
Council for Social Communications
1948–1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
none
 Apostolic Nuncio to Malta
1965–1969 		Succeeded by
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