Rev Francis O'Connell
Title:
Rev
First Name:
Francis
Middle Names:
Preferred Name:
Surname:
O'Connell
Order:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Dublin
Country of Birth:
Ireland
Date of Ordination:
Place of Ordination:
All Hallows, Dublin
Country of Ordination:
Ireland
Ordination Diocese:
Brisbane
Seminary:
All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland
Date of Death:
Place of Death:
Country of Death:
Australia
Date of Burial:
Place of Burial:
Nudgee, Brisbane QLD
Country of Burial:
Australia
Find A Grave URL:
Appointments Table
Diocese | Place | Role | Start Day | Start Month | Start Year | End Day | End Month | End Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Gympie | 1914 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | ||||||
| Brisbane | Ipswich | 1915 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar | ||||||
| Brisbane | Toowoomba | 1915 | 1920 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | |||||
| Brisbane | Crows Nest | Parish Priest | 1920 | 1921 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 | ||||
| Brisbane | Clayfield | Parish Priest | 1921 | Dec | 1939 | Toowoomba Prayer Calendar; Priests of 1928 |
Biographical Notes
Fr Denis W. Martin, Priests of 1928, Brisbane, 2003, pp 190-192:
Francis O'Connell
With two brothers and two nephews in the Archdiocese, the name O'Connell was well represented. One of the brothers is here at the end of the fourth row; the other three are not in the photograph.
Francis O'Connell was educated by the Chri tian Brother in Dublin before proceeding to Mt Melleray and All Hallows where he was ordained in mid 1914 at the age of 24.
He worked in Gympie and Toowoomba, then in 1920 was made Parish Priest of Crow's Nest. He must have been too good for the country for in 1921 he was brought down to Brisbane and put in charge of Clayfield. There he found only a small church-school building.
Over the next few years he built it into a fine parish. He built St Agatha's Church in 1924, a presbytery and a convent, introduced the Presentation Sisters at St Rita's and the Christian Brothers to run St Columban's College.
Described as an excellent priest whose life was without blemish, Frank O'Connell apparently had qualities which drew to him young and old, rich and poor. 'Naturally and supernaturally, he was richly endowed, and his personality was so attractive that no one feared to approach him.
It was fortunate that his Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1939 gave everyone an opportunity of 'marking their appreciation of his worth'. Although said to have been in indifferent health, Fr Frank died rather unexpectedly on 28th December 1939. He was only 49 years of age.
After Requiem Mass at St Stephen's, burial took place at Nudgee Cemetery.
Fr O'Connell's relatives were -
Dean John Joseph O'Connell, elder brother, who was Parish Priest of Kangaroo Point 1917-1937.
Fr John O'Connell, nephew, who worked in the Archdiocese for a while and was Parish Priest of Cannon Hill but returned to Ireland.
Fr Michael O'Connell, nephew and the brother of Fr John, who came to Brisbane in 1933 and was Parish Priest of Wavell Heights from 1953 to 1975, then went into semi-retirement. He died in 2000.
(Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Martin.)