Biography
William O'Connor was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Patrick Dennis and Ellen Anna (née McCarthy) O'Connor. He received his early education at St. John Cathedral School, and then attended Marquette University. He studied for the priesthood at St. Francis Seminary.
He was ordained a priest on March 10, 1912. His first assignment was as assistant pastor of St. Rose Church in Milwaukee, where he remained for four years. During World War I, he served as a chaplain with the 32nd Infantry Division; he was awarded the Croix de guerre medal for bravery in action. He then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning his degree in 1920. He taught philosophy at St. Francis Seminary for twenty years, and was named pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Milwaukee in 1941. He became president of the American Catholic Philosophical Association in 1939.
On December 27, 1941, Pope Pius XII appointed O'Connor bishop of the Superior Diocese and he was consecrated on March 7, 1942. On February 22, 1946, O'Connor was appointed the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Madison, by Pope Pius XII. On February 18, 1967, Bishop O'Connor retired. He died in Madison, Wisconsin.
Read more about this topic: William Patrick O'Connor
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