Leo Edward O'Neil
| Most Rev. Leo Edward O'Neil | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Manchester | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Manchester |
| In Office | November 30, 1990—November 30, 1997 |
| Predecessor | Odore Joseph Gendron |
| Successor | John Brendan McCormack |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 4, 1955 |
| Consecration | August 22, 1980 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 31, 1928 Holyoke, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 30, 1997 (aged 69) Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Previous post | Auxiliary Bishop of Springfield (1980-1989) Coadjutor Bishop of Manchester (1989-1990) |
Leo Edward O'Neil (January 31, 1928—November 30, 1997) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Manchester from 1990 until his death in 1997.
[edit] Biography
Leo O'Neil was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and there attended Blessed Sacrament School and Sacred Heart High School.[1] In 1945 he entered Maryknoll Junior Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.[1] He studied at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, for a year before attending the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Quebec from 1950 to 1955.[1] O'Neil was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Christopher Joseph Weldon on June 4, 1955.[2] He then served as parochial vicar in several parishes in the Diocese of Springfield, and was named pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Church at Haydenville in 1976.[1]
On June 30, 1980, O'Neil was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Springfield and Titular Bishop of Bencenna by Pope John Paul II.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 22 from Bishop Joseph Francis Maguire, with Bishops Tomás Roberto Manning, O.F.M., and Timothy Joseph Harrington serving as co-consecrators.[2] He was named Coadjutor Bishop of Manchester on October 17, 1989, and later succeeded Odore Joseph Gendron as the eighth Bishop of Manchester on June 12, 1990.[2] He was installed at the Cathedral of St. Joseph on November 30, 1990.[3]
During his tenure, O'Neil worked to foster a common vision among New Hampshire Catholics with a program entitled "Renewing the Covenant."[3] He also won the affection of people with his inspirational homilies and flair for poetry. On November 30, 1993, O'Neil underwent surgery for multiple myeloma.[3] He continued to battle with cancer and serve as bishop for four more years, until his death at age 69.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "Bishops of the Diocese of Manchester". Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. http://www.catholicnh.org/about-us/125th/history-of-our-bishops.
- ^ a b c d "Bishop Leo Edward O'Neil". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/boneil.html.
- ^ a b c d "Decades of Expansion and Growth (1965 - present): The Era After the Second Vatican Council". Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. http://www.catholicnh.org/about-us/125th/archive/history-of-our-diocese/#1965.
| Preceded by Odore Joseph Gendron |
Bishop of Manchester 1990–1997 |
Succeeded by John Brendan McCormack |
