Anthony O'Connell

infobox bishopstyles
name=Anthony O'Connell
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |Infobox bishopbiog


name = Anthony Joseph O'Connell

religion = Catholic Church
See = Palm Beach
Title = Bishop Emeritus of Palm Beach
Period = January 14, 1999—March 13, 2002
consecration = September 8, 1988
bishops = Bishop of Knoxville
Predecessor = Bishop Joseph K. Symons
Successor = Seán Patrick O'Malley
ordination = March 30, 1963
date of birth = Birth date and age|1938|5|10|mf=y
place of birth = County Clare, Ireland |

Anthony J. O'Connell (born May 10, 1938) was the third Bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. He offered his resignation as Bishop on March 8, 2002 and his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II on March 13, 2002.

O'Connell was born in Lisheen, County Clare, Ireland and studied at Mount St. Joseph College in Cork and at Mungret College in Limerick, Ireland. Emigrating to the United States at age 20, he entered Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

On March 30, 1963, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri.

Following ordination, he was assigned as Director of Students at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Hannibal, Missouri. He was named Spiritual Director in 1968 and appointed Rector in 1970.

Future Bishop O'Connell served as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jefferson City from 1969 to 1988. He was a member of the Diocesan Commission for Personnel and President of the Priests' Senate.

He was serving as Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas when he was appointed first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Knoxville on June 7, 1988.

On September 8, 1988, O'Connell was consecrated and installed as the first bishop of Knoxville. Archbishop Pio Laghi (later a Cardinal) served as Principal Consecrator with Bishop James Niedergeses and Bishop Michael McAuliffe serving as Principal Co-Consecrators.

On November 12, 1998, O'Connell was appointed the third Bishop of Palm Beach. Three and a half years later, he resigned this position after a man claimed that as a 17-year-old seminarian, he had engaged in sexual touching with O'Connell when he was rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary. When faced with the allegation, O'Connell held a press conference to admit his wrongdoing and publicly apologized to the man.