page_title: Eugene O'Connell
section_title: California
hierarchical_section_title: Eugene O'Connell / California
caption_attribution_description: English: Mission Dolores from 1856
context_page_description: Eugene O'Connell was the first Catholic bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Grass Valley, California. Born in County Cavan, Ireland, O'Connell sailed to San Francisco upon the request of Bishop Alemany for priests to serve in the diocese of Monterey. O'Connell was rector of the diocesan seminary, and later appointed to the Vicariate of Marysville, up in the gold fields. The Diocese of Grass Valley later became the Diocese of Sacramento.
context_section_description: In August 1850, Joseph Sadoc Alemany, Bishop of Monterey, California stopped by All Hallows on his way back from Rome, looking to recruit priests for his new diocese. O'Connell agreed to serve three years. He arrived in San Francisco on July 1, 1851 and was appointed pastor of Mission Santa Inez, where he was also director of the diocesan seminary. O'Connell had to learn Spanish to serve the parishioners and teach the seminarians.
  In November 1852, O'Connell was assigned to the Church of St. Francis on Vallejo Street in San Francisco. In September 1853, he was named pastor of Mission Delores. There he served as rector and professor of the Diocesan Seminary of St. Thomas Acquinas. The following year Father O'Connell was recalled to All Hallows College in Ireland. He left San Francisco in May 1854 and was appointed Dean of All Hallows. 
  On September 26, 1860 Pope Pius IX appointed O'Connell was Vicar Apostolic of the newly established Vicariate Apostolic of Marysville. He journeyed to Rome to ask to be relieved of the appointment. When Pope Pius IX declined, O'Connell responded, "“You mean I am condemned to the mines.” He was consecrated titular Bishop of Flaviopolis, and Vicar Apostolic of Marysville, 3 Feb., 1861, at All Hallows College, by Cardinal Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin. O'Connell reached Marysville 8 June, and was inducted on the following day at St. Joseph's Pro-cathedral by Archbishop Alemany.
caption: Mission Delores, 1856
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