BISHOP-DESIGNATE MARK O’CONNELL, JCD

Bishop-designate O’Connell was born June 25, 1964, in Toronto, Canada to American parents. His family returned to Massachusetts when he was 12 years old. His father, Thomas, who passed away in 2013, was a University Librarian first at York University in Toronto and then at Boston College. His mother, Margaret passed away in 2018. Bishop O’Connell is the youngest of four children. He has two brothers and a sister. His late uncle was a Boston Priest, Rev. David Delaney ’61 and his aunt, Sr. Jean Delaney, O.P. is a religious sister in the Dominican Order of Peace.

A graduate of Dover Sherborn Regional High School ’82, he earned degrees from Boston College ’86 and Saint John Seminary ’90. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1990, he served five years at Saint Barbara Parish in Woburn, MA and two years at Saint Mary of the Annunciation in Danvers, MA. He continued his studies in Rome in Canon Law in 1997 and received his doctorate in Canon Law (JCD) in 2002 from the Università della Santa Croce. From 2001 to 2007 he served as Assistant to the Moderator of the Curia for Canonical Affairs. Between 2007 and 2016 he served as Judicial Vicar and as a member of the faculty at both Saint John Seminary and Pope Saint John XXIII National Seminary.

After his ordination to the episcopacy on August 24, 2016, he served as pastor of Saint Theresa Parish in North Reading, MA and as the Regional Bishop of the North Region of the Archdiocese of Boston covering 60 parishes. He became the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese in 2023.

Bishop-elect O'Connell, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese, conducts interviews with Catholic women about their faith and their roles in the Catholic Church. This is an exercise in “synodality” = Mutual collaborative listening, guided by the Holy Spirit, in which all of the faithful have something to learn from each other, in order to know what God is saying to the Church. 

Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Diocese of Albany; Appoints Bishop Mark O’Connell as Successor (USCCB)
Bishop Mark O'Connell appointed 11th Bishop of Albany (Boston Pilot)
Bishop Mark W. O'Connell Names New Bishop of Albany (The Evangelist)
Bishop Scharfenberger of Albany retires; Boston Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell named successor (OSV)
Pope Leo XIV appoints Boston auxiliary Mark O’Connell to lead Diocese of Albany, New York (Catholic News Agency)
Bishop Scharfenberger of Albany retires; Boston Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell named successor (OSV)