The Rev. O’Connor, 78, pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Freehold Township, died June 11, 2008, at home. Born in County Kerry, Ireland, he came to the United States in 1952 and had been a Monmouth County resident for more than 45 years. O’Connor was ordained in Trenton on June 4, 1955, and began his first assignment at St. Francis Church, Metuchen. Later he served at the Star of the Sea, Long Branch, where he was chaplain to Monmouth College. In 1970, he was assigned as chaplain to the former State Psychiatric Hospital at Marlboro and to Collier Services, a social service agency, at Wickatunk. In 1988, he received his assignment to St. Robert Bellarmine Church. There he oversaw the construction of a classroom wing and he new church. The Rev. O’Connor was predeceased by a brother, Johnny, and a sister, Noreen. He is survived by a brother, Canon Michael O’Connor of Moulagow, Rathmore, County Kerry, Ireland; a sister, Eileen Maguire, Dublin, Ireland; and 12 nieces and nephews. His funeral Mass was celebrated by the Most Rev. John M. Smith, bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, at St. Robert Bellarmine Church. Interment was at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Cemetery, Shrone, Rathmore, County Kerry, Ireland. Arrangements were by the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, Freehold Township. Memorial donations may be made to Fourth Floor Oncology, CentraState Healthcare Foundation, 916 Route 33, Suite 6, Freehold, NJ 07728 or to the VNA of Central Jersey, 176 Riverside Ave., Red Bank, NJ 07701.

