O'CONNELL, Eugene, R. C. bishop, born in County Meath, Ireland, about 1818. He was educated in the diocesan college at Navan, and pursued philosophical and theological studies in St. Patrick's college, Maynooth. He was ordained in 1842, appointed professor in Navan college, and subsequently in the missionary college of All Hallows. After some years he emigrated to the United States and labored as a missionary in California. There he was president of Santa Ifiez college, and afterward of St. Thomas's theological seminary. He then returned to Ireland, where he learned in 1861 that he had been chosen vicar apostolic of the newly created vicariate of Marysville. He was consecrated bishop of Flaviopolis in partibus infidelium in the College of All Hallows on 3 February, and sailed for the United States in March. For his vicariate, which embraced the territory of Nevada and the upper half of California, he had only four priests, but he soon increased the number. Two churches were built in Virginia City, and subsequently others in Downieville, Forest Hill. Grass Valley, Mendocino, and Weaverville. In August, 1, 60, he founded convents of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Marysville, and of the Sisters of Mercy in Grass Valley. In 1868 he was made bishop of Grass Valley, a new see that was formed out of his vicariate, but he resigned in 1884.