Marist who was rector of St John’s College dies

The tenth rector of St John’s College, Hastings, Fr Barry O’Connor, SM, died of a suspected heart attack on November 9. 

A member of the Marian Court community, Fr O’Connor died at Hutt Hospital. He was 82. 

A post on the St John’s College facebook page stated that Fr O’Connor would be well known to many old boys. 

“He was the last ordained Marist Father to serve as the rector (principal) of St John’s, between 1988 and 1998. In 1998, the Governor-General of New Zealand presented Fr O’Connor with the National Education Service Award for his dedication to education. The Barry O’Connor Centre (the gym) was named in his honour, and he continued to remain closely connected to the College until his death . . . ,” the post stated. 

Among comments under the Facebook post were statements that he was “a kind and gentle principal”, and that he was “a lovely man” and “a beautiful soul”. 

Another commenter said: “When he was a very young priest, he had a fabulous motorbike and leather jacket. Sparkle in his eye and very kind.” 

Fr O’Connor was professed in the Society of Mary in 1959, and was ordained as a priest by Archbishop Peter McKeefry in Hawera in 1963. 

For most of the next 24 years he worked at St Patrick’s College, Wellington, and St Patrick’s College, Silverstream. He was deputy principal at Silverstream for several years. He was then appointed rector at St John’s. He suffered serious injuries in a car accident in 1994, but returned to work the following year. Later appointments were to Christchurch, Feilding, Taradale, Otaki, Marian Court, Maryknoll, Manurewa and Wairoa, before he returned to Marian Court.  

A requiem Mass was celebrated at St Mary of the Angels church in Wellington on November 15. A vigil Mass was celebrated at the same church the previous evening.