Secretary-General : Fr. Hugh O'Connor
Contacts: Tel: 012 323 6458; Fax: 012 326 6218
E-mail: secretarygeneral@sacbc.org.za
Family and Sacraments
Parents: Patrick and Virginia O’Connor
Siblings: Kathleen O’Connor
Date of Birth: 2 January 1968
Baptised: St Theresa’s Camps Bay
Confirmed: St Margaret Mary’s, Green Point by Bishop Ernest Green
1996 December 3- Ordained as a Deacon – Bishop Reginald Cawcutt
1997 July 4- Ordained as a Priest – Archbishop Lawrence Henry
Education
School
1973-75: Loreto Convent, Sea Point
1976-1985: Christian Brother’s College, Green Point
1986: Camps Bay High School, Camps Bay
Tertiary
1987-1989: University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Arts – Majoring in Political Studies and African History. Undergraduate courses: 1 year- English, Psychology, Philosophy, 2 years of Jewish Studies, (for interest qualified as an Estate Agent but never practised)
Priestly
1990: St Paul’s Orientation Year, Hammanskraal – Rector: Archbishop Dabula Mpako
1991-92 St Peter’s Seminary, Hammanskraal Diploma in Philosophy – Fr Raphael Mahlangu
1993-96 St John Vianney Seminary, Waterkloof Bachelor of Sacred Theology (Urban University of Rome) – Bishop Graham Rose
2003-5 Alfonsianum, Rome Licenciate in Moral Theology resident at College of St Paul’s.
Ministry
1996 December 3 Ordained as a Deacon
1997 January – July Assistant in Manenberg with Fr John Malayil
1997 July 4 Ordained as a Priest
1997 – 2000 Assistant at St Mary’s Cathedral, Cape Town with Msgr Andrew Borello and Msgr Anthony Seba (retired)
2000-2002 Parochial Administrator becoming Parish Priest St Agnes Woodstock (incorporating St Francis, Salt River and then including Holy Name, Observatory), working closely with the Portuguese Chaplaincy and community.
2003-5 Alfonsianum, Rome – Licentiate in Moral Theology
2005 July – 2006 Cape Town Diocesan Seminary – Director of Orientation Year at St Joseph’s Home in Montana, Cape Town
2007 -2009 Cape Town Diocesan Seminary, Athlone – Dean of Studies, formator, lecturer
2010-11 Working for the Cabra Dominican Sisters as Educational Officer for the Regional Prioress Sr Kathy Gaylor, Priest in Residence at St Luke’s, Facreton with Fr Mark Foster who was resident in Maitland.
2012 Working for the Cabra Dominican Sisters, Resident as St Francis Xavier Seminary, Athlone – Formator and lecturer, Priest in charge Site B, Khayelitsha
2013-present St Francis Xavier Seminary, Minister (responsible for the running of the house and for keeping some of the accounts), formator, lecturer. Priest in Charge Site B, Khayelitsha and in 2015 assistant to Fr Kizito Gugah Site B, Site C, Mfuleni, Old Crossroads and New Cross Roads. Took temporary care of Regina Coeli, Belgravia, St Anthony’s Langa and St Margaret Mary and Sacred Heart Green Point until priests were appointed to work there.
2015 to present Sunday Mass supplier to the Cabra Dominican Old Age Home
Current Appointments
2010 to present Vicar for Education, Presbyteral Council and Consultor
2010 to present Catholic Board of Education, currently Chairperson
2010 to present Catholic Schools Trust, currently Chairperson
Other appointments that have ended
Marriage Tribunal – Defender of the Bond
Priests Retirement Committee – Member and Chair
Ongoing formation Committee – Member and Chair
SACOP – Treasurer, Executive
AGROP – Organised two in Cape Town
American Appeal for the Archdiocese of Cape Town – 3 times
Other Boards
Neighbourhood Old Age Homes, Women in Need both located in Woodstock
Additional work in Education
School Boards
St Mary’s Primary, Cape Town, St Agnes (Acting treasurer), Woodstock, Mary Help of Christians (Treasurer), Paarl
Child safeguarding
Child safeguarding – Involved in writing the Cabra Dominican Policy and the National Policy for Catholic Schools as well as the revision thereof
Doing training for Principals, Management, Educators, Support Staff and Boards in schools in Cape Town, Eastern Cape and Gauteng
National
Catholic Board of Education National as Member, Vice Chair and Chair
Constitutions
Involved in writing Constitutions for Catholic Public Schools on Private Property and Independent Schools
Chaplaincies
Hospitals
Groote Schuur, Christian Barnard, Cape Medi Clinic, Booth Memorial Hospital
Old Age Homes
Nazareth House, Disa House, Zonnebloem, Noah Old Age Home
Schools
St Mary’s Cape Town, St Agnes Woodstock and Springfield Wynberg
Interests
Reading, food, gardening, hospitality