Msgr. Patrick J. O’Connor spent 47 years of his life in the priesthood. When he died, Friday, August 1, in Atlanta, he had brought to Georgia one priest for nearly each year of his own service.

Msgr. O’Connor, the former pastor of St. Thomas More Church in Decatur, and a former faculty member and dean at The Catholic University of America, died at Our Lady of Perpetual help Cancer Home at the age of 78.

He had retired as pastor in 1967, but after spending several years at a mission on Grand Bahama Island, returned to St. Thomas More in 1972 and made his residence there.

At the time of his retirement, Msgr. O’Connor spoke of his formula for answering the church’s pressing need for vocations. “If one priest can get a young man to follow in his footsteps, there will be enough vocations,” he said.

A native of Savannah, the Monsignor had, at that time, been instrumental in bringing 38 priests to Georgia, 10 in Savannah and 28 in Atlanta. Throughout a 20-year association with Catholic University, he had sought out young men interested in the priesthood, and seminarians, and persuaded them to come to Georgia. At one time, 60 percent of the priests serving in Georgia, drawn from northern states and Ireland, had come at the urging of Msgr. O’Connor.

Since then the number has increased to have 42 priests.

“This is one of the long lasting gifts that he has left us and that will extend beyond the years of his own life,” said Bishop Raymond W. Lessard of Savannah.

A 1924 graduate of Catholic University, Msgr. O’Connor also taught about 3,000 priests while on the faculty there from 1936 to 1956. During that period he was a member of the School of Theology, dean of men, procurator of the Catholic Sisters College and university director of The Alumni Association. He also taught for 23 summers in the Preacher’s Institute.

While in Washington, he was appointed director of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception from 1950 to 1956, the fourth to hold the post. During those years, more than $15 million was raised to construct the main building of the shrine.

Msgr. John J. Murphy, director of the National Shrine, said Msgr. O’Connor “will be remembered for his eloquent sermons on the Blessed Mother, for his sense of pilgrimage and knowledge of Marian shrines throughout the world.”

“The clarity of his Mariology revealed in his preaching and writing has contributed greatly to the life and spirit of the National Shrine,” he said.

Msgr. O’Connor returned in 1956 to Georgia as pastor of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta. Two years later he became pastor at St. Thomas More, and served in a number of archdiocesan posts drawing upon his particular expertise in the fields of education and vocations.

Between 1958 and his retirement, he was director of the Mission Apostolate for Georgia, secretary of education for the Archdiocese of Atlanta and Episcopal Vicar for Vocations for Savannah and Atlanta.

Born January 23, 1902, the son of P.J. and Winifred Maher O’Connor, Msgr. O’Connor attended the Cathedral School and Benedictine Military Academy in Savannah. He was ordained to the priesthood in Savannah in 1933, following study at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. After ordination he served as assistant pastor at Saint Anthony’s in Atlanta and Saint Mary’s on the Hill in Augusta.

Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan of Atlanta said that Msgr. O’Connor’s death “deprives us of the presence, the counsel, and the living example of an outstanding priest. We mourn his going from us, but we rejoice at his entering into the new life for which Christ has freed him by His victory over death.”

“Many of our priests trace some part of their priestly vocation to the influence, the encouragement and the practical help of Msgr. O’Connor,” the archbishop’s statement said.

“Many of our parishes trace their growth and development to his untiring efforts to present to our fellow Catholics throughout the country the needs of the missionary Church of Georgia. Many of our people owe their growth in faith, their courage in adversity, their tranquillity under pressure to his wise counsel, his unswerving integrity, his truly Christlike charity.”

“The church of Atlanta has been enriched by his priesthood. May it continue to flourish in the memory of his life and the imitation of his example.”

A Mass of the Resurrection was celebrated at St. Thomas More Church Monday. Archbishop Donnellan was principal celebrant. Concelebrants included Bishop Ernest L. Unterkoeffler, of Charleston, S.C., Bishop Alfred M. Watson of Erie, Pa., Msgr. Gene Bilski of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and 150 priests from throughout Georgia and the Southeastern United States.

The Mass was attended by approximately 600 people. Burial followed at Arlington Memorial Park in Atlanta.