By David Karas | Correspondent

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., will receive the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award Oct. 3 at Catholic Charities’ 26th annual Guardian Angel Dinner Dance in the Princeton Hyatt Regency.

The signature fundraising event for the diocesan social services organization serves both as a celebration of the agency’s work and a salute to individuals and organizations involved in assisting the agency in providing support and assistance to the poor and vulnerable.

The Humanitarian Award was established in 1992 as a means to honor its namesake, former New Jersey Gov. Richard J. Hughes, and to commemorate his support and commitment to the efforts of Catholic Charities. According to the organization, each year the honor “is presented to an outstanding leader with a commitment to humanitarian causes; a devoted advocate of Catholic Charities and the betterment of mankind in general; who strives to improve the quality of life of individuals across all economic and social lines through dedication and compassion.”

When he learned of being selected as this year’s honoree, Bishop O’Connell was appreciative.

“I am humbled by this award and undeserving,” Bishop O’Connell said. “It is my privilege to do whatever I can to advance the goals of Catholic Charities in our Diocese.”

Bishop O’Connell’s heart for charity and service is evidenced in his own priestly vocation as a member of the Eastern Province of the Congregation of the Mission, also known as the Vincentians, who are “men and women who strive to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to individuals in need,” according to the national Society of St. Vincent de Paul website.

Bishop O’Connell was born April 21, 1955, in Philadelphia. He grew up in Langhorne, Pa., one of four sons of June O’Connell and the late Arthur J. O’Connell, who passed away Aug. 21, 2005. His brothers, Arthur Jr., Dennis and Daniel reside in the Philadelphia area.

Bishop O’Connell’s family are longtime members of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Penndel, Pa., and he attended the parish grammar school. Knowing at an early age that he wanted to be a priest, Bishop O’Connell attended the Vincentians’ St. Joseph Preparatory High School, Princeton, then continued his Vincentian education in Niagara University, New York, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1978.

Bishop O’Connell prepared for the priesthood in Mary Immaculate Seminary, Northampton, Pa., where he received a master of divinity degree in 1981 and a master’s degree in moral theology in 1983. On May 29, 1982, he was ordained a priest of the Congregation of the Mission in Mary Immaculate Seminary by Bishop Joseph McShea of the Diocese of Allentown.

At the high school and university levels, Bishop O’Connell served in various institutions functioning in roles as an educator, faculty member, administrator and professor. His own studies led him to The Catholic University of America, Washington, where he obtained a licentiate in 1987 and then a doctorate in canon law in 1990. He has since received numerous honorary academic degrees from various college institutions.

In 1998, then-Father O’Connell returned to CUA when he was named the university’s 14th president. Highlights of his presidency included serving as a member of the planning committee for Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to the United States in April, 2008, and hosting the Holy Father at CUA, where he delivered an address to Catholic educators.

On June 4, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed then-Father O’Connell as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Trenton. He was ordained to the episcopacy in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, July 30, 2010. When Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Smith on Dec. 1, 2010, Bishop O’Connell succeeded him as the 10th Bishop of Trenton.

Since that time, Bishop O’Connell has focused his efforts on the catechetical development of his flock, the sanctification and cultivation of his priests and the advancement of new vocations. The Bishop initiated a 2011 diocesan administration restructuring that led to the creation of the Office for Catholic Social Services, and has been credited with active support for social service programs across the four counties of the Diocese.

Bishop O’Connell has been a staunch supporter of Catholic education, implementing strategic planning, leadership development and marketing efforts to build sustainability of the Catholic schools in the Diocese. He also commissioned an evaluation and realignment of the Diocese’s permanent deacon formation program and a review and updating of the Fourth Diocesan Synod statutes promulgated in 1991.

In addition to his active support of social service programs, his efforts on behalf of the less fortunate included the mobilization of a massive relief effort for the victims of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, an outreach that has continued to the present day along the Bayshore and coastal areas of the Diocese.

(To read Bishop O’Connell’s full biography, click here.)

Others to be honored during the dinner dance include those men and women who will receive the Light of Hope Awards, recognizing them for their support and commitment to the work of Catholic Charities in their communities. The Light of Hope recipients are: Elizabeth A. Ryan, Esq., Burlington County; Jeff and Megan Gordon, Mercer County; Peter J. Griffin, Monmouth County, and the Notre Dame Club of the Jersey Shore, Ocean County. Catholic Charities will recognize Investors Bank with the Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, and will also present the Client Achievement Award to an agency consumer who has successfully utilized Catholic Charities services and brought to life the organization’s mission to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life for individuals and families.

For information about Guardian Angel Dinner Dance sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, contact Sarah Macken, 609-394-5181 x1159.