Br William Hilarion O'Connor (1883-1942) belonged to
the band of Brothers who gave their all to God and yet we can remember
little about their lives worth recording. This is certainly true if we
weigh it in the balance of earthly values. Yet we know that their names,
like Abou Ben Adhem's, recorded in a book of gold, lead all the rest
for having loved their fellow men.
Br Hilarion came to India from Count Kerry, Ireland, in 1910 and
was first posted to the Orphanage in Calcutta. Various postings followed
— St Michael's Kurji, Goethals Kurseong, and St Joseph's Naini
Tal. He taught senior classes and after a full day's work he took
on various boarding school charges. He loved the games field, where he
displayed all the enthusiasm of a boy, and took laudable pride in the
skill. He loved soccer and sports. While at St Joseph's Naini Tal it was
found that his health was on the wane. He moved to Mt Abu in 1932. High
blood pressure was the cause of much of his ill health. He was taken
off classes and given light duties, but his health continued to decline.
He passed away on 23 October 1942. RIP
—Stephen de Silva (1972)
Transcribed from the CB remembrance volume, On Whose Broad Shoulders, 2015
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