St. John O'Sullivan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Right Reverend
St. John O'Sullivan
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St. John O'Sullivan in the courtyard of Mission San Juan Capistrano
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| Born | March 19, 1874 |
| Died | July 22, 1933 (aged 59) |
St. John O'Sullivan (pronounced "sin-jin") was a Catholic priest who lived from 1874 to 1933. He is famous for leading the effort to restore the old Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. He worked hard to bring the mission back to its original beauty.
Early Life and Becoming a Priest
St. John O'Sullivan was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 19, 1874. He likely came from English Catholic families who settled in Maryland and then Kentucky.
He went to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. While there, he decided he wanted to become a priest. After college, he studied at Saint Bernard's Seminary in Rochester, New York. He finished his studies in 1904 and became a priest.
Restoring Mission San Juan Capistrano
Soon after becoming a priest, O'Sullivan became very sick with tuberculosis. Doctors told him he might not live long. He decided to move to a drier place to help his health. With his bishop's permission, he moved to the Southwestern United States.
He worked in churches in Texas and Arizona. There, he met another priest who suggested he visit the old Mission San Juan Capistrano in California. This mission was mostly abandoned and in ruins. O'Sullivan traveled to the mission and immediately loved the place.
On July 5, 1910, O'Sullivan was put in charge of the ruined mission. He was the first priest to live there since 1886. He set up a tent among the ruins and began to help the local community.
O'Sullivan had a clear idea of how the mission looked in its best days. He started working with his own hands to restore the church. He carved new wooden beams and fixed the old walls. As the mission slowly became beautiful again, O'Sullivan found that his own health was getting better too.
Honors and His Lasting Impact
In 1918, the mission became an official church parish. The Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles, John Joseph Cantwell, named O'Sullivan as its first pastor in modern times. Later, the Pope gave him a special title, "Monsignor".
O'Sullivan also wrote books about the mission. In 1912, he wrote Little Chapters About San Juan Capistrano. In 1930, he helped write Capistrano Nights: Tales of a California Mission Town.
St. John O'Sullivan passed away in Orange, California, in 1933. He was first buried in a cemetery in East Los Angeles. However, on November 7, 1934, his body was moved. He was re-buried in the cemetery at the old Mission San Juan Capistrano. His grave is next to the Serra Chapel, which he worked so hard to rebuild.
Today, the O'Neill Museum at the Mission keeps his memory alive. It holds many historical records about the mission and its restoration.
