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Brother peter's parlor
William Buckley O'Connor was born October 18, 1944. As a young man, he felt a call to a religious vocation and, after some searching, entered the Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin, where he joyfully followed our Lord.
When a friend founded the Intercessors of the Lamb with a religious order component, William, by then known as Brother Peter, joined where he joyously followed our Lord. Because of irregularities in its governance, the Order was suppressed.
William then searched for another Order and joined the Franciscan Friars Minor where he joyously followed our Lord as Brother Peter Maria of the Immaculate Heart. However, disappointment struck twice. This Order, too, was eventually suppressed due to irregularities in governance.
By now, William had some health issues and was in his seventies. No Order would accept him due to these reasons. Living with a friend who had also been a member of the Intercessors of the Lamb, Bill joined the Confraternity of Penitents as an Affiliate in 2018 and joyously followed our Lord in this new role as a holy lay man.
In his monthly phone calls to the CFP headquarters, Bill always asked about the progress of Guadalupe Men's Vocation Discernment House. He faithfully volunteered his prayers, and often gave small donations, from his fixed income, toward the restoration of this house.
Bill went to the emergency room with Covid on January 22, 2022 and died of complications five days later on January 27. All who knew this gentle man from Brooklyn realize that his vocation was to serve God as a vowed religious, and he would have died as a vowed religious had circumstances been different. He is an example of fidelity to one's vocation, no matter what happens.
At this Capuchin Vocation Discernment Retreat, Bill is the young friar with the beard, mustache and dark hair parted in the middle (above).
Below he is Brother Peter Maria of the Immaculate Heart and is the gray bearded friar next to Bishop Kevin Rhoades' crozier..
In Bill's memory, the parlor where visitors will be welcomed is called Brother Peter's Parlor. This parlor is at the front of the house, accessible with a ramp, and leads into Mary, Mother of Priests Chapel where Bill would have spent a great deal of prayer time had he lived in the house.
Brother Peter's Parlor features Bill's photo, a large painting of his favorite devotion Divine Mercy, and statues of his favorite saints Saint Faustina Kowalska and Saint Padre Pio. Memories and tributes of those who knew him have been collected for a scrapbook available in the parlor.
We welcome any donations, memories, photos and tributes of Brother Peter. Please mail to Confraternity of Penitents, 1702 Lumbard Street, Fort Wayne IN 46803 USA.
May God reward Bill (Br. Peter Maria of the Immaculate Heart) for his faith and constancy in Christ's service. Bill, pray for us!