The Westmeath man was ordained into the priest-hood in 1982.
A midlands priest will become the new Bishop of the Diocese of Clonmacnois and Aradgh.
Mullingar's Paul Connell has been appointed to this position by Pope Francis this morning.
The Diocese of Clonmacnois and Ardagh incorporates the parishes in Athlone, Ballinahown, Boher and Pullagh, Cloghan and Banagher, Clonmacnois, Ferbane, Kilcormac, Moate and Mount Temple, and Rathowen.
The 65-year-old was ordained to the priest-hood in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, on 20 June 1982.
Following ordination, he was briefly attached to Rochfortbridge parish before being appointed to the staff of Saint Finian’s College, completing his Higher Diploma in Education in 1983.
He became Vice-President of the College in 1989 and succeeded as President and Principal in 1998.
From 1992 to 1994 he completed an evening Masters in Local History in NUI Maynooth, and was awarded a doctorate in history by the university in 2002.
Subsequently, Bishop-elect Connell spent a number of years lecturing part-time in Ecclesiastical History at the Milltown Institute of Theology, Dublin, and has published a number of works in the area of local history.
Bishop-elect Connell remained as President and Principal of Saint Finian’s College until 2019.
Under his direction the college became a co-educational secondary school in 2003, and its boarding school closed in 2007.
In addition, he was President of the national support body for secondary schools, the Secretariat for Secondary Schools, from 2013 to 2018.
In January 2019, he resigned his position as Principal of Saint Finian’s, whilst remaining as its President.
This following his appointment as Executive Secretary of the Council for Education of the Irish Episcopal Conference, based in Columba Centre of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth.
In 2020, he was appointed by Bishop Tom Deenihan, Bishop of Meath, as Chancellor of the Diocese of Meath.
Since his appointment to Saint Finian’s in 1982, Father Paul has held the position of chaplain in Saint Mary’s Hospital, Mullingar (Cluain Lir).
For many years during the summer months he has worked in the dioceses of All Saints and Saint Gabriel’s in the Archdiocese of Miami, USA, and more recently in the parish of Saint Gregory, San Diego.
In August 2021 he was appointed as Administrator of the Parish of Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath.
Bishop Tom Deenihan, of the Diocese of Meath says:
"Father Paul has the experience, the ability, the dedication and the faith to undertake this important appointment at this time.
Father Paul has served the Diocese of Meath willingly, totally and loyally in several roles since his ordination in 1982.
He will be remembered in this Diocese particularly for his time as President of the Diocesan College, Saint Finian’s, in Mullingar.
His leadership there was visionary and he steered the development of the Diocesan Boarding School into a vibrant and successful co-educational post-primary school.
Just recently, he has been leading an ambitious though necessary expansion programme there to cater for a growing local need."
Monsignor Julien Kaboré is welcoming the new Bishop-elect:
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