On April 12, Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che went to the Bethlehem Early Treatment & Integration Education Center in Syuejia District and hung the memorial plaque at the former residence of Father Brendan O’Connell (1936-2020). Huang Wei-che remarked that Father O’Connell is a pioneer in Taiwan’s special education and has contributed significantly to special education and social welfare in Tainan and Taiwan.
Huang also expressed that the Tainan City Government will continue O’Connell’s spirit by supporting Bethlehem Foundation in assisting those in need and continuing the goodwill that O'Connell started.
Father Brendan O’Connell is listed as one of Tainan’s historical figures in the Religion Category. Born in New York, USA, O’Connell came to Taiwan in 1963 to perform missionary work in the mountain areas. There he noted that children with developmental delays and people with mental and physical disabilities did not have adequate education opportunities due to a conservative mindset in the communities and lack of resources. To help alleviate the issue, O’Connell spent a significant amount of time in Taiwan, where he focused on early intervention education for children with mental retardation.
Father Brendan O’Connell served the disadvantaged population in rural areas for over five decades. In addition to being honored as Tainan’s Honorary Citizen in 2014, O’Connell’s former residence is now the 30th formal residence of a Tainan’s historical figure to receive a memorial plaque in the city.