Focus Taiwan
Date: 04/16/2020
By: Flor Wang and Yang Si-jey

Taipei, April 16 (CNA) Catholic priest Brendan O'Connell (甘惠忠), founder of the Bethlehem Foundation who devoted most of his life to charitable works in Taiwan, died in New York Thursday aged 84.

"Our much respected Father O'Connell died this morning and is now resting in God's love. We will miss him and continue with the task that he left us. We hereby tell God that we will bravely move on and do what he would want us to do to accomplish his mission," the foundation said in a post on Facebook.

According to Tainan-based Bethlehem Foundation Executive Secretary Chen Cheng-lin (陳正霖), O'Connell had lived in the U.S. in recent years due to health problems.

He last came to Taiwan in 2018 to attend the opening of the foundation's Infant Developmental Center Merciful Mother Kindergarten, though the foundation made regular phone calls and kept in touch with him. Chen said.    [FULL  STORY]