 In 1937 he was made a 'Privy Chamberlain to His Holiness' (a Monsignor).O'Connor died in the Sisters of Mercy Nursing Home at Horsforth on 6 February 1952.After meeting G. K. Chesterton in 1904, O'Connor became the model for the Father Brown character and the two men maintained a friendship for over 30 years.