Despite his removal from the priesthood, O’Connor continues to live in a house on the grounds of St. John’s College in Waterford city.
The property is administered by the Ecclesiastical Benevolent Society of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore, a registered charity whose stated aim is ‘to benefit the community’.
The society is listed on the diocesan website.
Benevolent Society chair and Clonmel-based priest Fr John Treacy confirmed the house O’Connor is living in has not been transferred over to the charity.
Asked if the property is still owned by the diocese, he replied: ‘Yes, as far as I know it is.’
The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, is not listed as a trustee on the charity regulator’s website.
However, Fr Treacy said the Bishop ‘is a trustee in a way as things have to go through him but he’s not on the official list’.
Alleged victims who learned Michael O’Connor is still living on Church grounds this week said they feel ‘deeply let down’ by the diocese and the justice system.
One survivor said the revelation felt like a ‘slap in the face’.
Another alleged victim told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘This is very worrying. I felt like I had done my part in reporting him to the gardaí and the Church.
‘The fact that he still has access to society and people that might not be aware of his past is deeply troubling.
‘I feel deeply let down by our justice system and the Church for how my complaint was handled,’ they said.
‘It just disappeared and I heard nothing after.
‘He has continued living his life to the full with no repercussions for his actions.’
The Diocese of Waterford and Lismore did not respond to specific queries relating to the ownership of the property.