 He built a chapel in St. John's, established parishes outside the capital, and gradually brought priests under his authority.During his first few years in post, O'Donel also found that Catholic liberty was less than absolute, and was involved in an infamous incident in 1786 in which he was assaulted by Prince William Henry, later King William IV.In 1796, O'Donel became a bishop, consecrated as titular bishop of Thyatira at Quebec on 21 September.