(Photo by Dean Musgrove), The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem stand during the viewing for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Downtown Los Angeles, March 2, 2023. During his time as auxiliary bishop in Los Angeles, evangelization, pastoral care for immigrants, and ensuring the future of his regions Catholic schools were all top priorities for OConnell, who believed that parishes and schools are powerful instruments of transformation of people's lives and of neighborhoods.. Obituary. Where are Catholics allowed to eat corned beef on St. Patricks Day this Lent? OConnell then began serving in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and held many different positions during his priesthood, in which he ministered to immigrants and those affected by both gang violence and poverty. about violence in urban America when the riots started. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. He loved his brothers and sisters to the end.. The suspect had been at the bishops house before, doing work, Sheriff Luna said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department previously said investigators responded to a shooting death at 12:57 p.m. on Saturday in the LA suburb of Hacienda Heights, where an adult male was pronounced dead. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, I thank God that as the years go on I have more and more love for my priesthood and for the people in the parishes I have served., Fellow auxiliary bishop Robert Barron said he was always struck by his goodness, kindness, prayerfulness, and simplicity of heart. Investigators later learned that Mr. Medina drove an S.U.V. Sheriff Luna said the motive remained under investigation. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Bishop Dave, as he was known, was episcopal vicar for the archdioceses San Gabriel Pastoral Region since 2015, when Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop. He was the chairman of the interdiocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force, helping coordinate the local churchs response to the influx of migrants from Central America in recent years and navigating the challenges presented by changing immigration policies. He then left for the archdiocese of Los Angeles, beginning his ministry at St Raymond parish in Downey. An estimated 5,000 people, from elected officials to clergy from around the world, converged on the countys spiritual center of Catholicism. The Ballingeary native was at home on holidays in Cork at the time. He is also survived by nieces and nephews. He worked on efforts to curb violence in the city, and many of his congregants were minorities and immigrants. The tragedy cut deep. At the news conference, Jos H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, thanked the authorities for taking a suspect into custody. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. There will be a public viewing on Thursday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 555 West Temple St. in Los Angeles. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG). Cunnane, who is from Sligo, Ireland, closed his homily with an apt saying from his and OConnells shared homeland. The first day of the funeral services this week was a memorial Mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights, a parish that OConnell would frequently attend. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. He was a good priest and a good bishop and a man of peace.. OConnell, who was known as Bishop Dave, served the San Gabriel Pastoral Region of the archdiocese, which covers East Los Angeles through the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys. No matter what the configuration of the family is, the call is still to adults to think about how to provide the best, most loving, faithful environment for children possible. The comments were made in a video associated with the Catholic World Meeting of Families event in Dublin and generated some controversy when they were edited from a later version of the video. David D. OConnell Sr., 80, of Chicopee passed away, Monday, April 27, 2015 at Palmer Health Care Center. Among those present were the bishops family and local dignitaries, such as former L.A. On Friday, an 11 a.m. funeral service, also at the Cathedral, is expected to fill the massive sanctuary, where afterward, OConnell will be interred in the Cathedrals Mausoleum in a private service, officials said Thursday. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. In his statement, Archbishop Gomez said OConnell will be remembered as a man of deep prayer who had a great love for our Blessed Mother.. Bishop OConnell said in a July 2015 interview with Angelus, the publication of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, that being a pastor in South Central Los Angeles had been the great joy of my life., Its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years, he said. Killings were way down in south Los Angeles. He said that Mr. Medina had not been formally charged and that investigators were continuing to examine evidence, including two firearms seized from Mr. Medinas home, where he was arrested after a standoff. That inspired him to organize. DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected," the archbishop added. That meeting left a strong impression on the young student, and he eventually opted to study for the priesthood at All-Hallows College, which prepared candidates for missions abroad. He has interned in the U.S. House of Representatives, on a U.S. Senate campaign, in the Massachusetts State House of Representatives, and at the Susan B. Anthony List. Tributes to O'Connell also poured in on social media, where people expressed shock and sadness at the bishop's sudden death. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. When you have found an obituary of interest, you have the option of upgrading that obituary with more recent and relevant content unless the obituary is already The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), People attend a Vigil Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Ruth Graham and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Carlos Medina has admitted to murdering the bishop, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascn said in a press conference Wednesday. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained in 1979, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said. Jay Cunnane, said during the homily, allowed David to see God in the bits and pieces of every day a smile here, a kiss again, and sometimes tears.. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. He came home days later to find widespread destruction in much of his parishs territory. I am very sad this afternoon to report that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell has passed away unexpectedly, said Archbishop Jos H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a statement Feb. 18 soon after receiving word of his death. We have the opportunity to pick up where he left off and to carry the example that he set., He urged all those who attended the Mass to help those you can help.. David Michael O'Connell, 64, passed away on September 25, 2017 after a battle with cancer. He thanked the Bishops brother, Kieran, his sister-in-law Paula, his nieces and nephews Ciara, Orla, David, Aoisha, Chloe and Brian for giving Los Angeles the blessing of having David OConnell among them rather than residing in his native Cork. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. A view of the nave of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels where the funeral Mass for Bishop David O'Connell will be celebrated | David Leigh Ellis|Wikipedia|CC BY-SA 3.0, Bishop Paprocki, Archbishop Naumann speak out in support of Traditional Latin Mass goers in their dioceses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OConnell made headlines when he led a blessing of the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas as he held up a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament from a nearby lookout. Smiles and tears abounded on Friday as Los Angeles Countys Catholic faithful gathered for a moment of mournful reverence for OConnell, the auxiliary bishop for the LA archdiocese and the Roman Catholic Churchs spiritual leader for the San Gabriel Valley. Around 11 a.m., the mourners stood as dozens of church leaders proceeded to the cathedrals altar. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OConnell made headlines when he led a blessing of the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas as he, held up a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament, Its been the great joy of my life to be the pastor of these people, especially the ones who are suffering or in need or facing difficulty, OConnell, . A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. The Wednesday and Thursday night Masses also included a message from Pope Francis, who wrote of how deeply saddened he was on OConnells death, but praised OConnells 45 years of ministry as being marked especially by his profound concern for the poor, immigrants, and those in need, his efforts to uphold the sanctity and dignity of Gods gift of life, and his zeal for fostering solidarity, cooperation, and peace within the local community.. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. When he was considering the priesthood, OConnell sought advice from a priest at the school, who recommended that he meet Tim Manning, a Los Angeles-based bishop who would become a cardinal. OConnell was fatally shot at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Hes left quite a big void in our community with all the work that he did and we all have to pick up where he left off in some small way, Hamilton said. Those emotions were on display once again on Thursday, as Cardinal Roger Mahony wept as he embraced OConnells casket in prayer as he ended his homily. LOS ANGELES - Funeral services were announced Thursday for Los Angeles Catholic Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell, who was gunned down at his home in Hacienda in communication and M.S. O'Connell, who had been a priest and then a bishop during his 45 years with the church, was found dead in a home Sunday in the unincorporated neighborhood of We are heartbroken. David OConnell, the Bishops nephew, expressed the same reverence for his uncle. One of its journalists, Pulitzer Prize winner Mary McNamara, shadowed him for three days for an article more than 20 years ago. The bishop's body was discovered when a deacon went to the home to check on him, because O'Connell was apparently late for a meeting, Sheriff Robert Luna said earlier this week. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Jose Gomez greets family members of Bishop David OConnell at the Funeral Mass held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 3, 2023. All services will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/bishop-connell. He was loved. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. He began his day before dawn, ended it after midnight and filled almost every hour with people, all sorts of people in every state of emotion, need and grace. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. Those who knew him testify that he seemed most at ease with the working people he spent all those years with in South LA. ". He brought peace to souls.. A vigil Mass was held Thursday for Auxiliary Bishop David G. OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), The casket of Bishop David OConnell arrives at the Funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 3, 2023. He began his day before dawn, ended it after midnight and filled almost every hour with people, all sorts of people in every state of emotion, need and grace., Archbishop of Los Angeles Jos Gmez described Bishop OConnell as a man of peace. He said that Bishop OConnell had a special love for those who are often forgotten and live on societys margins. He came home days later to find widespread destruction in much of his parishs territory. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. OConnell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in LAs inner city, has died. A tipster told detectives on Sunday evening that he was concerned because Mr. Medina, who lives in Torrance, Calif., had been acting strange, irrational and made comments about the bishop owing him money, Sheriff Luna said. Why are womens bodies under attack from autoimmune diseases? David OConnell, nephew of Bishop David OConnell, speaks at the Funeral Mass for his uncle at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. Friendship was something he was good at. The essential words of the priests absolution formula have not been changed, but there are two minor modifications to the preliminary part of the prayer.. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Priests walk to the altar for Bishop David OConnells Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere., Murder investigation underway into Bishop OConnells death, Suspect arrested in murder of Bishop OConnell; motive still unclear, Mourners pray for healing, forgiveness amid shock of Bishop OConnells murder. He feared I was going to say goodbye. hide caption, Bishop David O'Connell, seen above at a meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2021, is being remembered as a peacemaker and "truly a man of God.". Mourners had waited in long lines that stretched outside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA over a four-hour period on Thursday to pay their respects to Bishop OConnell as he lay in repose in an open casket. He was also a good friend, and I will miss him greatly, continued Archbishop Gomez, who asked for prayers for the bishop and his family in Ireland. It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness., During Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels the next day, Archbishop Gomez announced that the LA County Sheriffs Department had confirmed to the archdiocese earlier that morning that, investigators had ruled his death a homicide. This is Pope Francis prayer intention for the month of March, God really intervened: How a Catholic priest escaped from his kidnappers in Haiti, Decline in vocations to the priesthood is worse where priests serve larger flocks, report says, Suspect confesses to the murder of Bishop David OConnell, LA prosecutor says, Catholics, are you going to confession? Earlier Pope Francis sent a message paying tribute to Bishop OConnells years of devoted priestly and episcopal ministry to the Church in Los Angeles. (Jay L. Clendenin / LA Times) This level of trust has helped us over many different crises over the last almost 30 years to be able to talk things through.. It had poignancy and humor. On Sunday morning, detectives found surveillance footage that shows a dark-colored S.U.V. He offered his condolences to the family of the late Bishop. John Meyer flew in from Rome to celebrate the OConnells. That inspired him to organize retreats for men usually in the mountains focusing on how to be good fathers and husbands, something he saw as key to the health of a community. The younger OConnell, as if speaking to the heavens, told his uncle he and everyone who knew the bishop was proud of him. 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He helped so many, many unaccompanied minors and families with immigration, Jeff Hamilton, also a member of that task force, said in an interview after the service. The younger OConnell described how his uncle ended every phone call by telling his nephew how proud of him he was. Catholics say final farewell to their friend,, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Catholics say final farewell to their friend, Bishop David OConnell, Three women arrested for alleged fraudulent federal student loans from Fullerton college, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies at 61, 7 house fires prompt fears about gas meters buried in snow. OConnell played a key role in sponsoring the enrollment of several young immigrants in Catholic schools. OConnell, 69, was born in County Cork, in the south of the Republic of Ireland. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, 2023. The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). He had friends up and down the social scale. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), An overflow crowd fills the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. And of course in Ireland. Friendship is something he was good at he was friends with young and old, up and down the social scale, Cunnane, a pastor at Long Beachs St. Cornelius Church and close friend of OConnells, said. David OConnell was predeceased by his parents, Joan and David, and his siblings Liam, Don and Geraldine. We are sad to announce that on October 8, 2020 we had to say goodbye to David Hall of Orem, Utah, born in Price, Utah. When you have found an obituary of interest, you have the option of upgrading that obituary with more recent and relevant content unless the obituary is (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), People attend Bishop David OConnells Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Gartland said that she was impressed by how well organized the viewing was, allowing everyone to go up to see OConnell and say goodbye. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), In our mission as Catholics is to be Christ-like to embody the image of our Lord and to do all the good work that (OConnell) did and thats someone in our lifetime that we witnessed do that, Reyes said. He added that he looks forward to returning to California from Rome to follow in ODonnells footsteps and mentor others into the faith. Hutchings holds a B.A. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Respect each other. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. He also took a leading role in advocating for immigrants and was chairman of the inter-diocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), People receive communion during a Vigil Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Maybe it was the Irish brogue, or the dog he had adopted, or the fact that he saw prayer as activism and activism as prayer, she wrote after his death. Why must women still trade their personal stories to get decent healthcare? March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. Born in 1953 in County Cork, Ireland, he was ordained a priest in 1979 in Dublin, Ireland. OConnell was at the scene hours after the early morning fire, rosary in hand, to grieve and pray with shocked parishioners. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), A Vigil Mass for Bishop David OConnell is held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Be considerate and give others the benefit of the doubt. Carlos Medina, 61, was arrested around 8:15 a.m. Monday following an hours-long standoff at his home in the 2400 block of Kenwood Avenue in Torrance. That was part of our work as a Church, to try to provide spaces for conversations, he told CNA in a 2020 interview. On Saturday, Feb. 18, authorities found OConnell, 69, dead by gunshot wound at his Hacienda Heights home. I am very sad this afternoon to report that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell has passed away unexpectedly, said Archbishop Jos H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a, soon after receiving word of his death. He found the good in people, praised it, and spoke it into them., The recessional at the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. We all love you so much, David OConnell, the bishops nephew, said during his eulogy. But despite his long list of accolades and accomplishments, OConnell was known as a low-key priest with a down-to-earth demeanor and an Irish brogue he never bothered to try hiding. A police chase is underway involving a possible shooting suspect. He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. I'm still sort of stunned. The danger is when we accept that as normal, said OConnell in an interview before being honored for his service to the community and the Church in LA with the Evangelii Gaudium Award from St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo last year. He was ordained in June 1979 and returned to Glounthaune to say his first Mass in the Sacred Heart Church where he had been baptised almost 26 years earlier. Those numbers alone testify to the legacy of a religious leader who was a friend to all who was a good man whose life was well-lived. Norma Seni Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, called O'Connell "truly a man of God" in a tweet. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. O'Connell was found shot just before 1 p.m. Saturday at his home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue, near Turnbull Canyon Road. 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May Our Lady of Guadalupe wrap him in the mantle of her love, and may the angels lead him into paradise, and may he rest in peace, said the archbishop. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Father Robert Young, his friend from his secondary school days, remembered him as a very bright and capable student who was warm and sincere. But I didnt. During Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels the next day, Archbishop Gomez announced that the LA County Sheriffs Department had confirmed to the archdiocese earlier that morning that investigators had ruled his death a homicide. Age 85. A vigil Mass was held Thursday for Auxiliary Bishop David G. OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. Bishop David O'Connell's nephew remembered him as 'a comedian' who introduced his nieces and nephews to Disneyland and Denny's. He later described his role in the rebuilding of the historic church as one of support and encouragement.. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. A Magdalene laundry and its clients: Holles Street, Fitzwilliam Tennis Club, Captain Americas, Conor OBrien inexplicably and shockingly shot dead by Earl McKevitt over pizza delivery error, Before I would have held my husbands hand walking around the streets. That story, as told by both Monsignor Timothy Dyer and the bishops own brother, was one of service, sacrifice and peacemaking in a city and county of L.A., where he built decades of goodwill after leaving his native Ireland. In 2015, Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese. In his role as episcopal vicar for the archdioceses San Gabriel Pastoral Region, it fell to OConnell to accompany the parish community of Mission San Gabriel, the oldest Catholic outpost in the archdiocese, when it was almost completely destroyed in an arson attack in July 2020. He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected, the archbishop said. Make sure that those who are close to you know that you love them and are proud of them., [Bishop David OConnell obituary: Progressive cleric from Cork who spent his life in Los Angeles]. Looking back on the impact of the pandemic, OConnell remarked that Covid-19 has done a lot of damage not just to our health but to our hearts and souls.. Watch for these changes, Pope Francis approves miracle to pave way to beatification of Elisabetta Martinez. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Reyes said that the large number of people attending the viewing on Thursday showed how many lives OConnell impacted. During the pandemic, he held a daily prayer group for me just to sustain me in the darkest days I had ever seen as a leader when people were dying he shone a light and helped me continue that work..