As a pastor, OConnell also saw firsthand the effect of broken families on the community. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. Among those present were the bishops family and local dignitaries, such as former L.A. Los Angeles County Roman Catholics paid their respects to Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell during a public viewing and vigil Thursday, March 2, at the churchs Downtown L.A. cathedral that filled the 3,000-capacity house of worship. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Seminarian Vincent DeVetis, 20, carries the cross for during Bishop David OConnells Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. He was the one we went to for advice and support. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. All Los Angeles county flags were lowered to half-mast after his death and people gathered to pray for him outside his home and in parishes where he had worked since his arrival in Los Angeles more than 43 years ago. (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. At the news conference, Jos H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, thanked the authorities for taking a suspect into custody. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed both here and here. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Former LA mayor Eric Garcetti attends the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. Funeral services will take place over a three-day period, beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday with a memorial Mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights. But eventually, the sun broke the gloom. Ramon Reyes, from Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale, echoed another theme through the week that OConnell was a model of service for a generation. Be considerate and give others the benefit of the doubt. 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. (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. Born in 1953 in County Cork, Ireland, he was ordained a priest in 1979 in Dublin, Ireland. A Sligoman would say goodbye but wouldnt leave. The Los Angeles Times described him as one of the regions most beloved clerics. But now for me and my family and for everyone who is listening here today there comes an opportunity. We are all heartbroken. 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. Gartland said that she was impressed by how well organized the viewing was, allowing everyone to go up to see OConnell and say goodbye. Cunnanes homily managed to make the crowd both laugh and cry. Thousands more watched from the cathedrals plaza. Theresa Gartland, 40, walked from her home nearby in downtown Los Angeles to attend the afternoon viewing. Bishop OConnell, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, on July 16, 1953, was appointed an auxiliary bishop in 2015. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. A Cork man might leave without saying goodbye, Cunnane said. The three formal days of mourning for OConnell, while rare, seemed appropriate given his decades of shepherding his flock. (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. A public viewing is held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Bishop Dave, as he was affectionately known among his mostly Hispanic congregation, was much admired for his peacemaking efforts during the 1992 riots in LA following the acquittal of four white policemen on all but one charge connected with the severe beating of African American Rodney King. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The viewing will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. A vigil Mass will be held following the public viewing at 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed both here and here. 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. Im not standing here in front of you telling you its a dispute over money yet, Sheriff Luna said. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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. Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell was remembered as a man gripped by grace and at ease with movers and shakers and also with the moved and shaken as nearly 5,000 attended a funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Friday morning. David did soul work. (Victor Alemn), I think we have to bring the joy of the Gospels that Pope Francis talks about reaching out to each other and serving each other, he said. 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 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." 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. Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new details as they become available. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with Cunnane, who is from Sligo, Ireland, closed his homily with an apt saying from his and OConnells shared homeland. On Thursday, the Rev. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Jos Gomez holds 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. It was revealed in a press conference Monday that Medina is the husband of OConnells housekeeper, who remains unnamed. Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. 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. 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. A mass for the late Bishop David OConnell is held at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights, Calif. on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. usually in the mountains focusing on how to be good fathers and husbands, something he saw as key to the health of a community. 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 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. 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. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. The Mass will be livestreamed here. 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. At the national level, OConnell was the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. 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. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced the funeral arrangements for the late Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was murdered in his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. . (Victor Alemn). On Saturday, parishioners gathered at the scene of O'Connell's death and lit candles in memory of the religious leader, Los Angeles Daily News reporter Clara Harter tweeted. 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. OConnell, 69, was born in County Cork, in the south of the Republic of Ireland. Area Catholics look ahead to funeral services for Bishop David OConnell Next week a series of services will begin with a memorial Mass at St. John Vianney in Hacienda That was part of our work as a Church, to try to provide spaces for conversations, he told CNA in a 2020 interview. It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.. 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. His nephew, also called David OConnell, said the late Bishop was the rock of his family who liked to be a comedian but thankfully had a day job that was going a bit better for him. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Clergy arrive for the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 3, 2023. David was a friend of souls, Cunnane told the congregation during the homily. We all love you so much, David OConnell, the bishops nephew, said during his eulogy. 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.. How the biggest companies plan mass layoffs, Greece train crash: Rescuers to wrap up search operation, Thinking Anew Speaking the language of compassion. Where are Catholics allowed to eat corned beef on St. Patricks Day this Lent? An estimated 5,000 people, from elected officials to clergy from around the world, converged on the countys spiritual center of Catholicism. Later Friday, the bishop was interred at the cathedrals underground mausoleum. With other religious leaders, he brought police officers to meetings in peoples homes in an effort to improve relations. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. I was better for having known David OConnell. (Photo by Dean Musgrove), People attend a public viewing for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. I am so sorry that you will not be here for all the things that are to come in our lives at least not in person.. (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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced the funeral arrangements for the late Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was murdered in his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. (Photo by Dean Musgrove). OConnell was pastor at St. Frances Cabrini Parish when the violent 1992 L.A. riots took place after the acquittal of four police officers who had been videotaped beating an unarmed black man, Rodney King. Monsignor Cunnane said that Bishop Dave was an especially loyal friend to him when he experienced sickness over the last number of years. He worked to restore trust between law enforcement and residents by bringing the two together in peoples homes for dialogue. A man in his sixties been charged with his murder. Bishop David O'Connell, who was shot dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday. 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. A secret place that you and I all have, as well that is where our spirit, our soul, our heart our mind converge with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.. Bishop David O'Connell's nephew remembered him as 'a comedian' who introduced his nieces and nephews to Disneyland and Denny's. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell, a native of Ireland who spent most of his four decades as a priest ministering in L.A.'s inner city, was found dead of a gunshot wound Feb. 18. 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. Watch for these changes, Pope Francis approves miracle to pave way to beatification of Elisabetta Martinez. John Meyer flew in from Rome to celebrate the OConnells. On Saturday, Feb. 18, authorities found OConnell, 69, dead by gunshot wound at his Hacienda Heights home. It is a privilege to be part of peoples lives, especially in their time of suffering and need, he said, on learning he was to be elevated to auxiliary bishop in 2015. The Sheriffs department has not offered further details on the circumstances of his death, which is under investigation. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Jose Gomez prepares the casket 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. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. At ease in the corridors of power and with the powerless. And of course in Ireland. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. There is no known motive for the murder on February 18th. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere," he added. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Jose Gomez delivers the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. From the smallest family to the biggest organizations he was always there, he said. The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). O'Connell was born in County Cork, Ireland, and ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, the diocesan news site Angelus News reported. But in contrast to Wednesdays Memorial Mass at OConnells home parish in Hacienda Heights, which touted the bishops special love for the poor, and his work advocating for those who have little, Mahoney on Thursday sought to examine what motivated OConnell, a native of Ireland who built his ministry in L.A. over 45 years. It had poignancy and humor. 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. 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. 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. WebOBITUARY NOTIFICATIONS. You will always be kept in our minds and in our hearts, he added, as you kept us in yours.. Respect each other. In 2015, Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese. Investigators later learned that Mr. Medina drove an S.U.V. 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The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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. But now I wouldnt, A sad day for republicans: Sinn Fin activist Rita OHare dies aged 80, Ukraine under increased pressure as Russian onslaught in Bakhmut continues, Who to fire? 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. pulling into the bishops driveway and then leaving a short time later, the sheriff said. Out of his love for God, he served this city for more than 40 years as an immigrant from Ireland, he said. March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. OConnells casket followed shortly after. Have patience and give everyone the chance. Those who knew him testify that he seemed most at ease with the working people he spent all those years with in South LA. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. In 2018, he spoke about the need to recognise that there were all sorts of configurations of families, including single parents, gay couples and people in second marriages. Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. One day earlier, Gomez said O'Connell had "passed away unexpectedly," but gave no additional details. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. He healed souls. 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 honoured and protected., Politics professor and author Peter Dreier said the bishop was a progressive community organiser who used his charm to get powerful people to listen and help. But now the Cork man that he is has left without saying goodbye. I have heard from people in Peru and South Africa. 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. Norma Seni Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, called O'Connell "truly a man of God" in a tweet. "Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad," Pimentel said. Carlos Medina, husband of his housekeeper, has been charged with his murder. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. The loss of OConnell, 69, has shaken the regions Catholic community, spurring numerous memorials and remembrances among parishioners and local leaders while exposing raw emotions of the Churchs own often stoic priests. Over the years, O'Connell was a pastor at a number of parishes in Los Angeles and several nearby communities. Why are womens bodies under attack from autoimmune diseases? He worked on efforts to curb violence in the city, and many of his congregants were minorities and immigrants. He was a friend of souls. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced on Sunday that Los Angeles Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was killed and said it was working to find "those responsible" for his death. Sheriff Luna said the motive remained under investigation. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. 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. Born: July 16th, 1953 Died: February 18th, 2023 Bishop David OConnell who has died, aged 69, was originally from Cork but spent his Catholic ministry in Los Angeles People approached, some wiping away tears and others saying brief prayers before moving along. He was the kind of person that, when he walked in the room, everyone felt better, Bishop Barron said. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Obituary of David O'Connell, 64. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. that matched that description, Sheriff Luna said. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere.. The Holy Father said the ministry of the late Bishop was 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, co-operation and peace within the local community. Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all of his heart and all of his strength. A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. He held a rosary. He said Bishop OConnell was a kindly uncle who always had an encouraging word for them growing up. 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.. 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, The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). (Photo by Dean Musgrove), The entrance for the viewing for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Downtown Los Angeles, March 2, 2023. Voters will soon get a say, Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell during a, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. Los Angeles county has the highest poverty rate in California and his work focused on helping marginalised people in communities affected by gang violence, drugs and poverty.