Bishop OConnell, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, on July 16, 1953, was appointed an auxiliary bishop in 2015. (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. in communication and M.S. (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. OConnells funeral Mass will be held on Friday, March 3, at the same Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 11 a.m. local time. He offered his condolences to the family of the late Bishop. He said that his friend, who he first met when they studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin in 1971, was as at ease with the movers and the shakers and also with the moved and the shaken. 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. As will the thousands of others whom OConnell had comforted. (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. Folks lined the aisles and craned their necks from behind the pews, not wanting to miss a moment of the Mass or their chance to say goodbye to a man theyd called a friend. The murder charge against Medina includes an allegation of the personal use of a firearm, meaning he faces up to 35 years to life in state prison if he is convicted as charged. 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 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 and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. OConnell, 69, a beloved priest in the diocese, who administered its San Gabriel Valley region, was found fatally shot on Feb. 18 at his Hacienda Heights home. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Priests and bishops 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. 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. 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. 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. We need to rebuild the fabric of our relationships so we can be a hopeful world.. 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. 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.. I was better for having known David OConnell. He said that they always joked about which was the better county his native Sligo or the Bishops beloved Co Cork. He is survived by : his siblings, David Ball (Cody) and Susan Ridd; his sister-in-law Lola Ball; and his step-son Ian. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. He was loved. 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. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Some of the hundreds who waited in line early morning, enter the cathedral for the viewing of Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Downtown Los Angeles, March 2, 2023. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Apu Gomes/Agence France-Presse Getty Images, Bishop OConnell said in a July 2015 interview with Angelus. Heartfelt tributes were paid to the 69-year-old native of Glanmire, Co Cork who was ordained as a priest in 1979. A daily email newsletter to help you better understand the Church and the world. This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community, Sheriff Luna said. Ruth Graham and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. He praised Bishop OConnell as a good friend of Los Angeles who had served the city for more than 40 years. 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. And it was always such a joy to see her, and a joy to see how happy she was that I was home.. Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Sheriff Robert Luna said at that press conference that Medina had done work at the bishops residence as well. Monsignor Jarlath Cunnane, a Sligo born friend of five decades to Bishop OConnell, delivered the homily at the Mass. The authorities surrounded Mr. Medinas home at about 2 a.m. and called on him to surrender, but he refused, Sheriff Luna said. 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 And of course in Ireland. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. 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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Medina is the husband of O'Connell's housekeeper, and he also performed handyman work at the bishop's home, authorities said. (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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. ". David did soul work. 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. It came from that special place, that secret place in him, said Mahoney, speaking within a few steps from OConnells casket at the front of the sanctuary facing its middle aisle, covered in a white sheet. OConnell was at the scene hours after the early morning fire, rosary in hand, to grieve and pray with shocked parishioners. 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. Archbishop Jose H Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles celebrated the Mass. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was killed over the weekend. 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. The authorities said the man in custody was the husband of the bishops housekeeper. (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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. You know, he was a beautiful witness, and I feel very blessed to have known him.. He is based out of the Boston area. He also appealed to mourners to continue the work of his beloved uncle. David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at Beverly Hospital. It was that spirit, Mahony said, that moved OConnell in inspired ways, from his now well-known efforts as a peacemaker during the 1992 riots in L.A. to his advocacy of immigrants to connecting with generations of young Catholics and priests. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. And its very sad that were gathered here today to talk about his murder in this way.. 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. 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. 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.. Tributes to O'Connell also poured in on social media, where people expressed shock and sadness at the bishop's sudden death. Bail was set at $2 million. Father Jay Cunnane, pastor of St. Cornelius Parish in Long Beach, California, and a close friend to OConnell, told EWTN News Nightly that the bishop had a great heart for people on the margins of society, specifically immigrants and the poor. 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 There, OConnell ministered to a community afflicted by gang violence, poverty, broken families, as well as tensions between locals and members of the Los Angeles Police Department and the LA Sheriffs Department. Why must women still trade their personal stories to get decent healthcare? "It's 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," O'Connell told Angelus News in 2015. The funeral Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 3, also at the cathedral. The younger OConnell, as if speaking to the heavens, told his uncle he and everyone who knew the bishop was proud of him. March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), 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. 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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Carlos Medina has admitted to murdering the bishop, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascn said in a press conference Wednesday. But above all, the bishops funeral Mass attended by thousands on Friday morning, March 3, with an untold number watching via livestream reflected the spirit of a man who saw reverence in the prosaic. Lend an ear and listen to people. The bishops simple, red, mahogany casket with bronze knobs and ivory lining sat at the front of the Cathedral. (Victor Alemn). The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere.. O'Connell was a native of Ireland and had been a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years. Cunnane, who is from Sligo, Ireland, closed his homily with an apt saying from his and OConnells shared homeland. Cunnane called OConnell an effective organizer for those on the margins. (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 was also the chairman of the interdiocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force which helped coordinate the churchs response to immigrant children and families from Central America in recent years. It had poignancy and humor. A Sligoman would say goodbye but wouldnt leave. With other religious leaders, he brought police officers to meetings in peoples homes in an effort to improve relations. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. The authorities arrested a man on Monday in connection with the killing of David G. OConnell, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles who was found fatally shot at his home on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said. Cardinal Roger Mahony gives the homily doing the Vigil Mass for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Among those present were the bishops family and local dignitaries, such as former L.A. 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. 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. On Sunday morning, detectives found surveillance footage that shows a dark-colored S.U.V. A priest kisses Bishop David OConnell during a public viewing at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. And we thought we really had achieved a lot of progress. Deputies found the bishop in bed with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body, Sheriff Luna said. 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. 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. The casket of Bishop David O'Connell is brought into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for his funeral Mass Friday, March 3, 2023. Why are womens bodies under attack from autoimmune diseases? David was a friend of souls, Cunnane told the congregation during the homily. As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. It was the second day of a trio of memorial services dedicated to the beloved San Gabriel Valley bishop, who was found shot to death Feb. 18 in his Hacienda Heights home. And now Cork man that he is has left without saying goodbye. He was a dear friend and brother, Garcetti, whod known OConnell for 20 years, said in an interview after the Mass. 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." Voters will soon get a say, Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell during a, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The Sheriffs department has not offered further details on the circumstances of his death, which is under investigation. Im not standing here in front of you telling you its a dispute over money yet, Sheriff Luna said. O'Connell was born in County Cork, Ireland, and ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, the diocesan news site Angelus News reported. Sheriff Luna said the motive remained under investigation. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Around 11 a.m., the mourners stood as dozens of church leaders proceeded to the cathedrals altar. 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 suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. One day earlier, Gomez said O'Connell had "passed away unexpectedly," but gave no additional details. That inspired him to organize. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, He said that over the last week many people had shared their last words with Bishop OConnell. [ Bishop David OConnell obituary: Progressive cleric from Cork who spent his life in Los Angeles ] Monsignor Jarlath Cunnane, a Sligo born friend of five decades to The younger OConnell described how his uncle ended every phone call by telling his nephew how proud of him he was. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere.. The church pews filled an hour before the Mass. The Rev. There is no known motive for the murder on February 18th. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement that Bishop OConnell was an active member of our Conference and a champion for the poor and marginalized who had previously led its antipoverty initiative. pulling into the bishops driveway and then leaving a short time later, the sheriff said. Watch for these changes, Pope Francis approves miracle to pave way to beatification of Elisabetta Martinez. 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.. A man in his sixties been charged with his murder. He helped restore trust between residents and law enforcement by organizing meetings with police officers in peoples homes and providing opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation in the aftermath of the 1992 LA riots. You are a good man, Man you are on fire, to quote just a few.. Hutchings holds a B.A. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. This level of trust has helped us over many different crises over the last almost 30 years to be able to talk things through..