OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The wound wont be easily healed. 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 said after being named a bishop in 2015. An estimated 5,000 people, from elected officials to clergy from around the world, converged on the countys spiritual center of Catholicism. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. Why must women still trade their personal stories to get decent healthcare? Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. He added that he looks forward to returning to California from Rome to follow in ODonnells footsteps and mentor others into the faith. ". 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. And of course in Ireland. The firearms will need to be tested to determine whether either one was used in the fatal shooting, Sheriff Luna said. OConnells ministry will be forever memorialized by the people he helped and the support be it assistance with an asylum application, or merely a friendly smile. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Monsignor Jarlath Cunnane delivers the homily for his long-time friend, Bishop David OConnell, at the Funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. In a Wednesday press conference, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascn said that Carlos Medina of Torrance, the suspect in custody, has admitted to murdering the bishop. David OConnell was predeceased by his parents, Joan and David, and his siblings Liam, Don and Geraldine. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Sisters 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. 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. (Victor Alemn). (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), The Funeral Mass begins for Bishop David OConnell at Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 3, 2023. 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. A red velvet rope kept mourners at a slight distance. 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. 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 Heights. 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. (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. It was standing-room only in the cavernous Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, where the funeral Mass for Bishop David G. OConnell was held Friday morning. 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 joked that he looked at him and the dog so at peace that sometimes he fancied that the dog had learned the rosary!. It is a privilege to be part of peoples lives, especially in their time of suffering and need. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Jose Gomez places a bible on the casket of Bishop David OConnell at Funeral Mass held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA Friday, March 3, 2023. He was just this light that radiated so much positivity, love and encouragement, she said. 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. He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. Photograph: Getty Images. But I didnt. 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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Watch for these changes, Pope Francis approves miracle to pave way to beatification of Elisabetta Martinez. 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. "Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad," Pimentel said. He was 69. Leave a sympathy message to the family in usually in the mountains focusing on how to be good fathers and husbands, something he saw as key to the health of a community. 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. We are all heartbroken. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. They were always words of affirmation. How the biggest companies plan mass layoffs, Greece train crash: Rescuers to wrap up search operation, Thinking Anew Speaking the language of compassion. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. in communication and M.S. (Jay L. Clendenin / LA Times) And he was faithful to me all the time I was in the hospital every day. 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. When he heard the news of OConnells murder, Cunnane said he was speechless and shocked.. WebOBITUARY NOTIFICATIONS. He said a Cork man might leave without saying goodbye but a Sligo man might say goodbye but he wouldnt leave.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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.". Born in Springfield on February 20, 1935, he was a son of the late Thomas and Mary (Lacey) OConnell. The He is also survived by nieces and nephews. 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. His story is worth sharing. He loved his brothers and sisters to the end.. 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. 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. 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. 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. Respect each other. The Rev. OConnell would later tell how he was, in Washington, D.C., testifying before a panel on Capitol Hill. 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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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. Mourners broached the entrance of the cathedral, nestled in the heart of Downtown L.A., early on Friday to be part of the communion to honor OConnell. So there was some kind of a maybe working relationship, but were still trying to figure out what that relationship was.. 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 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. He is survived by his brother Kieran and extended family. There was an outpouring of grief among the communities in which he worked when the news emerged that he had been shot dead at his home in Hacienda Heights. 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. (Photo by Dean Musgrove). Bishop Dave O'Connell speaks at the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress Aug. 13, 2022. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with whom he OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. In it, he talks about his emotional visit to Lourdes, where he felt the presence of Our Lady. He also prayed with grieving parishioners. He is based out of the Boston area. Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. But eventually, the sun broke the gloom. 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. (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. Carlos Medina has admitted to murdering the bishop, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascn said in a press conference Wednesday. 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.. Lend an ear and listen to people. He wore a white bishop mitre. 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. The Bishop introduced his nieces and nephews to all LA had to offer when they were young including Disneyland, Universal Studios and their favourite breakfast eatery, Dennys. Joe holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from The Catholic University of America. . The Los Angeles Times described him as one of the regions most beloved clerics. 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 "And it's been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. 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. March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. Helping, supporting and generally being the face of Jesus for me and many many others. 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.. Apu OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Many US and Hispanic friends commented approvingly on his fluent Spanish spoken in a strong Irish accent, despite the years abroad. 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. As will the thousands of others whom OConnell had comforted. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. And we thought we really had achieved a lot of progress. On Wednesday, there will be a memorial Mass for OConnell at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 1345 Turnbull Canyon Rd. The suspect had been at the bishops house before, doing work, Sheriff Luna said. David Michael O'Connell, 64, passed away on September 25, 2017 after a battle with cancer. 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. Reyes said that Bishop OConnell ordained his class of new priests two years ago. 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. A police chase is underway involving a possible shooting suspect. 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. That inspired him to organize. He was the one we went to for advice and support. Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2015. 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. I Heres what we know, Governors declaration allows Los Angeles County to get reimbursed, Who will replace ex-LA councilmember Nury Martinez? Obituary of David O'Connell, 64. And its very sad that were gathered here today to talk about his murder in this way.. Around 11 a.m., the mourners stood as dozens of church leaders proceeded to the cathedrals altar. 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. 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 had friends up and down the social scale. 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. DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY. (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. After ordination, he served as associate pastor in several parishes and as the lead pastor at St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension, St. Eugene and St. Michaels parishes all in LA. 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. He went to Glounthaune National School and continued to Farranferris College in Cork city. Bishop David O'Connell's nephew remembered him as 'a comedian' who introduced his nieces and nephews to Disneyland and Denny's. 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. 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. The church pews filled an hour before the Mass. (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. A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. 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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Ron DeSantis to visit Orange County for GOP fundraiser, David O'Connell: Mass held for slain LA bishop, The Issue Is: NSC's John Kirby talks Ukraine, China and his own military service, Families asked to clear gas lines amid leaks happening across San Bernardino County homes, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' Actor, Dies at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, 'We need help': Stranded Lake Arrowhead residents plead for assistance amid food and medication shortages. He spoke of always seeing his friend approaching him in the parking lot with his dog leash in one hand and his Padre Pio rosary in the other. 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. The 69-year-old OConnell, Pope Francis named O'Connell an auxiliary bishop in 2015. The authorities said the man in custody was the husband of the bishops housekeeper. 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. Many young immigrants, Hamilton added, likely would not have been granted asylum without OConnells work. (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. (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 said Bishop OConnell was a kindly uncle who always had an encouraging word for them growing up. This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community, Sheriff Luna said. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Irish-born Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, David OConnell, who was shot dead last month was so beloved in the community that his funeral remembrances took place over three days culminating in his interment in a crypt in a Cathedral on Friday. Cunnanes homily managed to make the crowd both laugh and cry. David served in the US Army as Private First Class during the Korean War and worked for BASF 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. Michael David OConnell, Sr., 73 of Allegan, Michigan, passed away early Friday morning, October 1, 2021 at Holland Hospital. 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. He feared I was going to say goodbye. It was solemn yet emotionally riotous. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), A standing room only crowd 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. That was part of our work as a Church, to try to provide spaces for conversations, he told CNA in a 2020 interview.