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. He held a rosary. After ordination, he served as associate pastor in several parishes and as pastor at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church, Ascension Church, St. Eugene Church, and St. Michael Church all in South LA. Mayors Eric Garcetti and James Hahn, and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. Gartland said that she was impressed by how well organized the viewing was, allowing everyone to go up to see OConnell and say goodbye. I regard it as a great blessing in my life to have had the opportunity to serve here. Medina is the husband of O'Connell's housekeeper, and he also performed handyman work at the bishop's home, authorities said. And he was faithful to me all the time I was in the hospital every day. 270 Main Street Watertown, MA DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY O'CONNELL, David Michael Of Watertown, March 31, 2020. 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. He loved his brothers and sisters to the end.. The bishops simple, red, mahogany casket with bronze knobs and ivory lining sat at the front of the Cathedral. 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. 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. 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. 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. On Saturday, Feb. 18, authorities found OConnell, 69, dead by gunshot wound at his Hacienda Heights home. 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. 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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. His story is worth sharing. Monsignor Cunnane said that Bishop OConnell had a particular fondness for Guinness which he described with his typical comedic touch as being all black with a white collar a bit like a priest. "Bishop O'Connell was a guiding light for so many, and his legacy will continue to live on," the department said in a statement. WebOBITUARY NOTIFICATIONS. He is also survived by nieces and nephews. I Obituary. 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), Archbishop Jose Gomez 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. (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. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. (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. 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. Out of his love for God, he served this city for more than 40 years as an immigrant from Ireland, he said. Man Arrested in Killing of Auxiliary Bishop Had Worked at His House, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/19/us/bishop-david-oconnell-shot-hacienda-heights.html. [Church pays tributes to murdered Cork-born Bishop David OConnell], [World Meeting of Families accused of blacklisting liberal Catholic group]. But I didnt. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Throughout the day, visitors waited in lines that stretched outside the Cathedral for the chance to approach and walk by OConnells body, which lay in an open casket. Deputies found the bishop in bed with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body, Sheriff Luna said. 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. I was always impressed with Father Daves street smarts, compassion, and willingness to challenge people in power around a variety of issues, including immigrant rights, housing justice, racism, and public safety, Prof Dreier wrote in a tribute after his death. A transcript of his last recorded homily, delivered one week before he was killed, is on the Catholic news website angelusnews.com. 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 Ramon Reyes, from Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale, echoed another theme through the week that OConnell was a model of service for a generation. Bishop David OConnell who has died, aged 69, was originally from Cork but spent his Catholic ministry in Los Angeles where he was a community leader and vocal campaigner on behalf of immigrants and marginalised people. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained in 1979, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles said. It was revealed in a press conference Monday that Medina is the husband of OConnells housekeeper, who remains unnamed. Those tensions eventually boiled over during the LA riots in 1992 that followed the videotaped beating of Rodney King by police officers. Mr OConnell thanked all those who had assisted in the police investigation following the murder of his uncle. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Mass is given to 4,000 attendees at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels during the Funeral Mass for Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles, CA, Friday, March 3, 2023. The younger OConnell described how his uncle ended every phone call by telling his nephew how proud of him he was. Hutchings holds a B.A. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all of his heart and all of his strength. OConnell, 69, was born in County Cork, in the south of the Republic of Ireland. He said a Cork man might leave without saying goodbye but a Sligo man might say goodbye but he wouldnt leave.. But on Friday, during a moment in which the prosaic gave way to the reverential, LA Countys Catholics said a final goodbye to their friend and spiritual shepherd. He noted that the bishop was a great supporter of the Diocesan Mission to South America and ensured that it was included in LAs annual mission appeal. OConnell played a key role in sponsoring the enrollment of several young immigrants in Catholic schools. 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 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. He was a father figure for a lot of us, he said. 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. "Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad," Pimentel said. 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. David O'Connell passed away in Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania. He was a dear friend and brother, Garcetti, whod known OConnell for 20 years, said in an interview after the Mass. OConnell was at the scene hours after the early morning fire, rosary in hand, to grieve and pray with shocked parishioners. He said Bishop OConnell was a kindly uncle who always had an encouraging word for them growing up. 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. 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. (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. Respect each other. I am here. Church pays tributes to murdered Cork-born Bishop David OConnell, World Meeting of Families accused of blacklisting liberal Catholic group, Southern California Immigration Task Force, Betty Boothroyd obituary: First woman speaker of the House of Commons famed for her warmth and wit, Frank Feely obituary: The man who ran Dublin, Jo Egan dramatist with a strong commitment to feminism and social justice, Henry McDonald: Leading journalist and author of authoritative books on the Troubles, Roy Lilley: courageous editor of Belfast Telegraph during worst of the Troubles, Refugees told they are to be moved as hotels prepare for holiday season. Before the Mass, he remembered being OConnells shadow as the bishop mentored him into priesthood in South L.A. He was a mentor, and a spiritual father, Meyer said. With other religious leaders, he brought police officers to meetings in peoples homes in an effort to improve relations. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Everyone the West, Putin, China learned the wrong lessons from the Gorbachev era, We dont know when this war will be over, but we know this: Ukraine will be a strong, sovereign and independent nation, Arrival of Pret a Manger is not actually an act of cultural vandalism. Norma Seni Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, called O'Connell "truly a man of God" in a tweet. He healed souls. The Ballingeary native was at home on holidays in Cork at the time. (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. 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.. . There were no signs of forced entry, and no weapon was found at the home, Sheriff Luna said. David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at Beverly Hospital. March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. (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 Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. It had poignancy and humor. 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. Pope Francis named O'Connell an auxiliary bishop in 2015. (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. 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. The church pews filled an hour before the Mass. He worked to restore trust between law enforcement and residents by bringing the two together in peoples homes for dialogue. And now Cork man that he is has left without saying goodbye. David was a friend of souls, Cunnane told the congregation during the homily. 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. 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. Its currently unclear what the motive for the killing was. He wrote on mens hearts and in the minds of young children sublime words words of forgiveness, words of healing, with simple words like, Jesus, I trust in you., But more than anything else and thats the source of all that friendship we should say was a friend of Jesus Christ and Mary, our blessed mother.. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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. He was just this light that radiated so much positivity, love and encouragement, she said. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere.. 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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Heres what we know, Governors declaration allows Los Angeles County to get reimbursed, Who will replace ex-LA councilmember Nury Martinez? Archbishop Jose H Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles celebrated the Mass. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, 2023. So there was some kind of a maybe working relationship, but were still trying to figure out what that relationship was.. 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. Apu (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem stand as others pay their respects during the viewing for Bishop David OConnell at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Downtown Los Angeles, March 2, 2023. During that time, OConnell ministered to a community afflicted by gang violence and poverty. 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. (Victor Alemn). He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Clergy arrive 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. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin, and later moved to Los Angeles to begin his own ministry where he was ordained to serve by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1979. "[M]ay you rest in peace Bishop O'Connell. (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. (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. OConnell was 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. I was better for having known David OConnell. 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. 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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. He said that over the last week many people had shared their last words with Bishop OConnell. Someone what was caring, forgiving, and merciful with the community and people.. 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. But eventually, the sun broke the gloom. A red velvet rope kept mourners at a slight distance. 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. O'Connell was 69. He had a gift for telling stories and had a delightful, playful sense of humor, Bishop Barron said, adding that Bishop OConnell had once performed at a comedy clubs open mic night. 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. 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. And its very sad that were gathered here today to talk about his murder in this way.. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. That inspired him to organize. 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. David OConnell was predeceased by his parents, Joan and David, and his siblings Liam, Don and Geraldine. 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. 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.. As a pastor, OConnell also saw firsthand the effect of broken families on the community. He is survived by : his siblings, David Ball (Cody) and Susan Ridd; his sister-in-law Lola Ball; and his step-son Ian. He was ministering at St Frances Xavier Cabrini parish when the LA riots broke out in 1992, following the beating of African American motorist Rodney King by police officers. On Sunday morning, detectives found surveillance footage that shows a dark-colored S.U.V. That was part of our work as a Church, to try to provide spaces for conversations, he told CNA in a 2020 interview. (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. (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. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Please enter your information to receive emails informing you of families we are currently serving. David OConnell, the Bishops nephew, expressed the same reverence for his uncle. 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. Ruth Graham and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. Well never make it up, but maybe we can make a dent.. 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. 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. 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.". 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. Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. Obituary of David O'Connell, 64. He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community, Sheriff Luna said. 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 O'Connell was a native of Ireland and had been a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years. Why must women still trade their personal stories to get decent healthcare? OConnell would later tell how he was in Washington, D.C., testifying before a panel on Capitol Hill about violence in urban America when the riots started. Friendship was something he was good at. 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. A Cork man might leave without saying goodbye, Cunnane said. "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. Inside the church, gilded and grand, Catholic relics nestled alongside artifacts of mourning: Memorial funeral sprays, lit candles in his honor, and prayers to shepherd him to his resting place. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. On Thursday, the Rev. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with whom he At the news conference, Jos H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, thanked the authorities for taking a suspect into custody. That support, Garcetti said, was something hell always cherish and miss. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. Killings were way down in south Los Angeles. 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? ", Immigration attorney Linda Dakin-Grimm said O'Connell was "there for every child and family I have represented. Tributes to O'Connell also poured in on social media, where people expressed shock and sadness at the bishop's sudden death.