The younger OConnell, as if speaking to the heavens, told his uncle he and everyone who knew the bishop was proud of him. 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. "Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad," Pimentel said. OConnell, 69, was born in County Cork, in the south of the Republic of Ireland. At the national level, OConnell was the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. (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. (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. 270 Main Street Watertown, MA DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY O'CONNELL, David Michael Of Watertown, March 31, 2020. The grief will scar. He brought peace to souls.. Hundreds of parishioners, members of the clergy from around the L.A. area, and OConnells family packed inside the church on Wednesday night, March 1, to reflect on the priests story. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Anyone can read what you share. 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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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.. He wore a white bishop mitre. 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 Ballingeary native was at home on holidays in Cork at the time. 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. David O'Connell Obituary (1963 - 2022) - Legacy Remembers The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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. (Photo by Dean Musgrove). Obituary of David O'Connell, 64. . Cunnane, who is from Sligo, Ireland, closed his homily with an apt saying from his and OConnells shared homeland. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. David O'Connell David O'Connell Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. 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. 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? in Hacienda Heights, at 7 p.m. PST. (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. 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. Apart from aiding neighborhood recovery efforts, OConnell pushed to restore trust between the inner-city residents and law enforcement. A police chase is underway involving a possible shooting suspect. Bishop OConnell once said that being a pastor was the greatest joy of his life. 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. 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. They were always words of affirmation. Bishop OConnell once said that being a pastor was the greatest joy of his life. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. (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. (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 was a father figure for a lot of us, he said. Tributes to O'Connell also poured in on social media, where people expressed shock and sadness at the bishop's sudden death. (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. Born December 17, 1947 in Allegan, Michigan, he was the son of the late James Joseph and Amelia (Hinkle) OConnell and the husband of his only true love, Donna Jean (Stratton) OConnell. ". 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. (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. Apart from aiding neighborhood recovery efforts, OConnell pushed to restore trust between the inner-city residents and law enforcement. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Clergy from throughout the Catholic Church attend 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 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. 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 Reyes said that the large number of people attending the viewing on Thursday showed how many lives OConnell impacted. The Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross Dr Fintan Gavin, said Bishop OConnells tragic death had sent shockwaves across the diocese. He is also survived by nieces and nephews. 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. (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. In it, he talks about his emotional visit to Lourdes, where he felt the presence of Our Lady. He loved his brothers and sisters to the end.. 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. O'Connell was born in County Cork, Ireland, and ordained in the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, the diocesan news site Angelus News reported. You know, he was a beautiful witness, and I feel very blessed to have known him.. 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. David always said that there was a big difference between a Sligo man and a Cork man. "And it's been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. Visitation He organised retreats to help men become better parents and partners, and believed in the power of parish communities and schools to transform peoples lives. He said that over the last week many people had shared their last words with Bishop OConnell. 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 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. (Photo by Dean Musgrove), Flowers at 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. OConnell The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. And it was always such a joy to see her, and a joy to see how happy she was that I was home.. 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. Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. OConnell was David OConnell, an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, leading a memorial service in 2020. He joked that he looked at him and the dog so at peace that sometimes he fancied that the dog had learned the rosary!. Friendship was something he was good at. Photograph: Getty Images. David O'Connell: Funeral services announced for slain LA Bishop Cunnanes homily managed to make the crowd both laugh and cry. David OConnell 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 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. Gomez said O'Connell had served as a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years. Ruth Graham and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. He was just this light that radiated so much positivity, love and encouragement, she said. And he was faithful to me all the time I was in the hospital every day. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. The church pews filled an hour before the Mass. At ease in the corridors of power and with the powerless. As a pastor, OConnell also saw firsthand the effect of broken families on the community. This level of trust has helped us over many different crises over the last almost 30 years to be able to talk things through.. He had previously served as a pastor at several parishes in Los Angeles, including St. Michaels and St. Frances X. Cabrini. It brought a lot of peace to come today and say goodbye, she said. Funeral and public viewing set for murdered Bishop David 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. The obituary was featured in Centre Daily Times on January 19, 2021, and Scranton Times on January Joseph Bukuras is a staff writer at the Catholic News Agency. (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. 'Gripped by grace': Thousands gather for Bishop O'Connell's Father Robert Young, his friend from his secondary school days, remembered him as a very bright and capable student who was warm and sincere. Age 85. Bishop David O'Connell's nephew remembered him as 'a comedian' who introduced his nieces and nephews to Disneyland and Denny's. Reyes said that Bishop OConnell ordained his class of new priests two years ago. And thats what OConnells ministry was ultimately about, Cunnane said: friendship communion. David OConnell Norma Seni Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, called O'Connell "truly a man of God" in a tweet. 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 bishops simple, red, mahogany casket with bronze knobs and ivory lining sat at the front of the Cathedral. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Monsignor Cunnane recalled his weekly Thursday night meetings for dinner with Bishop OConnell. And we thought we really had achieved a lot of progress. David OConnell, the Bishops nephew, expressed the same reverence for his uncle. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. He spoke to the soul. Bishop OConnell cared deeply for victims of social and racial injustice and spent most of his priesthood in South Central Los Angeles, Bishop Barron said. (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. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. Sheriff Luna said the motive remained under investigation. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2015. Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all of his heart and all of his strength. Those tensions eventually boiled over during the LA riots in 1992 that followed the videotaped beating of Rodney King by police officers. How the biggest companies plan mass layoffs, Greece train crash: Rescuers to wrap up search operation, Thinking Anew Speaking the language of compassion. 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. I can honestly say that he was one of the most Christ-like men Ive known.. 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.. David Hall Obituary (1939 - 2020) | Orem, Utah Bishop David OConnell was at ease in the corridors of 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 David O'Connell Obituary The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). 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. He was a progressive within the church and told the Los Angeles Times journalist Mary McNamara that women should be ordained and clergy should be able to marry. The Sheriffs department has not offered further details on the circumstances of his death, which is under investigation. The wound wont be easily healed. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. 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.. 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 daily email newsletter to help you better understand the Church and the world. Husband of housekeeper arrested over fatal shooting of bishop in Voters will soon get a say, Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell during a, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. He feared I was going to say goodbye. (Victor Alemn). 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 (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. 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 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. 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.. 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 Bishop OConnell was also an advocate for immigrants. 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. A Sligoman would say goodbye but wouldnt leave. We need to rebuild the fabric of our relationships so we can be a hopeful world.. (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. A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. 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. 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. [Church pays tributes to murdered Cork-born Bishop David OConnell], [World Meeting of Families accused of blacklisting liberal Catholic group]. Killings were way down in south Los Angeles. He understood that grassroots organising was the only way that the poor and disenfranchised would win power and a better life.. 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. Gartland said she knew OConnell through working with Catholic schools in South L.A. when he was a pastor at St. Michaels, among a series of L.A. churches where he rooted his ministry in a community afflicted with poverty and violence. 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? OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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. At the news conference, Jos H. Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, thanked the authorities for taking a suspect into custody. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere," he added. That inspired him to organize. Even then, he had such a strong sense of fairness about him and a compassion for vulnerable people, he said. John Meyer flew in from Rome to celebrate the OConnells. Later Friday, the bishop was interred at the cathedrals underground mausoleum. Obituary 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. He came home days later to find widespread destruction in much of his parishs territory. 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. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. Three days of services will be held for OConnell, beginning on Wednesday, March 1. 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. (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. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. 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. (Jay L. Clendenin / LA Times) Obituary David served in the US Army as Private First Class during the Korean War and worked for BASF The suspect, Carlos Medina, 65, is married to Bishop OConnells housekeeper and had done work at the bishops house in Hacienda Heights, Calif., a suburban community in the San Gabriel Valley, Sheriff Robert G. Luna said at a news conference. Earlier Pope Francis sent a message paying tribute to Bishop OConnells years of devoted priestly and episcopal ministry to the Church in Los Angeles. The funeral Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 3, also at the cathedral. But weeks of mourning and remembrances culminated in the Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in Downtown Los Angeles, ending three days of funeral farewells for the man lovingly called Bishop Dave., There was also a service on Wednesday at his home parish, St. John Vianney, in Hacienda Heights, followed by a viewing and vigil on Thursday. He was arrested about six hours later when he walked out of his home, he said. You are a good man, Man you are on fire, to quote just a few.. He also took a leading role in advocating for immigrants and was chairman of the inter-diocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force. There was a trust built up between LAPD and residents. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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I regard it as a great blessing in my life to have had the opportunity to serve here. 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. He is based out of the Boston area. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. 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. The miracle involved the healing of an unborn baby girl in Rimini, Italy. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18.