I'm still sort of stunned. (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. The authorities surrounded Mr. Medinas home at about 2 a.m. and called on him to surrender, but he refused, Sheriff Luna said. (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. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, 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. OConnell was at the scene hours after the early morning fire, rosary in hand, to grieve and pray with shocked parishioners. But I didnt. 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. 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Monsignor Cunnane said that Bishop Dave was an especially loyal friend to him when he experienced sickness over the last number of years. (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. The church pews filled an hour before the Mass. The funeral Mass will be livestreamed both here and here. in journalism from the University of Southern California. 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 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. 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. He was loved. David served in the US Army as Private First Class during the Korean War and worked for BASF 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. He said that they always joked about which was the better county his native Sligo or the Bishops beloved Co Cork. Stranded Lake Arrowhead residents, including Michelle Calkins, are pleading for help on social media as the community continues to run out of food, medication, and deal with gas leak concerns. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. And, most importantly, it put words to the grief OConnells death has caused his loved ones. An estimated 5,000 people, from elected officials to clergy from around the world, converged on the countys spiritual center of Catholicism. He was arrested about six hours later when he walked out of his home, he said. The firearms will need to be tested to determine whether either one was used in the fatal shooting, Sheriff Luna said. He was a dear friend and brother, Garcetti, whod known OConnell for 20 years, said in an interview after the Mass. 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. 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 already He joked that he looked at him and the dog so at peace that sometimes he fancied that the dog had learned the rosary!. Those who knew him testify that he seemed most at ease with the working people he spent all those years with in South LA. David always said that there was a big difference between a Sligo man and a Cork man. 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. 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. Thousands more watched from the cathedrals plaza. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. Carlos Medina is the husband of the Bishops housekeeper. Gomez said O'Connell had served as a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. That story, as told by both Monsignor Timothy Dyer and the bishops own brother, was one of service, sacrifice and peacemaking in a city and county of L.A., where he built decades of goodwill after leaving his native Ireland. OConnell was dressed in a white alb robe with the Virgin de Guadalupe in color on the front. 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. Age 85. They were always words of affirmation. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. David G. OConnell, a Roman Catholic bishop, was shot in his home in Hacienda Heights, Calif., on Saturday. Around 11 a.m., the mourners stood as dozens of church leaders proceeded to the cathedrals altar. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with whom he shared 21 years of marriage. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. A police chase is underway involving a possible shooting suspect. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Members of Bishop David OConnell move his casket through Our Lady of the Angels cathedral at the end of his Vigil Mass in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was killed over the weekend. 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. John Meyer flew in from Rome to celebrate the OConnells. Killings were way down in south Los Angeles. And thats what OConnells ministry was ultimately about, Cunnane said: friendship communion. 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. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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 found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. I His work as a community leader came to the fore again during the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020 when he carried the Blessed Sacrament to a high summit in the San Gabriel valley to pray for the community below. . We all love you so much, David OConnell, the bishops nephew, said during his eulogy. 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. (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. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. 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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. Among those present were the bishops family and local dignitaries, such as former L.A. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. 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 The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. The obituary was featured in Centre Daily Times on January 19, 2021, and Scranton Times on January In a statement following O'Connell's death, Archbishop Jos H. Gomez described the 69-year-old O'Connell as a "peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant.". The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). Have patience and give everyone the chance. The Ballingeary native was at home on holidays in Cork at the time. 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. Carlos Medina, the husband of O'Connell's housekeeper has been arrested for his murder. He was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with I have heard from people in Peru and South Africa. David M. O'Connell, loving husband and father, passed away on December 12, 2018 after a brief illness. Theres a young lady that I still keep in touch with she has asylum now, shes getting straight As in school, and her sister is in the Navy.. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. He also took a leading role in advocating for immigrants and was chairman of the inter-diocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force. In response to the report that O'Connell was killed, Los Angeles Archbishop Jos H. Gomez said, "We are deeply disturbed and saddened by this news.". OConnells casket followed shortly after. OConnell was at the scene hours after the early morning fire, rosary in hand, to grieve and pray with shocked parishioners. Bishop David O'Connell (center) and Archbishop Jos H. Gomez greet people during the annual Our Lady of Guadalupe procession in Los Angeles in 2019. Later Friday, the bishop was interred at the cathedrals underground mausoleum. He understood that grassroots organising was the only way that the poor and disenfranchised would win power and a better life.. 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. Investigators later learned that Mr. Medina drove an S.U.V. Julio Cortez/AP He felt that it was his lifes mission to work with the disadvantaged poor in the wealthiest region of the US. 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. O'Connell was a native of Ireland and had been a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years. He just lifted everybody up.. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. Anyone can read what you share. 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. One day earlier, Gomez said O'Connell had "passed away unexpectedly," but gave no additional details. (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. Apart from aiding neighborhood recovery efforts, OConnell pushed to restore trust between the inner-city residents and law enforcement. 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 Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Bishop David OConnells Vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, March 2, 2023. 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. Joseph Bukuras is a staff writer at the Catholic News Agency. On Sunday morning, detectives found surveillance footage that shows a dark-colored S.U.V. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. 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. (The) presence of Christ and deep prayer, the Rev. It was solemn yet emotionally riotous. 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. The Rev. This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community, Sheriff Luna said. Respect each other. 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. Bail was set at $2 million. He said that Bishop OConnell had a special love for those who are often forgotten and live on societys margins. You know, he was a beautiful witness, and I feel very blessed to have known him.. (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. "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. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. And its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. He is based out of the Boston area. 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. Be considerate and give others the benefit of the doubt. Well never make it up, but maybe we can make a dent.. At ease in the corridors of power and with the powerless. 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. Cunnanes homily managed to make the crowd both laugh and cry. Ruth Graham and Christine Hauser contributed reporting. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. 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. Make sure that those who are close to you know that you love them and are proud of them., [Bishop David OConnell obituary: Progressive cleric from Cork who spent his life in Los Angeles]. Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. 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. This level of trust has helped us over many different crises over the last almost 30 years to be able to talk things through.. The Sheriffs department has not offered further details on the circumstances of his death, which is under investigation. David O'Connell passed away in Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania. David did soul work. 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. Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all of his heart and all of his strength. 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. It brought a lot of peace to come today and say goodbye, she said. 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. And he was faithful to me all the time I was in the hospital every day. He said that over the last week many people had shared their last words with Bishop OConnell. The bishop's body was discovered when a deacon went to the home to check on him, because O'Connell was apparently late for a meeting, Sheriff Robert Luna said earlier this week. Voters will soon get a say, Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell during a, California Republicans give a boost to Florida Gov. 270 Main Street Watertown, MA DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY O'CONNELL, David Michael Of Watertown, March 31, 2020. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. And of course in Ireland. Many US and Hispanic friends commented approvingly on his fluent Spanish spoken in a strong Irish accent, despite the years abroad. We are all heartbroken. The Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross Dr Fintan Gavin, said Bishop OConnells tragic death had sent shockwaves across the diocese. Beverly - David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly, died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, at Beverly Hospital. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. He had previously served as a pastor at several parishes in Los Angeles, including St. Michaels and St. Frances X. Cabrini. David Michael O'Connell, 64, passed away on September 25, 2017 after a battle with cancer. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. (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. 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. Heres what we know, Governors declaration allows Los Angeles County to get reimbursed, Who will replace ex-LA councilmember Nury Martinez? From the smallest family to the biggest organizations he was always there, he said. 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.. When he heard the news of OConnells murder, Cunnane said he was speechless and shocked.. (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. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time. A Sligoman would say goodbye but wouldnt leave. The 69-year-old OConnell, 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 He was a friend of souls. Luna said two firearms were recovered at Medina's home, and they were being tested to determine if either weapon was involved in the Saturday shooting. (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. 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. (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 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. It was revealed in a press conference Monday that Medina is the husband of OConnells housekeeper, who remains unnamed. He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. 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. David R. O'Connell, 58, of Beverly died on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at Beverly Hospital. 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. 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. (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. 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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 The three formal days of mourning for OConnell, while rare, seemed appropriate given his decades of shepherding his flock. Today at 11am local time the Cathedral, which holds three thousand people, was full for his requiem Mass. You are a good man, Man you are on fire, to quote just a few.. Archbishop Jose H Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles celebrated the Mass. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. Helping, supporting and generally being the face of Jesus for me and many many others. 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. Kristy Hutchings covers all things Long Beach including local government, politics, and the environment. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. Bishop David O'Connell, who was shot dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday. He wore a white bishop mitre. Joe holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from The Catholic University of America. 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. 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. 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.. There was a trust built up between LAPD and residents. 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. OConnell played a key role in sponsoring the enrollment of several young immigrants in Catholic schools. OConnell was found shot at his Hacienda Heights home on February 18. A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a "peacemaker" was found dead of a gunshot wound on Saturday. Apu Gomes/Agence France-Presse Getty Images, Bishop OConnell said in a July 2015 interview with Angelus. 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.. 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. 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. I am here. 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. 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. 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.