david o'connell obituary

He went to Glounthaune National School and continued to Farranferris College in Cork city. He was a friend of souls. Joseph Bukuras is a staff writer at the Catholic News Agency. 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. OConnell completed a degree in philosophy and English literature at UCD in 1975 and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All services will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/bishop-connell. 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.". David M. O'Connell, loving husband and father, passed away on December 12, 2018 after a brief illness. DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY. (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. He said a Cork man might leave without saying goodbye but a Sligo man might say goodbye but he wouldnt leave.. That inspired him to organize. And of course in Ireland. 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.". A transcript of his last recorded homily, delivered one week before he was killed, is on the Catholic news website angelusnews.com. But grateful to God for having had all those years a good friend to walk the road with, he said. 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. 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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. At the national level, OConnell was the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. 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. Don Ball Obituary (1954 - 2023) | Provo, Utah (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. OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. The obituary was featured in Centre Daily Times on January 19, 2021, and Scranton Times on January (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. The three formal days of mourning for OConnell, while rare, seemed appropriate given his decades of shepherding his flock. The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). in communication and M.S. pulling into the bishops driveway and then leaving a short time later, the sheriff 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 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. 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. Investigators later learned that Mr. Medina drove an S.U.V. (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. The miracle involved the healing of an unborn baby girl in Rimini, Italy. 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. The Los Angeles Times described him as one of the regions most beloved clerics. Monsignor Cunnane said that Bishop Dave was an especially loyal friend to him when he experienced sickness over the last number of years. DAVID O'CONNELL OBITUARY I knew it was going to be a big turnout because he touched and impacted so many lives.. 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. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. . (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. He brought peace to souls.. Its currently unclear what the motive for the killing was. 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. 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. Julio Cortez/AP David O'Connell Obituary (1963 - 2022) - Legacy Remembers Father Robert Young, his friend from his secondary school days, remembered him as a very bright and capable student who was warm and sincere. 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." This man, this bishop, made a huge difference in our community, Sheriff Luna said. (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. Prior to joining the Press-Telegram, she served as the Daily Breeze's lead city hall reporter. 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. I can honestly say that he was one of the most Christ-like men Ive known.. He said the housekeeper was fully cooperating with detectives. 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. Monsignor Jarlath Cunnane, a Sligo born friend of five decades to Bishop OConnell, delivered the homily at the Mass. 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. 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. He came home days later to find widespread destruction in much of his parishs territory. Anyone can read what you share. On Saturday, Feb. 18, authorities found OConnell, 69, dead by gunshot wound at his Hacienda Heights home. 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Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new details as they become available. The funeral Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 3, also at the cathedral. 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. When he heard the news of OConnells murder, Cunnane said he was speechless and shocked.. 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 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. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. We all love you so much, David OConnell, the bishops nephew, said during his eulogy. 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. Weve been forced to draw back from each other. 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 was the loving husband to Lynnette (Strople) O'Connell with whom he 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. It is a privilege to be part of peoples lives, especially in their time of suffering and need. The bishops simple, red, mahogany casket with bronze knobs and ivory lining sat at the front of the Cathedral. David OConnell 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. Fr OConnell was lauded for leadership at that time, particularly for his efforts to build trust between residents and police officers. 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. It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.. The wound wont be easily healed. Utah Obituaries - Latest Obituaries in Pleasant Grove Utah 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. Born in Springfield on February 20, 1935, he was a son of the late Thomas and Mary (Lacey) OConnell. He was a dear friend and brother, Garcetti, whod known OConnell for 20 years, said in an interview after the Mass. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Archbishop Gomez walks 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. I have heard from people in Peru and South Africa. An estimated 5,000 people, from elected officials to clergy from around the world, converged on the countys spiritual center of Catholicism. Ted Chen reports for the NBC4 News on Feb. 21, 2023. 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. Where are Catholics allowed to eat corned beef on St. Patricks Day this Lent? 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. 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. That support, Garcetti said, was something hell always cherish and miss. David O'Connell Obituary He was just this light that radiated so much positivity, love and encouragement, she said. The community mourns the loss of Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell, who was found shot dead in Hacienda Heights. (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. You are a good man, Man you are on fire, to quote just a few.. He said that Mr. Medina had not been formally charged and that investigators were continuing to examine evidence, including two firearms seized from Mr. Medinas home, where he was arrested after a standoff. Mayors Eric Garcetti and James Hahn, and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn. 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. He and other local faith leaders helped organize meetings with police officers in peoples homes and provide opportunities for dialogue and reconciliation. Man Arrested in Killing of Catholic Bishop Had Worked at His House OConnell was shot and killed at his Hacienda Heights home on Feb. 18. He made frequent visits to Ireland and liked to stress his Cork connections whenever possible. David served in the US Army as Private First Class during the Korean War and worked for BASF It brought a lot of peace to come today and say goodbye, she said. Bishop David OConnell was at ease in the corridors of Born in 1953 in County Cork, Ireland, he was ordained a priest in 1979 in Dublin, Ireland. 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. He worked to restore trust between law enforcement and residents by bringing the two together in peoples homes for dialogue. At ease in the corridors of power and with the powerless. Thousands gather at LA cathedral to mourn Bishop David David O'Connell passed away in Warriors Mark, Pennsylvania. (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. March 3, 2023 6:44 PM PT. He was the kind of person that, when he walked in the room, everyone felt better, Bishop Barron said. Funeral and public viewing set for murdered Bishop David Ramon Reyes, from Incarnation Catholic Church in Glendale, echoed another theme through the week that OConnell was a model of service for a generation. He was 69. David did soul work. . One day earlier, Gomez said O'Connell had "passed away unexpectedly," but gave no additional details. 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. 'Gripped by grace': Thousands gather for Bishop O'Connell's Southern California Immigration Task Force. People approached, some wiping away tears and others saying brief prayers before moving along. Looking back on the impact of the pandemic, OConnell remarked that Covid-19 has done a lot of damage not just to our health but to our hearts and souls.. OConnells casket followed shortly after. OConnell played a key role in sponsoring the enrollment of several young immigrants in Catholic schools. He then left for the archdiocese of Los Angeles, beginning his ministry at St Raymond parish in Downey. "And it's been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. David OConnell was originally from Brooklodge, near Glanmire, Co Cork, and was one of five children born to David and Joan OConnell. I'm still sort of stunned. Today at 11am local time the Cathedral, which holds three thousand people, was full for his requiem Mass. ", Immigration attorney Linda Dakin-Grimm said O'Connell was "there for every child and family I have represented. I am very sad this afternoon to report that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell has passed away unexpectedly, said Archbishop Jos H. Gomez of Los Angeles in a, soon after receiving word of his death. Pablo Kay is the Editor-in-Chief of Angelus. He was the chairman of the interdiocesan Southern California Immigration Task Force, helping coordinate the local churchs response to the influx of migrants from Central America in recent years and navigating the challenges presented by changing immigration policies. Gartland said that she was impressed by how well organized the viewing was, allowing everyone to go up to see OConnell and say goodbye. 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. Bishop OConnell funeral: Nearly 5,000 pack cathedral to honor his 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. We are heartbroken. Carlos Medina is the husband of the Bishops housekeeper. The authorities said the man in custody was the husband of the bishops housekeeper. 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. 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. The grief will scar. 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. 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And we thought we really had achieved a lot of progress. 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.. Apart from aiding neighborhood recovery efforts, OConnell pushed to restore trust between the inner-city residents and law enforcement. You will always be kept in our minds and in our hearts, he added, as you kept us in yours.. Cunnane called OConnell an effective organizer for those on the margins. Los Angeles Sheriffs Department Sheriff Robert Luna said at that press conference that Medina had done work at the bishops residence as well. David OConnell Pope Francis named O'Connell an auxiliary bishop in 2015. The suspect in the shooting, 61-year-old Carlos Medina, has been charged with the murder. ". With other religious leaders, he brought police officers to meetings in peoples homes in an effort to improve relations. But now the Cork man that he is has left without saying goodbye. He said that Bishop OConnell had a special love for those who are often forgotten and live on societys margins. 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. 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