Known as “the Peacemaker,” he was so loved by his parishioners and respected by his peers that Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles in 2015.
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He was known as “the Peacemaker”, so loved by his parishioners and appreciated by peers that in 2015 Pope Francis had appointed him auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. Huge, therefore, the shock and sadness Archbishop David O’Connell was found shot in the chest in a Los Angeles neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. The message came from Archbishop José Gomez himself: “We have no words to express our sorrow. As a priest and later as a bishop, David was a man of deep faith, a man of peace, with a heart for the needs of the poor and immigrants, and a passion for building communities.”
THE HINTS
As of yesterday afternoon, the police had not found any evidence of possible perpetrators. He hadn’t even identified the person who called 911 to report that there was “one injured person who was not breathing and bleeding” at 1500 Janlu Avenue in the Hacienda Heights residential area. Last night, the archdiocese said O’Connell died “unexpectedly,” while authorities confirmed it was a “murder.” Instead, they asked anyone with information to contact the police and also provided an anonymous information number. Certainly the bishop worked in the most difficult and poorest neighborhoods in the city, in the south area of Los Angeles.
David O’Connell was born in Ireland in 1953, studied in Dublin and has been in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1979, serving as a priest in various parishes and becoming a member of the Interdiocesan Immigration Assistance Team in Southern California, where he helped promote Church action to coordinate for families from Central America. Recently he has had pastoral duties in the Church of S. Frances Cabrini and in the Church of the Ascension, that is, he had two parishes for a total of 4000 families and two schools in areas affected by serious problems of survival. However, he was known and loved for his tireless work for migrants and especially for children, whose school enrollment he favored and many of whom returned the favor not only by graduating but also by continuing their studies and obtaining a degree. He spent a lot of time encouraging parishioners to get organized and making specific demands of the council, like creating playgrounds for the little ones or maybe just better road signs for their safety. Archbishop José Gomez did not hide his emotion: “He was also a good friend of mine and I will miss him very much. I know everyone will miss him.” Last night, dozens of people gathered outside the house where his body was found to light candles and pray. Many of those present remembered seeing his at the anti-abortion demonstrations Marching side, describing him as “a loving and kind man,” “humble,” and always “generous and ready to help whatever the parishioner’s problem is.” Someone also recalled the words that O’Connell had expressed when he was briefed on the election of Pope Francis: “I didn’t expect it, I didn’t think I had the profile for such a position. But then I remembered that Pope Francis wants to select ‘pastors’ who are an active part of their communities, and then I thought maybe he chose me because I worked so much in the communities.”
THE MUNICIPALITIES
O’Connell already had 37 years as a priest in various parishes to his credit: “Being a pastor for an area for so many years means getting to know the people, their children – he said on that day in August 2015 – they married them , you baptized their children, you married their children. They know where to go when they need help. You can be part of their struggles: fight to help immigrants, to help the poor, to help those in need. You can be part of so many families. It’s a very meaningful way of life.”
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