"It's a shock and I have no words to express my sadness. The news of the tragic death of Bishop David OConnell in Los Angeles has sent shockwaves across his native Diocese of Cork and Ross, said Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross. The KCAL News Staff is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on KCALNews.com and CBSLA.com. | Courtesy of Southern California Renewal Communities, Southern California Immigration Task Force, Keep humanity the focus of tech innovations, says new Vatican-approved ethics guide, Archbishop Fernndez defends controversial book as catechesis for teens, Sheen rally coming to Illinois aims to reignite his beatification Mass, Catholic priest shares inside look of accompanying a man on death row, Church in Colombia to collaborate with government in search for remains of disappeared, Never take human life for granted, Archbishop Cordileone says after second mass shooting, Los Angeles archbishop prays for victims of shooting at dance studio. The greater Los Angeles community reacted to the news of O'Connell's death via social media, including Supervisor Janice Hahn, other high-ranking church officials throughout the country and the Sheriff's Department. Detectives are investigating the death of Bishop O'Connell as a homicide, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Slaying of beloved L.A. bishop brings disbelief, mourning - Los Angeles Associate Pastor- Fr. #LASD Homicide Detectives Responding to a Shooting Death Investigation, 1500 block of Janlu Avenue, #HaciendaHeightshttps://t.co/3EvBkUPLUL pic.twitter.com/p5IirUppMr, LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) February 18, 2023, The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, the release said, adding, Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.. The shooting death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell Saturday is being investigated as a homicide, authorities have confirmed. The riots broke out during Father OConnells first tour at St. Frances X. Cabrini Church (1988-1998). 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. 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. He later described his role in the rebuilding of the historic church as one of support and encouragement.. 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. Facebook/David OConnell The Sheriffs department has not offered further details on the circumstances of his death, which is under investigation. The funeral Mass for Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell was held Friday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. O'Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015. The shooting death of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. OConnell Saturday is being investigated as a homicide, authorities have confirmed. Please know that you are not alone in your grief and that @lasdhq is here to support you. Bishop David O'Connell was found suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on peoples lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond. He didnt hold back his words. This city has lost one of its most beautiful angels.". Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. I was fortunate to work with him during my time on the city council and again as Supervisor. Pastor - Fr. He studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin and was ordained to serve in the archdiocese in 1979. auxiliary + bishop. Housekeeper's husband is arrested in slaying of L.A. Bishop David G. O L.A. bishop's death investigated as homicide, authorities say - Los 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. O'Connell, who was born in Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Francis in 2015. His top post was of a Bishop OConnell: Memorial Mass marking CA 50 Years Legal Abortion, but it dates to 2017. Market data provided by Factset. Baltimore, MD 21201 Carlos Medina, 61, was arrested around 8:15 a.m. Feb. 20 following an hourslong standoff at his home in the 2400 block of Kenwood Avenue in Torrance. (Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images). No additional details were released. St. Dorothy Catholic School. We are deeply disturbed and saddened by this news, Los Angeles Archbishop Jos Gomez said in a statement Sunday. pic.twitter.com/zdtEN25DGE, Bishop Dave, who was shot to death in his home today, was there for every child and family I have represented. pulling into the bishops driveway and then leaving a short time later, the sheriff said. O'Connell was shot in his home, according to deputies. Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell, 69, was a native of Ireland who had worked with the poor in the South Los Angeles area for 45 years. Bishop Dave, as he was known, was episcopal vicar for the archdioceses San Gabriel Pastoral Region since2015, when Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop. He is the husband of Bishop O'Connell's housekeeper, according to Sheriff Robert Luna, who said that the suspect had previously done work at the bishop's home as well during a press conference on Monday. Carlos Medina, the 61-year-old husband of the housekeeper for. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department posted a statement on Facebook Sunday addressed to the grieving South L.A. community. St. Louis, Mo., Feb 21, 2023 / 10:40 am David O'Connell, an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles who was shot and killed over the weekend, is being mourned in his home country of Ireland.. Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles David O'Connell, 69, was shot in his home at about 1 p.m. Saturday on the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue in Hacienda Heights, according to. 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., Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, tweeted, I was very sad to learn of the passing of Bishop OConnell. Bishop OConnell said in a July 2015 interview with Angelus, the publication of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, that being a pastor in South Central Los Angeles had been the great joy of my life., Its been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years, he said. The shooting happened around 1 p.m. local time inside a home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue in Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, television station KABC reported. 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. He had suffered a gunshot wound and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, sheriffs officials said. David O'Connell was an auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese who was found dead inside a California home on February 18, 2023, according to the Archbishop of Los Angeles. Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church. Bishop Dave O'Connell speaks at the Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress Aug. 13, 2022. Shannon Mullen is the Editor-in-Chief of CNA. Suicide was ruled out overnight after OConnell was found dead after a medical emergency call on Saturday afternoon in a home, ABC News correspondent Alex Stone tweeted. And let us pray for law enforcement officials as they continue their investigation into this terrible crime., In an earlier statement, Gmez described OConnell as 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. 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. Paige St. John covers criminal justice, disasters and investigative stories for the Los Angeles Times from Northern California. "Please join me in praying for Bishop Dave and for his family in Ireland. David O'Connell, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was fatally shot in the incident in Hacienda Heights, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. A native of Ireland, OConnell, 69, ministered to immigrants, the poor, and victims of gang violence for 45 years in the South Los Angeles area. Bishop David O'Connell Murder: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Since his ordination to the priesthood, hes served as Associate Pastor at St. Raymond in Downey, St. Maria Goretti in Long Beach, and St. Hillary in Pico Rivera, and then as Pastor of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension Catholic Church, St. Eugene and St. Michael Parishes. . Legal Statement. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere.. Kenwood Ave reopened. He is a Knight of Peter Claver. David OConnell, an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, leading a memorial service in 2020. He also served as a member of the Priest Pension Board, and currently serves on the Together in Mission Board as well as the Archdiocesan Finance Council, and continues to be a long-time member of the Council of Priests. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department later tweeted that Bishop OConnell was a guiding light for so many, and his legacy will continue to live on.. 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. 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. There, Bishop OConnell ministered to a community afflicted by gang violence, poverty, broken families, as well as tensions between locals and members of Los Angeles Police Department and the LA Sheriffs Department that eventually boiled over during the LA riots in 1992 that followed the beating of Rodney King by police officers. According to a statement from the archdiocese, OConnell, who was born in 1953 in County Cork, Ireland, was named an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese by Pope Francis in 2015. Father Albert Avenido of the Sacred Heart church in Covina held a special memorial Mass on Janlu Avenue after the death, according to the Daily News, which quoted Avenido as saying, Its a complete shock., He described OConnell to the Daily News as a very approachable and friendly bishop and incredibly generous with his time.. Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media. / KCAL News. Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was a "man of deep prayer," an official said. During Mass on Saturday Archbishop Jos H. Gomez said, "Our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell has passed away unexpectedly. He is a Knight of Peter Claver, according to the biography. David OConnell was an auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese who was found dead inside a California home on February 18, 2023, according to the Archbishop of Los Angeles. The authorities were called to the bishops home on Saturday afternoon by a deacon, who went there after Bishop OConnell, 69, did not show up for a meeting, Sheriff Luna said. | Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images), Keep humanity the focus of tech innovations, says new Vatican-approved ethics guide, Archbishop Fernndez defends controversial book as catechesis for teens, Sheen rally coming to Illinois aims to reignite his beatification Mass, Catholic priest shares inside look of accompanying a man on death row, Church in Colombia to collaborate with government in search for remains of disappeared, LA Auxiliary Bishop David OConnell shot and killed. Suspect Confesses to the Murder of Bishop David O'Connell, LA So there was some kind of a maybe working relationship, but were still trying to figure out what that relationship was.. Shooting death of LA Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell in Hacienda The authorities said the man in custody was the husband of the bishops housekeeper. As a pastor, OConnell also saw firsthand the effect of broken families on the community. The suspect in a Catholic bishop's killing is held on $2M bail Los Angeles Archdiocese Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell was found dead with a gunshot wound at his home. The killing of the beloved bishop sent shock waves through the Los Angeles Catholic community, prompting some parishioners to go to the scene of the O'Connell's death to pray. Bishop Dave and I were ordained auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles seven years ago. "We got a lot more steps we have to take to make more determination to what's happening.". Former Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti issued a statement on Sunday, which said: "I'm so deeply saddened by the death of longtime peacemaker and fighter for justice, Bishop David O'Connell. He dedicated his priesthood to serving the poor. Los Angeles Auxilary Bishop David OConnell, a popular priest in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for many years known for his work ministering to immigrants, the poor, and victims of gun violence in South LA, was shot and killed Saturday, authorities said. He was the kind of person that, when he walked in the room, everyone felt better, Bishop Barron said. coadjutor bishop; It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness, the archbishop said. Bishop David OConnell, with one of my young clients. David O'Connell was the auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles Archdiocese who was found dead in a home on February 18, 2023. according to the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez wrote in a statement, LA Daily News reporter Clara Harter wrote. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OConnell made headlines when he led a blessing of the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas as he held up a monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament from a nearby lookout. A suspect in the killing of Bishop David O'Connell is held on $2M bail He has received numerous national reporting awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Linda Dakin-Grimm, an immigration lawyer in California, tweeted a photo of OConnell with one of her young clients. Husband of housekeeper arrested over fatal shooting of bishop in Los Auxiliary Bishops Bishop David G. O'Connell The Most Reverend David G. O'Connell is the Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, one of the five Pastoral Regions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. When you would attend his ceremonies, it was like a gift of healing.".