Bishop David O’Connell was Irish, but he died an Angeleno through and through.
And now, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has established a chapel dedicated to the slain bishop, ranging from his faith journey to and through the City of Angels.
O’Connell, 69, the diocese’s top priest in the San Gabriel Valley, was found dead of a gunshot wound on Feb. 18 inside his Hacienda Heights home.
The shooting shook the region, its ripples ranging from Southern California’s Roman Catholic community to the Vatican.
The chapel, announced officially to the public on St. Patrick’s Day, offers a glimpse of a priest who church leaders and parishioners say was a “peacemaker” in L.A., whether it was coordinating the church’s response to immigrant children and families from Central America, working with young people, or as a mentor for younger priests.
Inside …
There are the photos of O’Connell’s family and ministry.
There’s the assortment of his liturgical vestments, such as his chasuble, miter and pectoral cross.
There are the personal items such as handwritten notes. His Bible. A rosary.
By all accounts, O’Connell was as funny as he was vigilant about the plight of immigrants and the poor.
Inside the chapel sits a book of jokes that he would consult.
Archbishop José H. Gomez described O’Connell, 69, as “a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant.”
Gomez invited the public to come see the chapel, housed at the Cathedral and open to all.
“We have made a beautiful, prayerful chapel to our beloved friend,” he said in announcing the chapel. “I hope many will be able to come and celebrate the life of Bishop O’Connell, which was truly a life lived for Jesus.”
Though a native of Ireland, O’Connell had been a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years.
His body was discovered when a deacon went to O’Connell’s home to check on him, because O’Connell was apparently late for a meeting, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
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. Luna said two firearms were recovered at Medina’s home.
Medina is the husband of O’Connell’s housekeeper, and he also performed handyman work at the bishop’s home, authorities said. He has been charged with murder, and District Attorney George Gascón said that Medina had confessed to the crime, although a motive remains unknown.
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.
At the time of his death, O’Connell was vicar for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Pastoral Region, a post he had since 2015, when Pope Francis appointed him as an auxiliary bishop for the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
By then, O’Connell’s ministry in Los Angeles had make a big mark. He’d served as associate pastor at St. Raymond Catholic Church in Downey, St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Long Beach, and St. Hilary Church of Perpetual Adoration in Pico Rivera and then as pastor of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension, St. Eugene and St. Michael’s parishes, all in Los Angeles.
His mark on the region was illustrated in the thousands who attended three Masses early this month, from his home parish in Hacienda Heights to his funeral Mass at the Cathedral on March 3.
The Cathedral was no new place for O’Connell, at ease speaking to the masses whether it was the giant sanctuary or a small chapel in the San Gabriel Valley.
In it, O’Connell spoke to a sanctuary full of those suffering from illness, musing on the biblical stories of Jesus’ miracles and the story of the Virgin Mary, a major symbol in the church. He reflected on the story of Christ’s love for his mother, Mary, a reflection, he said, that offers hope for those who need healing in their lives.
For instance, he helped lead the Mass for the sick on Feb. 11, the church’s Malta World Day of the Sick, at the downtown Cathedral.
He spoke of his own pilgrimage to Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, in France, a revered site for Catholics, which spurred memories of his own mother.
“I began to weep because immediately what came into my heart and my mind was the memory of when I would go home to Ireland, when my mother was alive,” he told parishioners. “She would be waiting for me… And it was always such a joy to see her. And it was a joy to see how happy she was when I was home. And when I went to Lourdes last time, that was exactly the same feeling I got, I could feel her love for me, welcoming me home.”
As much as he embraced his Irish roots, O’Connell became an Angelino, so much so that his remains were interred at the Cathedral’s Mausoleum, the chapel not far away.
“We hope this exhibit not only honors the life and ministry of Bishop Dave, but above all, inspires us to follow his example of joyful witness to Jesus Christ,” said Fr. Parker Sandoval, Archdiocese’s vice-chancellor, in charge of the exhibit.
The chapel is open any of the hours that Cathedral is open, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends
Related links
‘Bishop Dave’ remembered for his ‘special love’ for the poor, as LA County Catholics begin three days of goodbyes
Catholics say final farewell to their friend, Bishop David O’Connell
Bishop’s killing shocks San Gabriel Valley communities already shaken from mass shooting
What we know about the suspect in Bishop David O’Connell’s killing
Bishop David O’Connell’s funeral marked an end, but sparks new questions on next steps