Los Angeles County Roman Catholics continued to say their goodbyes to Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell with a public viewing today, the second day of a trio of memorial services dedicated to the slain bishop, organized by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
On Thursday morning, before the cathedral’s main sanctuary was opened to the public, a group of family and friends gathered inside. O’Connell’s body lay in an open casket, a portrait of him standing nearby. Outside, a long line of visitors waited to pay their respects.
Mourners walked up the sanctuary’s main aisle, approaching the casket to pay respects.
The public viewing and vigil Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles are the second of three back-to-back funeral services for O’Connell, 69, culminating after several days of mourning since the bishop was found shot to death Feb. 18 in his Hacienda Heights home.
The hours for the public viewing on Thursday, March 2, are from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by the Vigil Mass at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral.
Visitors to the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels line up for a viewing to pay respects to slain L.A. County bishop David O’Connell, March 2, 2023. (Photo by Dean Musgrove)
The first day of the funeral services was a memorial Mass at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Hacienda Heights, a parish that O’Connell would frequently attend. Hundreds of parishioners, members of the clergy from around the L.A. area, and O’Connell’s family packed inside the church on Wednesday night, March 1, to reflect on the priest’s story.
That story, as told by Monsignor Timothy Dyer, and the bishop’s 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.
The Wednesday night Mass also included a message from Pope Francis, who wrote of how “deeply saddened” he was on O’Connell’s death, but praised O’Connell’s 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 God’s gift of life, and his zeal for fostering solidarity, cooperation, and peace within the local community.”
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O’Connell was adored by many, such as the school children he read to, the hungry he fed, the young immigrants he helped find a foothold, the residents living in gang-ravaged areas where he fought for peace, and above all the parishioners he blessed at dozens of congregations across the region.
A funeral Mass has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, March 3, celebrated at the Cathedral as well.
All services will be livestreamed at lacatholics.org/bishop-connell.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.