More than 800 people gathered at the San Gabriel Mission Church on Saturday, Feb. 24, to remember San Gabriel Valley Bishop David O’Connell, a year and one week since the beloved Los Angeles Catholic priest was fatally shot at his Hacienda Heights home.
“We gather this morning for this memorial mass for Bishop Dave O’Connell, it is a moment to give thanks to God for his life and his ministry among us and celebrate his beautiful life,” said L.A. Archbishop Jose Gomez to parishioners, after he and priests from all over the Los Angeles diocese followed a procession led by his picture.
It was one year ago, Feb. 18, when O’Connell, 69, was found shot and killed in the bedroom of his Hacienda Heights home. The priest’s death stunned Southern California’s Roman Catholic community, including Pope Francis, who had appointed him to administer churches in the San Gabriel Valley under Gomez.
O’Connell was long on the front lines of leading and organizing for the poor, and for helping migrants find a foothold.
His ministry in the Southland began in 1979, mostly serving South L.A. It would grow to serve the poor and the marginalized – a theme that ran through his work, even when he was named auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles by Francis in July 2015.
During the homily at Saturday’s Mass, Msgr. Timothy Dyer – a good friend of O’Connell’s and pastor at St. Patrick Church in South L.A. – shared how many may still remember hearing the news of O’Connell’s death.
“Jesus and Dave O’Connell were not concerned about appearance,” Dyer said. “Like Jesus, Dave’s whole life was genuine. That’s why we’re here, we saw something. Dave did not care how he looked. He cared about who he was looking at.”
It was that intense focus on the other that Dyer said O’Connell will long be remembered for.
“I won’t be here when Rome proclaims him a saint, they wisely take a long time for a canonization,” Dyer said. “But our archbishop has…
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