Warm tributes have been paid by church and civic leaders in California to murdered Cork-born Bishop David O’Connell for his work over four decades in helping poor and disadvantaged people in Los Angeles.
Archbishop Jose Gomez led the tributes to Bishop O’Connell when he availed of the opportunity at a police press conference, announcing the arrest of a suspect, to pay tribute to the late Auxiliary Bishop O’Connell for his tireless campaigning for immigrants and the poor.
“Bishop Dave was a good friend and out of his love of God, he served this city for more than 40 years… every day he showed compassion to the poor, the homeless the immigrant and all those living on society’s margins – he was a good priest and a man of peace, and we are very sad to lose him.”
Archbishop Gomez became quite emotional during his brief address in both English and Spanish and he had to be comforted by some of his fellow speakers on the podium as he asked for prayers for Bishop O’Connell and his family as well as the police officers who arrested a suspect in the case.
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Local California state senator Bob Archuleta, who represents southeastern Los Angeles County, also paid tribute to Bishop O’Connell, recalling his role as a peacemaker among Los Angeles gang districts as well his work with communities across the city and beyond.
“Bishop O’Connell has touched all of us – in my community at Long Beach, he served throughout this county and everywhere he went, be it East Los Angeles or here in the suburbs, wherever it was, the Bishop touched everyone,” Mr Archuleta said.
“He had the ability to walk the streets wherever he went, bringing people together – he was truly a man of the cloth, bringing gang members together – when the gang leaders were ready to fight, the father was there – it’s a calling and he answered that calling.”
Chair of the Los Angeles (LA) board of supervisors, Janice Hahn echoed Mr Archuleta’s words, describing Bishop O’Connell as someone she first met over 40 years ago and someone whom she was proud to call a friend from their work together in various communities in the city.
“Bishop O’Connell was a long-time friend of mine – I first met him when I was on the Los Angeles City Council and represented Watts and he was a pastor at Ascension Catholic Church in south LA and he and I worked with gang members and with the community,” she said.
“He was known to walk among the people, he reached out to gang members, to the homeless, to the transients, he was the help of the helpless and the hope of the hopeless and he knew that serving God meant serving man and especially the most vulnerable in our society.
“He devoted himself to supporting immigrants, not only making sure that they had food and shelter but even helping immigrant children, unaccompanied minors get into Catholic schools and into college – his heart was boundless – the Catholics of Los Angeles have lost an incredible leader.”
Former US decretory of labour under the Obama administration and local LA county supervisor for Hacienda Heights where Bishop O’Connell lived, Hilda Solis, also recalled the late bishop’s dedication to helping immigrants and the poor.
“I have known Bishop O’Connell since my time in Congress and I was deeply saddened and my heart broke when I heard that my friend’s life was senselessly taken away from all of us – from his family, his parishioners and the community he had devoted his life to,” she said.
“I have so many fond memories of the two of us advocating for immigration reform and as a witness to his devotion and care to the most vulnerable, I can say it was deep, genuine and palpable – Bishop Dave was the real deal.”
