A native of Cork, Ireland, David O’Connell has served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 45 years. His body has now been discovered in his home.
The death of US Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell has sparked horror. The cleric known as a peacemaker was found shot dead at his home in California over the weekend, US media reports, according to Kathpress. Investigators still have no clues regarding the perpetrator or motive. O’Connell was from Cork, Ireland and has worked in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for 45 years, serving as auxiliary bishop since 2015.
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said he was “very sad” in a statement released on Saturday. And further: “It’s a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.” O’Connell was a good friend who will be greatly missed. “He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and immigrants, 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.
O’Connell was valued in politics and society for his social commitment. For several years he worked in the slum “South Central” as a pastor for blacks and Latinos and was particularly concerned with immigration issues. Among other things, he was chairman of an organization that helps children and families who have immigrated from Central America.
(APA/KAP/KNA)
