Reflections on a Priest’s Passing

So a beloved Bishop was shot and killed recently in Los Angeles.

The bullet took the life of a Bishop, Father David O’Connell from Cork, Ireland. According to reports, he met Cardinal Manning on a trip some years ago, which led him to follow the priesthood in Dublin, which eventually led to his parish in Los Angeles.

According to all reports, he was a kind and generous person, who made it his life mission to help people from all backgrounds. One thing I noticed is that he “spoke Spanish fluently, but spoke with an Irish accent.” Made me laugh. Irish is such a musical language, Spanish is as well — the combination must have been a fun one to hear. “Dos tacos por favor, if you don’t mind me askin’.”

Bishop David G. O’Connell

The fella with the goatee.

“The Most Reverend David G. O’Connell is the Episcopal Vicar of the San Gabriel Pastoral Region, one of the five Pastoral Regions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Bishop O’Connell received a BA in Philosophy and English Literature from the University College Dublin in 1975, a Bachelor of Divinity from Maynooth College in 1977 and a Masters of Spirituality from Mount St. Mary’s College in 1987. He’s served as Associate Pastor at St. Raymond in Downey, St. Maria Goretti in Long Beach, and St. Hillary in Pico Rivera, and then as Pastor of St. Frances X. Cabrini, Ascension Catholic Church, St. Eugene and St. Michael Parishes. In his pastoral ministry, Bishop O’Connell has always been very active in serving those in need.” (from LACatholics.org)

But while looking up the Good Father, I found this clip on line, so I could hear the lilting sounds of the home country (half my family is from near the Cliffs of Moher, the other from the Dolomite Alps). When listening to it, pretend for a moment that he’s talking from the flipside, and discussing “how to stay in touch with someone who is no longer on the planet.”

Here’s father O’Connell talking about how to stay in touch with Mary or Jesus: