Saying goodbye to our friend
By Archbishop José H. Gomez
This has been a time of mourning for the family of God here in Los Angeles, as we have lost a beloved friend, Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell.
We laid him to rest March 3 following a beautiful funeral Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. He was a holy priest and bishop and a man of peace. And we will miss him.
For the Christian, death is not the end, but a new beginning. The saints teach us that in the evening of our lives, we will be judged by our love.
And Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all his heart and all his strength. Like Jesus, he loved his brothers and sisters “to the end,” with a special love for those who are often forgotten and those who live on society’s margins.