Gustavo Arellano: 'He brought us in closer': The LA journey of Bishop O'Connell
LOS ANGELES — The sun rose over St. Raymond Church in Downey on Ash Wednesday as parishioners filed in for Mass. It was four days after Los Angeles Bishop David G. O'Connell was found dead at his Hacienda Heights home from five gunshot wounds.
Catholics around Southern California and the world mourned the loss of a man Archbishop José H. Gómez described in an emotional press conference as a "man of peace."
Over a 43-year career across Los Angeles County, the Spanish-speaking Irish immigrant stood up for his working class parishioners against federal and local officials and even his own bosses. Even after Pope Francis appointed him as a bishop in 2015, O'Connell never lost his common touch.
The motive for the killing remains unclear. A handyman whose wife worked as the bishop's housekeeper has been charged with one count of murder.
On Ash Wednesday, I visited some of the stations of O'Connell's L.A. journey to answer this: How did he come to embody the best L.A. can be?
St. Raymond was
