Bishop David O’Connell, seen above at a gathering of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2021, is being remembered as a peacemaker and “truly a man of God.”

Julio Cortez/AP

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Julio Cortez/AP

Bishop David O’Connell, seen above at a gathering of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2021, is being remembered as a peacemaker and “truly a man of God.”

Julio Cortez/AP

A Catholic bishop who church leaders remembered as a “peacemaker” was discovered lifeless of a gunshot wound over the weekend.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department mentioned investigators responded to a capturing demise at 12:57 p.m. on Saturday within the L.A. suburb of Hacienda Heights, the place an grownup male was pronounced lifeless.

Multiple media shops reported that the sufferer was Los Angeles Archdiocese auxiliary bishop David O’Connell. He was 69.

Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement on Saturday that O’Connell had “passed away unexpectedly,” however gave no extra particulars.

“It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness,” Gomez mentioned.

“He was a peacemaker with a heart for the poor and the immigrant, and he had a passion for building a community where the sanctity and dignity of every human life was honored and protected,” the archbishop added.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department mentioned the investigation was ongoing.

O’Connell was remembered as “truly a man of God”

O’Connell was born in County Cork, Ireland, and ordained within the Los Angeles Archdiocese in 1979, the diocesan information web site Angelus News reported. Pope Francis named O’Connell an auxiliary bishop in 2015.

Over the years, O’Connell was a pastor at quite a few parishes in Los Angeles and a number of other close by communities. He labored on efforts to curb violence within the metropolis, and lots of of his congregants have been minorities and immigrants.

“It’s been the great joy of my life to be the pastor of these people, especially the ones who are suffering or in need or facing difficulty,” O’Connell told Angelus News in 2015.

“And it’s been a great privilege, a great blessing to be given these parishes all these years, to be pastor all these years. The people have touched my heart the way they are sincere,” he added.

Gomez mentioned O’Connell had served as a priest and later a bishop in Los Angeles for 45 years.

On Saturday, parishioners gathered on the scene of O’Connell’s demise and lit candles in reminiscence of the spiritual chief, Los Angeles Daily News reporter Clara Harter tweeted.

Tributes to O’Connell additionally poured in on social media, the place folks expressed shock and unhappiness on the bishop’s sudden demise.

Norma Seni Pimentel, government director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, referred to as O’Connell “truly a man of God” in a tweet.

“Your sudden departure has left us extremely sad,” Pimentel mentioned. “[M]ay you rest in peace Bishop O’Connell.”

Immigration legal professional Linda Dakin-Grimm said O’Connell was “there for every child and family I have represented. Always. Helping, supporting and generally being the face of Jesus for me and many many others.”