LOS ANGELES — Speaking to more than 3,500 people gathered for the funeral Mass of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, his nephew, also David O’Connell, took the opportunity to urge everybody to “pick up where he left off and to carry the example that he set” of compassion and caring.

“Help those that you can help. Lend an ear and listen to people. Respect each other, be considerate, and give each other the benefit of the doubt,” O’Connell said. “Have patience and give everyone a chance. Make sure that those who are close to you know that you love them and that you are proud of them.”

The March 3 funeral Mass was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and celebrated by Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles. In attendance were Cardinal Roger Mahony, former archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, and Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego.

Bishop O’Connell’s family flew in from Ireland, as did more than 30 bishops from across the country. There were also 300-plus clergy, 32 civic leaders, and 18 dignitaries in attendance.

O’Connell and homilist Msgr. Jarlath Cunnane both opened their remarks to those in the pews with a joke, recognizing, as many have since Bishop O’Connell’s death on Feb. 18, his renowned sense of humor. Thereafter, they each described a selfless man with a strong faith and a big heart.

Like Bishop O’Connell, Msgr. Cunnane is a native of Ireland. They’d been close friends since 1971. Msgr. Cunnane, however, recognized Bishop O’Connell not just as his friend but as “the friend of Jesus Christ” and “the friend of the poor.” He highlighted the way Bishop O’Connell knew the presence of Jesus existed in the strangers around him and always found the good in people.

Speaking about his uncle, O’Connell noted Bishop O’Connell’s selflessness.

“Uncle Dave was an inspiration for us throughout our whole lives, and he will remain so,” O’Connell said. “He taught us that if you have the capacity to help someone, you should do it. All he wanted to do was make things easier for everyone else, and he never asked for a single thing in return.”

The funeral Mass began at 11 a.m. PST. Archbishop Gomez opened the service by remembering Bishop O’Connell as someone who “loved and served Jesus with all of his heart and all of his strength, and 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.”

Archbishop Gomez then shared the recent message sent from Pope Francis, saying he is “deeply saddened to learn of the untimely and tragic death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell.”

“His Holiness Pope Francis sends heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to you, the clergy, religious, and lay faithful of the archdiocese,” reads the message, signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

To close his homily, Msgr. Cunnane, pastor of St. Cornelius Church in Long Beach, California, recalled an instance from a funeral some months ago in which Bishop O’Connell quoted the “Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. In the homily, Msgr. Cunnane took that quote and adapted it with Bishop O’Connell’s name and all of the things that he was known to do.

“Now, David, that you are a part of the great spirit of God, I hear you say, Wherever there is a fight for the hungry to eat, I’ll be there. Wherever there is a victim of violence needing comfort, I’ll be there. Wherever a stranger, immigrant is to be welcomed, I’ll be there,” Msgr. Cunnane said.

“Wherever there’s a child needing a good education, I’ll be there. Wherever there’s a wounded heart, being given healing and peace, I’ll be there,” he added. “Wherever there’s a lost soul given God’s love, I’ll be there. Wherever division and enmity are overcome by encounter and conversation, I’ll be there.”

Thousands of friends and parishioners gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels in downtown Los Angeles to pay their respects to beloved Bishop David O’Connell, whose life was cut tragically short two weeks ago.

LOS ANGELES — If Catherine Contreras had the opportunity to have one more conversation with the late Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, she would thank him for his unwavering support of pro-life advocates and for being a father figure to so many.

“Thank you for your support. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for being [fatherly], being warm, and giving to us so selflessly,” Contreras said she would tell Bishop O’Connell. “We appreciate your dedicated work, and we know the sacrifices that he made for all of us.”

Contreras offered the message on March 1, looking down upon the nation’s largest burial site of aborted babies, which Bishop O’Connell blessed last year. Located in Odd Fellows Cemetery in East Los Angeles, there are almost 16,500 aborted babies found buried there in the 1980s.

Contreras is the president and executive director of Vox Vitae, a Los Angeles-based pro-life advocacy organization. Bishop O’Connell provided the seed money for the organization’s Help and Hope sidewalk advocacy program, but beyond that, she added, he was a steadfast champion of the pro-life cause who always made himself available.

“All I had to do was text or call him and say, ‘Can you help us,’ ” Contreras explained.

“Our bishop made it a point to be available, praying outside of abortion facilities, praying exorcism prayers outside of abortion facilities, and if a mother ever needed help, he was there,” she continued, adding that Bishop O’Connell would often say pro-life advocacy is “the most important work that we need to be doing.”

Other pro-life advocates also say their final message to him would be one of thanks.

Dahlia and Arnold Mayorquin never met Bishop O’Connell, but they said he was integral in their decision last year to follow through with the birth of their baby boy, Joshua, who they were encouraged to abort because he had a very small chance of living. Joshua was born on Feb. 10, 2022, and lived 40 days until March 18, 2022.

“There are no words that we can express for the gratitude that we have for him because we know that his prayers are what most likely helped him live those 40 days,” Dahlia explained. “Our son was pronounced dead in the womb, to them, he wasn’t going to be born alive, and he lasted 40 days. … I’m pretty sure that had something to do with Bishop O’Connell’s prayers.”

The couple said that Bishop O’Connell was key in helping them in other ways, as well, including with things like money, food, and other essential items. Albert said if he could tell Bishop O’Connell one thing, it would be, “Thank you, I appreciate everything.

“I can’t say I had a physical way of meeting him, but probably a mental way through his prayers,” Albert said.

Similarly, Glendy Perez, the 40 Days for Life Coordinator in El Monte, California, would tell Bishop O’Connell, “Thank you for taking the time to be here with us, for the humbleness, for his courage, for his love.” She said Bishop O’Connell visited with them twice.

“When he came to do his special deliverance prayers … we felt the difference,” Perez said. “Even the people that were here were all feeling this tension, and then after he finished with the prayers, we felt this big load get off of our chest. It was such a feeling of peace, courage, and strength. He was so humble, down to earth.”

When asked how Vox Vitae will carry on without Bishop O’Connell, Contreras acknowledged that right now, they’re still heartbroken about the situation but noted that they know they’ll be OK if they continue to rely on their faith.

“He was here in the line of the apostles and the apostles, and our bishops, they’re here because of God. And with God, we’re always going to be OK,” she said. “We’re heartbroken, and we will have to regroup emotionally, but we have God.”

Perez added that she prays there will be another bishop who joins them in their advocacy efforts the way Bishop O’Connell did, saying, “Maybe wherever he is, he can pray for one to come.”