Murdered Bishop David O'Connell remembered by Rathkenny’s Fr Joe White

Bishop David O'Connell who was murdered in LA last week was a good friend of retired Trim priest Fr Joe White from their college days. Both were students in All Hallows College, Dublin, and the late Bishop O'Connell attended Fr Joe White's first Mass in his home parish of Rathkenny in 1972.

In his last year in All Hallows as a deacon, Fr White told how he was with the first years in the junior house and Bishop O'Connell was one of them.

Along with seven other first years, he attended Fr White's first Mass on 19th June 1972. Just last July, at the All Hallows Reunion, Bishop O'Connell was the chief celebrant and six of the class of 1972 had their photograph taken with him. "We were so pleased to meet again after 50 years," said Fr White.

He remembered his friend as “always decent, devout and bright, calm and warm. A very good priest and bishop, a great servant of the Lord and the Church, bless him.”

Fr White celebrated the golden jubilee of his ordination last year and returned to Ireland a number of years ago after spending 42 years serving in the Diocese of Brentwood, London. He now lives at Clonbun, Trim.

Bishop O’Connell (69), was found shot dead in the bedroom of his house in Los Angeles on 18th February in a murder that stunned communities in the US and his native Ireland. Bishop O'Connell was born in Cork but had spent over 40 years ministering to disadvantaged and immigrant communities in Los Angeles.

Last Wednesday, a man was charged with the murder of Bishop O'Connell. A motive for the killing remains under investigation, but Sheriff Robert Luna said the suspect, Carlos Medina, is the husband of Bishop O'Connell's housekeeper and had previously done work at the bishop's home himself.

Bishop O'Connell's funeral Mass takes place next Friday in the Cathedral of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles.