Corkman named auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles

Pope Francis has appointed a Cork native to the position of auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles.

Monsignor David G O’Connell was one of three new auxiliary bishops recently announced for the archdiocese of Los Angeles, which has about 5m members and is the largest archdiocese in the US.

Bishop-elect O’Connell’s appointment was welcomed by Archbishop José H Gomez who praised the Irish priest at a press conference in LA yesterday.

“He is one of the most respected leaders in the church and in the local community,” Archbishop Gomez said.

“He is a leader on issues like immigration reform, education, unemployment, housing, violence, and finding alternatives for young people in gangs.

“I know him to be a man of peace, who knows how to bring people together in the community to find common solutions and common answers,” he said.

A graduate of All Hallows College in Dublin, Bishop-elect O’Connell has served in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1979.

The bishop-elect admitted feeling nervous at a press conference: “You know, I can walk around the streets of South LA and have done so for many years, where there’s violence and shootings, and I don’t feel the slightest bit of anxiety. But I come in here today and I’m shaking in my boots.

“I am very humbled and touched very deeply by the fact that somehow or other, Pope Francis saw my profile and named me to be auxiliary here in Los Angeles.

“I have been a priest here in this diocese for 36 years, a long, long time and I have loved being here in Los Angeles. It has been a great blessing in my life that God has guided me here to this archdiocese,” he said.

“The more I’m a priest the more I love the people, the more I love the priesthood and the more I have grown in my love for Jesus Christ.”

The 61-year-old said Los Angeles is an “amazing, diverse archdiocese”.

“I think the faith is alive here, from the poorest parishes to the richest parishes and every parish in between there’s a great energy and life and love for the church and love for Jesus Christ.”

Bishop-elect O’Connell and two other new fellow appointees are expected to be ordained bishops in the autumn.

The archdiocese currently has five serving bishops, one of which is set to retire shortly.