A little more than a year ago, mourners were shocked when Los Angeles Auxillary Bishop David O’Connell was found murdered in his Hacienda Heights home.

On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered for a memorial mass at the San Gabriel Mission Church. The Catholic Priest was beloved by the community as O’Connell served as the L.A. Archdioceses for 45 years.

Pope Francis named O’Connell as the Auxillary Bishop in L.A. in July of 2015. Brian Nunes was named as Auxillary Bishop following O’Connell’s death and has fond memories of his predecessor.

“He was a man of peace, he was down to earth, and just so willing to take time to listen to people,” Nunes said. “He was just very good about showing them that they were important, that he cared for them, that God loved them.”

The 69-year-old was shot at his home in the 1500 block of Janlu Avenue on Feb. 18, 2023. Just two days later, a SWAT team arrested Carlos Medina, the husband of O’Connell’s housekeeper, at their home in Torrance.

Detectives first linked Medina to the crime after finding surveillance video that showed his SUV in the driveway of O’Connell’s home at the time of the killing.

Several people who knew Medina told investigators that he had been acting strange and irrationally in the days following the murder, adding that Medina was making comments about O’Connell “owing him money.”

Medina pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.