Blog - Talks & Writings

April 20, 2023: "Mayor Riordan was a devoted public servant, a generous philanthropist, a wise civic leader, and a fine Christian gentleman, who worked hard to make life better for those he served, especially for the poorest Angelenos."

March 3, 2023: "We pray that as Bishop Dave walked with Jesus and served him with his life, now in death may he share in the fullness of his resurrection, in the love that never ends."

March 1, 2023: "As we know, Bishop Dave loved and served Jesus with all his heart and all 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."

February 20, 2023: "Every day he worked to show compassion to the poor, to the homeless, to the immigrant, and to all those living on society’s margins. He was a good priest and a good bishop, and a man of peace. And we are very sad to lose him."

February 19, 2023: "We learned early this morning from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office that they have determined that the death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell yesterday was a homicide. We are deeply disturbed and saddened by this news."

February 18, 2023: "I am very sad this afternoon to report that our beloved Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell has passed away unexpectedly. It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness."

January 22, 2023: "We ask that God grant wisdom and prudence to law enforcement and public officials working to make sense of the violence and keep our communities safe.And we pray for peace. Peace in the hearts of those who are troubled. Peace in the hearts of those who are afraid and hurting today, and peace for those whose faith has been shaken."

January 21, 2023: "We all want to live in a society where human life is cherished and welcomed, where everyone can live with dignity — from conception to natural death. This is a spiritual movement. A movement of the hearts and minds and souls. The movement for life is a movement for love."

November 10, 2022: "So what the Gospel tells us tonight is that following Jesus, being a Catholic — often it’s like being in a small boat, far from land, with the waves and the wind against us. You and I, every day, we face the storms of living in a hostile culture, a culture where we face all kinds of pressures. And yes, we can get frightened by the challenges, by the moral darkness that we see our world. We can be discouraged by our failings and weakness."

October 26, 2022: "We ask that Our Lord Jesus Christ, in his grace, make this garden a sacred space — a sanctuary where those who are hurting may find healing and reconciliation. In the Church we are joined together in a spiritual bond, made one in Jesus Christ, and united in a beautiful solidarity of charity."

May 11, 2022: "With each passing year, this prayer takes me to different places in my heart, and to different places in my contemplation of Jesus and his mysteries."

February 27, 2022: "Please know that your Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles will always be near to you in solidarity and prayer. We are praying for a swift end to the evil of this war. We ask Jesus Christ, the Lord of Peace, to touch the hearts of the aggressors, and move them to conversion. We also call on those in authority to seek a just peace that recognizes the dignity and sovereignty of the Ukrainian people."

January 22, 2022: "OneLife LA has always been more than a procession, and more than an event. OneLife LA is a movement of love and peace. We are seeking to build a new culture and a new way of life in our country."

November 5, 2021: "From the first century, the Catholic Church has taught that abortion is a moral evil that involves the killing of the unborn child. In our day, abortion often victimizes women in poor and minority communities and is used to eliminate children with disabilities."

Noviembre 4, 2021: "Ustedes me han pedido que aborde un tema serio, delicado y complicado: relativo al surgimiento de nuevas ideologías y movimientos seculares que buscan el cambio social en Estados Unidos y las implicaciones que esto tiene para la Iglesia."

November 4, 2021: "You have asked me to address a serious, sensitive, and complicated topic — the rise of new secular ideologies and movements for social change in the United States and the implications for the Church."

September 13, 2021: "California lawmakers have passed legislation to replace a statue of St. Junípero Serra at the Capitol in Sacramento with a new monument honoring the state’s native peoples. The Serra statue has been in storage since it was torn down by protesters in July 2020."

September 8, 2021: "Two hundred and fifty years ago tonight, on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the year 1771, Mission San Gabriel Acrángel was established by St. Junípero Serra, together with Tongva natives, who were this land’s first peoples."

April 15, 2021: "Racism, as we all know, is a grave sin, a spiritual disease and a social injustice. We need to stand together as one Church to eradicate this evil from our own hearts, from the hearts of our neighbors, and from the structures of our society."

February 6, 2021: "The Church is the conscience of every society, in every time and place. And our duty in our country at this time is to help our leaders and our neighbors to hear the cry of the poor — to understand that we belong to one another, to feel our responsibility for the vulnerable and weak."