Bishop Dave O’Connell
After completing my first assignment as a priest at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Claremont, I was assigned to be the Pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church in South Los Angeles. What a change! After four years as an Associate Pastor in a wonderful parish, I moved into the inner-city and took over a parish that had $2,636.45 in the checking account and over $7,000.00 in unpaid bills. Rather than making sick calls to elderly people who were struggling with the health issues related to aging, I was visiting young people who had been shot or stabbed and were fighting for their lives. As you can imagine, each day was a struggle and a challenge. And, there were times when I wished that I had brother priests with whom I could discuss the issues I was facing.