Chris Ponnet, Catholic Priest Who Served Covid Patients And Opposed The Death Penalty, Dies - Beritaja

When news first trickled retired that Chris Ponnet, the longtime pastor of the St. Camillus Center for Spiritual Care successful Lincoln Heights, had died, images and condolences popped up online.

There was a photograph of him being arrested successful 2011 astatine a blockade successful downtown Los Angeles complete the warfare successful Afghanistan. Another image showed him astatine an anti-death-penalty rally holding a transverse pinch the connection “replace the decease penalty” written crossed the center.

The condolences included 1 from Sacred Heart High School successful Lincoln Heights, wherever he was praised arsenic a “beloved presider and homilist astatine our masses.”

Ponnet is being remembered arsenic a man who often served arsenic the lone visitant to hundreds dying of COVID-19, who presided complete an annual work honoring the unclaimed dead and who attended protests and was arrested dozens of times successful the process.

For family members, though, he was “the personification who cared about for us,” said his relative Jim.

The family announced Ponnet’s passing connected Oct. 7 astatine the property of 68.

He is survived by his sisters Elizabeth and Mary Alice and relative Jim. He was an uncle to much than 20 nieces and nephews.

A viewing, rosary and vigil will beryllium held astatine St. Luke’s successful Temple City connected Monday, opening astatine 5:30 p.m.

The general ceremony of life ceremonial Mass is scheduled for Tuesday astatine Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels successful downtown Los Angeles astatine 10 a.m.

Father Chris Ponnet is arrested aft an Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace rally that blocked Los Angeles Street successful downtown L.A.

(Los Angeles Times)

Both the viewing and ceremonial are unfastened to the public, while the funeral is private.

Ponnet spent the past 30 years arsenic pastor of St. Camillus, which is crossed the thoroughfare from USC’s wellness sciences campus.

There he served arsenic the tract administrator for the Urban Interfaith Chaplaincy Program, wherever he helped train the adjacent procreation of chaplains. He was besides the head of the Los Angeles General Medical Center’s Office of Spiritual Care.

It was successful the second position that Ponnet attended to isolated COVID-19 patients during the pandemic’s first year.

Ponnet afloat donned individual protective instrumentality — a helmet, disguise and gown — and prayed pinch COVID patients successful isolation erstwhile fewer others were allowed to enter, Connie Castro, spokesperson for the Los Angeles General Medical Center, said successful a statement.

“Father Chris’s bequest is 1 of love, service, and unwavering faith,” the connection read. “Beloved by staff, patients, and the broader community, he leaves a void that will beryllium profoundly felt. His representation and the values he instilled will proceed to animate each who knew him.”

The first twelvemonth of COVID-19 profoundly affected Ponnet.

“I’ve journeyed pinch 9 group connected 1 time successful death,” Ponnet said successful March 2021. He added: “You person to woody pinch that and put it into discourse because the adjacent personification needs you.”

Ponnet besides volunteered his clip to preside complete the yearly ceremonial and funeral of the unclaimed dormant successful Boyle Heights, during which hundreds of L.A. County residents are buried together.

“Chris Ponnet was, first and foremost, a man of God,” his sister-in-law Dawn said. “Everything he did was guided by the connection of Jesus Christ — to emotion others, to attraction for them, and to beryllium kind.”

Ponnet was calved successful 1957 astatine past Garfield Hospital successful Monterey Park.

He was the youngest of 8 children for parents Mary and Frank J. Ponnet, who lived successful Temple City.

His begetter fought successful World War II’s Battle of the Bulge and came location to service arsenic a mailman, earlier dying of a bosom onslaught successful 1961. Needing income, his mother served arsenic a registered caregiver for much than 2 decades astatine Alhambra Hospital.

“We grew up arsenic a devout Catholic family that believed successful going to Mass weekly, that believed successful family first,” said Elizabeth Ponnet, 78, 1 of Chris Ponnet’s 4 sisters. “We believed successful helping retired and I deliberation Chris really believed successful that.”

Ponnet was arsenic an altar server astatine St. Luke’s Church, wherever he attended simple and mediate school.

In eighth grade, Ponnet recited Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I person a dream” reside for a people project.

“That’s erstwhile I thought he would beryllium progressive successful work and helping group for the remainder of his life,” his sister Elizabeth said.

Ponnet followed his brother, Frank A. Ponnet, into the now-defunct Our Lady Queen of Angels Minor Seminary successful San Fernando and later into St. John’s Seminary successful Camarillo.

Where Frank veered into a life of teaching, Chris continued his way into the priesthood.

“He loved God and I ever thought he would go a priest,” his relative Jim, 74, said. “He ever wanted to help.”

Ponnet was ordained arsenic a leader connected Dec. 3, 1983, and began his ministry astatine Our Lady of the Valley successful Canoga Park and Our Lady of the Assumption successful Claremont earlier serving 30-plus years arsenic the pastor of St. Camillus.

He championed a assortment of causes done a robust and politically progressive life. In 1990, he pressured erstwhile GOP Rep. David Dreier of La Verne to trim military assistance to El Salvador during that nation’s civilian war.

He called the first Gulf War “unjust” and, arsenic the pacifist head of the Catholic Peace Coalition, led a accelerated against the war’s glorification.

He besides took stands connected section issues, specified arsenic the legalization of Pomona paper rooms, while he led the archdiocese’s cheery and lesbian ministry and AIDS ministry.

One of his galore passion projects was the conflict against the decease penalty. He was a committee personnel of Death Penalty Watch, an statement whose extremity is to abolish the punishment.

“He was ever organizing and ever connected the streets,” said Mike Farrell, the erstwhile character and a Death Penalty Watch advocate.

Ponnet’s defense led to his apprehension astatine slightest 30 times, according to the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

Yet, much than the activism, it’s Ponnet’s humility that will instrumentality pinch him, Farrell said.

Death Penalty Watch hosts an yearly gala astatine the Skirball Cultural Center during which it honors individuals who person fought to rescind the decease penalty.

At each of those events, Ponnet would often find himself assisting others.

“He would propulsion retired chairs, he would nonstop group to tables and do immoderate was needed,” Farrell said. “There’s nary 1 for illustration him.”