Hope rises from the ashes as Catholic aid mobilizes in California wildfires

Seattle, Wash., Jan 14, 2025 / 13:30 pm

A lone tabernacle that survived the blaze at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades has come to epitomize hope for countless families devastated by Southern California’s sweeping wildfires. Despite flames that consumed entire buildings, the metallic container — housing the Eucharist — remained nearly untouched.

“It was covered in soot but preserved,” said Paul Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. “That, to me, is a miraculous sign that even when everything is lost, Christ remains.”

At least two dozen people have died in the fires, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds and severe drought conditions. Officials estimate thousands of homes and other structures, including churches, were destroyed or severely damaged. 

Initially, more than 100 Catholic schools throughout the archdiocese closed out of safety concerns, a figure that dropped to fewer than 20 by the following Monday, according to Escala.

Pacific Palisades and Altadena are among the hardest-hit regions. Corpus Christi Catholic Church is now reduced to rubble, and entire neighborhoods around it have been wiped out. 

St. Elizabeth School in Altadena has also seen massive disruption, prompting the archdiocese to identify “bridge locations” where displaced families can gather until rebuilding can begin.

Despite the devastation, volunteers have organized swiftly. 

Monsignor Liam Kidney reminded parishioners at a recent Mass — held at nearby St. Monica’s Church, which is sheltering the displaced community — that “the building is not the Church. We are the Church.”

Across Southern California, Catholics have turned parish halls and school gyms into makeshift donation centers. Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Andrew’s in Pasadena have collected clothing, toiletries, blankets, and toys, while Loyola High School in Los Angeles converted Caruso Hall into a relief station, offering meals, showers, and spare clothing. American Martyrs School in Manhattan Beach opened additional classroom seats to children who lost their homes. 

Donations have poured in from dioceses nationwide. “Toledo, Kansas City, Richmond; you name it,” Escala noted. “People are asking how to help, offering gift cards, trucks of supplies, or even to sponsor entire classrooms. A deacon in Missouri plans to drive donated items here himself. It’s humbling.” 

The archdiocese launched a Wildfire Victims Relief Fund, while Catholic Charities USA continues to collect donations for food, clothing, and temporary housing. Escala’s office is also finalizing a scholarship program so families who lost homes or jobs can keep their children enrolled in Catholic schools.

Some communities narrowly escaped total destruction. 

In Altadena, Deacon José Luis Díaz and parishioners at Sacred Heart Church beat back approaching flames with a single garden hose. “We barely had water pressure,” Díaz told Angelus News, the archdiocese’s media outlet, “but we did whatever we could, and it worked.” 

Elsewhere, the 83-acre Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre lost its garage, hermitage, and parts of its gardens but remained partially standing. “Our faith is tested on fire,” wrote center director Father Febin Barose on social media. “We are pilgrims of hope… We will recover and be back serving you again.”

Archbishop José Gomez underscored the spirit of resilience at a special Mass on Jan. 9 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. 

“Thousands of our neighbors have lost everything,” he said. “We are reminded how precious every life is, and how fragile. We must be instruments of compassion.”

Escala emphasized that many Catholics do not wait for instructions; they respond spontaneously with donations, shelter, and other relief. “They know what to do,” he said, “and they just do it.”