Editorials

Fire & Brimstone Bring Catholic Aid

The devastation of the Southern California wildfires has put many aid organizations, including Catholic charitable groups, into action mode to help the more than 30,000 displaced residents. The Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton wildfires have forced most residents to evacuate from areas like Pacific Palisades. The fires have claimed at least 24 lives, consumed nearly 4,000 acres, and threatened over 13,000 structures. On top of that, more than 200,000 people have been affected by power outages.

In the early aftermath of the disaster, local churches bordering the fire-affected areas temporarily opened their buildings to shelter and provide hot meals to survivors. Then, they worked on getting donated clothing, as many had to evacuate with only the clothes on their backs. Individual acts of Catholic heroism were documented throughout Los Angeles.

Four days after Corpus Christi Church was incinerated in the Palisades Fire, Capt. Bryan Nassour of the L.A. Fire Department picked his way over a 6-foot layer of rubble in the ashen bones of the sanctuary and recovered the tabernacle. “I did it because the whole community has been decimated – it looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off, and nothing is standing,” Nassour told a local Catholic media outlet.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles tried to comfort the faithful by telling them that while it is hard to understand why God would allow the suffering caused by the fires, he has not abandoned his flock. Archbishop Gomez wrote that seeing people in Los Angeles “living like refugees and displaced persons in their own hometowns” caused him great sadness, and meeting those who had lost so much was an emotional experience.

Father Armenag Bedrossian, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Armenian Catholic Church in downtown Los Angeles, spoke about one of the unfortunate events in the aftermath of the devastation. “Yesterday my deacon came, and I looked at his eyes and said, ‘Why are they so red?’ “ the priest recalled. “He’s like, ‘We did not sleep, me and my neighbor … looting is killing us. We did not sleep for two days just to protect whatever is left. After I lose the house, I don’t want to lose whatever was inside.’ It was very sad.”

Father Bedrossian said he and parishioners are checking on one another — but his church “can’t offer them shelter because we are in the red flag zone,” meaning the church itself is in a high-risk area. Here in the Diocese of Brooklyn, young school children in our Catholic academies and schools are holding money-raising events to send aid to the firestorm victims. Catholic Charities USA is also raising funds through its website.

As Archbishop Gomez concluded after the inferno, “In times like this, it’s understandable that we might question God’s love for us, to wonder where he is while good people are suffering. Why does God allow evil? Why does he allow natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods?” He told the faithful that Christ promised that “God is our Father and that he holds all creation in his loving hands. He promised that not a single sparrow falls from the sky without our Father knowing. Then he reminded us: You are worth so much more than any sparrow.”

This is just another reminder that, in the face of significant loss and adversity, the spirit of community and faith shines brightly. It shows us that even during the darkest times, hope and compassion can illuminate the path to healing.