If Father Michael Ume learned anything from leading his flock during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the need to stay active — and united — during times of turmoil.
With that in mind, the pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Pasadena has kept the lights on, the doors open, and the coffee and donuts flowing in the last few weeks, even as nearby wildfires claimed the homes of at least 17 parishioners and one employee.
“In a time of crisis people are trying to reach out, people are trying to figure out where to go, what to do, who to talk to,” Ume said. “And this provided that opportunity for them. Maybe they lost their home, or maybe they were evacuated, or maybe they just wanted to talk about the whole experience, and that is what we did.”
Ume’s parish is one of many churches and schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that rallied their communities as wind-driven wildfires ravaged parts of Southern California, mobilizing to provide the afflicted with emergency supplies, money, and moral support. And they have no plans to slow down as parishioners figure out how to rebuild their lives and abodes in the coming months and years.
Those who work, worship, and volunteer in or near burn and evacuation zones said the fires and their aftermath have upended their day-to-day activities.
At St. Elizabeth Church in Altadena, at least half of its parishioners — including school parents — lost their homes to the Eaton Fire, according to pastor Father Modesto Perez.
Although evacuation orders were recently lifted and power has been restored, Perez said it could take weeks of sanitizing and deep cleaning before services can resume at the church campus.
In the meantime, the parish is doling out everything from toiletry kits to rental assistance while informing fire victims about various resources available to them, including counseling.
The parish’s Knights of Columbus council also recently organized a daylong “Live-Away” event that provided more than 1,000 attendees with food, toiletries, clothes, and resources to help them find short- and long-term housing.
In addition, several parishioners have taken fire victims into their homes, said Frank Ferguson, who leads the Knights, and one person even made a seven-figure donation to help the displaced get back into housing.
“We are not just a group of people who go to church together on Sunday,” Perez said in an email. “We are a community united by faith, love, and boundless generosity. Though fire ravaged our community, faith has flourished.”
At Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School — located about a half-mile away from the Eaton Fire footprint — four school families lost their homes, and many more students and staff members are still displaced, said Principal Robert Bringas Jr.
To help, the school and church held an “Operation Gators Strong” donation drive. For two weeks, people dropped off pet food, socks, laundry detergent, and other essentials while the World Central Kitchen served hot meals. In addition, an “army of angels” filled fire victims’ requests for air mattresses, phone chargers, pots and pans, and more, Bringas said.
“It was really the true example of people really caring for each other,” he said.
Jennifer Ramirez, principal of St. Philip the Apostle School in Pasadena — located about four blocks from the Eaton Fire evacuation zone — said the disaster has taken a heavy toll on students and staff, with 10 school families losing their homes and another 60 evacuated. Four staff members and many families are still displaced, she added.
As a result, the school started a fire relief fund for families and staff. It’s also providing free lunch and uniforms for displaced students, Ramirez said, and each grade level has “adopted” students and families that have lost their homes.
In March, the school is planning to host an event to provide homeowners with the latest information they’ll need to reconstruct their dwellings.
The church has also held multiple donation drives, Ramirez said, and plans to host a six-week fire survivor support group starting in February.
“It’s a good feeling to be in a community where people take care of each other,” she said.
Nearby schools and churches further removed from the fire zone are also stepping up.
Holy Angels Church in Arcadia — a few miles away from the Eaton Fire burn zone — recently collected clothing, canned goods, personal hygiene items, and more for fire victims, said Business Manager Enrique Reyes.
The parish has also provided financial help to fire victims. As of the weekend of Jan. 26, it had distributed 215 individual $1,000 relief grants from the archdiocese’s wildfire emergency relief fund to victims with urgent needs. Most are from Altadena, Reyes said, though some are from other fire-impacted communities like Pasadena, Pacific Palisades, and parts of the San Fernando Valley.
Checks have been used to cover hotel stays, help stabilize home-based businesses, and purchase medications for children with special needs, Reyes said. A core group of volunteers, staff members, and the church pastor are working long hours to assist about 50 people a day.
“This is a project of angels that is worth doing, and it lifts the dignity of the people who lost everything,” he said.
As those ministering to the fire victims begin to move from emergency mode to recovery mode, many say they intend to keep helping.
Bringas — who called ABVM’s donation drive a “long haul project” — said organizers are storing the items they’ve received so they can distribute them in a few months.
Ferguson said his parish community will keep assisting the displaced for the next four years or so, as they’ll need furniture and other resources as they transition into permanent housing.
At Holy Angels, Reyes said the parish will continue gathering donations for local shelters and giving more grants to those in need.
“Seeing the outpouring of support from different people, from not only our parish, but also from other cities, it gives you hope in humanity,” Reyes said. “It gives you hope that together we can rebuild.”
Many who’ve spent the last month aiding fire victims said they’re compelled to do so out of love for the suffering.
For Ferguson, whose home was spared from the flames, it’s a way to answer God’s call to help his neighbors.
“Jesus encourages us in Matthew to give food to the hungry and clothing to those in need of clothes,” he said. “When we do this for the least of our brothers, we do it for Jesus. It is that simple.”
Those who wish to donate to help fire victims can visit angelusnews.com/howtohelp.
