CV NEWS FEED // Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez is calling for continuous prayer lifting up those suffering from and combating the massive fires currently devastating the region.
Five people have died from the fires raging in Los Angeles County, according to a Jan. 9 Reuters report. Numerous people who did not evacuate have sustained injuries. A number of first responders have also sustained injuries. According to Reuters, almost 28,000 acres have been burned in the area, 180,000 residents have evacuated, and an additional 200,000 residents are under evacuation warnings.
“Please keep praying for all those suffering in the wildfires sweeping through southern California. My heart goes out to our neighbors who have lost their homes and livelihoods,” Archbishop Gomez said in a Jan. 8 Instagram post. “Let’s pray for them and let’s pray for our firefighters and first responders. May God keep all of our brothers and sisters safe and bring [an] end to these fires!”
According to the post’s caption, the image in the Instagram post depicts Pacific Palisades homes, close to Corpus Christi Catholic Church, that caught fire on Jan. 7.
Angelus News reports that fire has destroyed Corpus Christi. The Church’s parish school may also have sustained damages, although the reports are unverified.
In a Jan. 7 X post, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles called for prayers, especially through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for those battling the flames and for the affected families.
Also rallying prayers for the affected Pacific Palisades community is the Catholic prayer app Hallow, which launched a four-day prayer campaign for Palisades.
The Los Angeles Police Department reported in the morning of Jan. 8 that the Palisades fire has destroyed an estimated 1,000 structures, and the Eaton fire has destroyed more than 100. Thousands more structures are designated “at risk.” CBS News reported on Jan. 9 that a blaze called the Hurst Fire is spanning 800 acres in the area, and another called the Lidia Fire is spanning over 300 acres.
Investigations are underway to determine the causes of the fires.
This story was last updated Jan. 9 at 6:44 PM ET.