Mexico: Catholic Church asks for prayers for victims of fires in Los Angeles

The Catholic Church in Mexico called on all Catholics in the country to join in prayer for the victims of the fires that affect the metropolitan area of ​​Los Angeles, in the south of the state of California (United States), and has encouraged “solidarity in a concrete way through the channels established for humanitarian aid.”

The Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) expressed its closeness to the victims of the tragedy through a statement issued this January 10, in which he lamented “the destruction of homes, parish churches and community spaces that have been affected by these fires.”

Likewise, the Mexican bishops assured their solidarity to the affected Catholic educational institutions, which “have been forced to close their doors due to this emergency, and we pray for the safety of all affected students, teachers and administrative staff.”

A series of wildfires that began on January 7 of this year in the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area caused widespread devastation, affecting thousands of residents. According to According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), around 141 square kilometers have burned, and more than 10,000 structures, including homes, schools and even churches, have been reported destroyed.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles reported that the Corpus Christi church was completely destroyed, in addition to 65 Catholic schools being forced to close. In your count of Father Andrew Hedstrom, pastor of St. Linus Church in Norwalk, California, noted that in addition to Corpus Christi, “there may be about four more parishes that are threatened and under an evacuation or warning order.”

In their statement on January 10, the Mexican bishops expressed: “We join in prayer with all the parish communities affected in these moments of trial, thanking the Lord for the preservation of human lives, and we pray especially for all the families who have seen their meeting and prayer spaces destroyed.”

In particular, the bishops assured their prayers for “all affected people, especially those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. We join in prayer for the brave firefighters and emergency personnel who risk their lives to protect affected communities.”

The CEM also recalled the shared responsibility “in the care of the Common Home and the urgent need to take concrete actions to mitigate the effects of climate change that especially affects the most vulnerable.”