Catholics in the United States increase millions for victims of La Fire Fire

When the Archdiocese of Los Angeles was the donation portal for the installation Waldbrand -victim emergency aid fundThe organizers hoped for a basis for local support.

You got it In many ways.

What they did not necessarily expect was the support of the support of communities, schools and religious organizations outside the area, from Las Vegas to Hawaii to Boston and outside the United States.

In the amounts of both large and small, donors across the country have sent La forest fir victims in the form of money, gift cards, clothing, toilet articles and handmade cards.

The dioceses of Washington, DC, Knoxville, Tennessee, Rockford, Illinois, Paterson, New Jersey, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Orange County and San Diego sent all donations.

A Catholic community near Chicago donated funds because the leaders of the church reminded how they were destroyed after a tornado torn through its neighborhood. Students at the St. Mary's School in Maryland Hundreds of handmade hope cards created Together with gift cards to the families concerned. Church leader from a community and school in Kansas drove a truck filled with stocks across the country deliver to the people affected by the fires.

Other groups became creative, as they collected donations.

A Catholic school near Philadelphia used A Pep rally days before their local eagles won the Super Bowl Collect money for La fire victims. A Catholic student in the San Francisco region Organized a bake sale to donate donations to help animals affected by the fires. Holy Cross School in New York said it donated the youngest Jog-a-Thon revenue to Catholic Education Foundation of the Los Angeles study fee fund.

The St. John of God Church in Norwalk decided to do without a big celebration for its 75th anniversary, and instead sent these funds to the archdiocese.

“It was just an amazing experience to be really church, to be the family of God, to be brothers and sisters for each other,” said sister M. Anncarla Costello, Snd, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese Was auxiliary fund.

The Archdiocese of the Archdiocese has since checked 1,000 US dollars for the checks affected by the forest fires in the region. So far, more than 40 municipalities have given more than 2,000 households in the archdiocese.

The St. Monica Church in Santa Monica was one of the most important hubs for those who were looking for help after he had previously submitted almost 1,000 aid tests, said Felipe Sanchez, administrative director of the community.

Due to some unique partnerships, St. Monica had a share of donations from people in distant places.

When Covid-19 pandemic struck for the first time and the churches forced to live, St. Monica received a significant influx of state and global online visitors, which adhered to the abolition of personal restrictions.

Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson, the long -time pastor of St. Monica, still meets on the first Monday of the month with this online contingent, many of which live to Ireland and South Africa.

When the fires entered, the group asked online how they could help. Torgerson mentioned the donation portal and several immediately sent their remedies. Other gift cards.

Similarly, a friend of St. Monica – Father John Unni in the St. Cecilia Church in Boston – called to ask how his herd could help, and his community took a collection with proceeds to LA.

“Somehow they were touched by what had happened and their heart was full of generosity,” said Sanchez. “You were able to expand this generosity to us here in California.”

In Toledo, Ohio, the terrible pictures from the fires of Southern California, the pastor of the Church of Christ, Father Dave Nuss, initiated his staff: did anyone have a connection in Los Angeles?

Only one: Sister Mary Delores Gatliff, snd, who belongs to the same order as Sister Costello in Los Angeles.

The day on which Gatliff Costello called to ask how Christ the king could help, the Chancellor LA said to her: “Oh, my kindness, is this a sign of God's providence?”

The relief fund of the Archdiocese had just been prepared to accept donations.

Christ the King took a collection and sent thousands of dollars of donations, said Gatliff, although more money was still entering.

“We know that it is right to families who have lost everything or urgently need everything at the moment, and that brings us joy,” said Gatliff. “We all had a feeling to give these people a brilliant future, or at least a sign for them that people even want to take care of and help them far away.”

Christ, the king, has set itself the goal of identifying a needy thing outside of his area in order to send a monthly collection. Practice has changed its parishioners and helped them as they helped others.

“Our community has much more a feeling of community and tries to develop into a personal relationship with Jesus, because if you have that, you will want to do it as Jesus did,” said Gatliff.

When firefire funds continue to be eliminated, Costello is proud that the archdiocese of the “management” was in order to give those affected a certain amount of comfort, be it Catholic or not.

“You don't have to be Catholic, you don't have to be Christian, you don't have to be documented,” she said. “We gave Hindus and Buddhists scholarships and who knows who else, no matter what happens, they are part of the human family.”

Fire victims who still need support can inquire in the following communities: Holy Angels Church in Arcadia, St. Monica Church in Santa Monica, Sacred Heart Church in Altadena, St. Bede the venerable church in La Cañada Flintridge, St. Didacus Church in Sylmar, Sacred Heart Church in Pomona, Dolores mission in Boyle Heights, St. Martin of Tours Church in Brentwood and St. Joseph Church in Hawthorne.

Those who want to donate can visit lacatholics.org/california-fires.