“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. 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 end to these fires!”

Archbishop Gomez will celebrate two special Masses for the victims of the fires and first responders tomorrow. The first Mass will be at St. Monica Church in Santa Monica at 12:10 p.m. in English and the second bilingual Mass will be at Mission San Gabriel in the Chapel of the Annunciation at 6 p.m. Both Masses will be livestreamed on the @LACatholics social channels and at a special webpage for updates and resources on the fires at this link: https://lacatholics.org/california-fires/.

Our Archdiocese news magazine, Angelus News, is also providing updates and coverage which will be included in this page and on Angelusnews.com, as well as on our social channels @LACatholics and @AngelusNews.

We are currently in the process of assessing the damage and impact of the fires on our parishes and schools. Please report any damage at a parish or school due to the fires to the dedicated phone line for Archdiocesan-wide emergencies at (213) 637-7777 or via email at [email protected]. Also please share any information on parish or school locations that may be serving as shelters or providing services and resources to fire victims.

The Archdiocese is also creating a special dedicated fund to be used directly to support parishes and schools impacted by the fires. A link will be available at https://lacatholics.org/california-fires/ for all who wish to donate.

Due to evacuations and other factors affecting those in the fire areas, some Catholic school locations have closed. Schools in evacuation zones will remain closed during the evacuation orders. It is recommended to check with your local Catholic school for closures and to visit the following webpage which has all the information on evacuations areas in California, www.fire.ca.gov.

Let us continue to unite in prayer for all who have been impacted by the fires and for the firefighters, police, first responders and volunteers who are on the front lines and providing help and shelter for our brothers and sisters who are in the affected communities.

May Our Lady Queen of Angels keep our Archdiocese under the mantel of her protection.