Tabernacle salvaged from church destroyed by LA wildfires

A Los Angeles firefighter has spoken about his successful efforts to recover the tabernacle from the ruins of Corpus Christi Church that was incinerated during the wildfires last week. Four days after the Catholic church was destroyed by the wildfire that swept through the LA suburb of Pacific Palisades, Captain Bryan Nassour of the Los The post Tabernacle salvaged from church destroyed by LA wildfires first appeared on Catholic Herald. The post Tabernacle salvaged from church destroyed by LA wildfires appeared first on Catholic Herald.

Jan 17, 2025 - 04:00

Tabernacle salvaged from church destroyed by LA wildfires

A Los Angeles firefighter has spoken about his successful efforts to recover the tabernacle from the ruins of Corpus Christi Church that was incinerated during the wildfires last week.

Four days after the Catholic church was destroyed by the wildfire that swept through the LA suburb of Pacific Palisades, Captain Bryan Nassour of the Los Angeles Fire Department “picked his way over a six-foot layer of rubble in the ashen bones of the sanctuary and recovered the tabernacle”, reports Angelus News.

“I did it because the whole community has been decimated – it looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off and nothing is standing,” says Nassour, a member of St. Francis de Sales Church in nearby Sherman Oaks, and whose brother is a member of the Corpus Christi parish.

The firefighter added: “My brother lost his home. I have close friends who lost everything but the shirts on their backs, and they belong to that church too. So, if I could save just one thing, let it be this, so they have something to believe in.”

After the fire had ravaged the church building, a subsequent message on the parish website from Mgr Liam Kidney, the church’s pastor – accompanied by a picture of the ruined church – read:

“My dear parishioners, here is the terribly sad news of our church and of our community this morning. The priests are safe with family and friends. Let us pray for each other during this transition.

The message continued: “I have no words. Our beautiful church in Pacific Palisades, as of this morning. Praying for my hometown, the LAFD [Los Angeles Fire Department] and everyone effected by these horrific fires.”

The message concluded with the parish priest’s signature and the Latin words “Siempre Adelante! [Always ahead!]”

The parish also oversees Corpus Christi School, which educates children aged 5-14. A video on the school’s website shows the church as it burns while a news reporter attempts to confirm whether the school has suffered damage.

Wildfires this January have wreaked havoc across Los Angeles, fuelled by hurricane-level Santa Ana winds, extremely low humidity and dry conditions.

The scale of destruction caused by the fires has been unprecedented and led President Joe Biden to cancel a trip to Italy that would have been his last foreign trip as president, and which was scheduled to include an audience with Pope Francis.

Photo: Mgr. Liam Kidney (left) and Msr. Lloyd Torgerson pictured at St. Monica Church with the recovered tabernacle from Corpus Christi Church. (Image by Victor Alemán / Angelus News.)