DAYS AFTER LOSING HIS family’s home in the Pacific Palisades, Pedro Martí knew just what to do.
On Sunday morning, he joined his family and traveled to their second home at St. Monica Catholic Church for Mass. As Bishop Matthew G. Elshoff and Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson presided over the service, Martí and nearly a dozen other victims of the Palisades Fire stood up for a special prayer and blessing from the congregation.
“There are some days where I feel despair, but I’m not losing my hope because I have a second home at St. Monica, and I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Martí shared. “I believe that God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle, and you know that good things can come out of destruction and that’s the
cycle of life.”
On Jan. 7, a fire erupted in the Pacific Palisades burning more than 23,000 acres and destroying nearly 5,000 structures according to CalFire.
ELIZABETH LAMONT SURVEYS THE DAMAGE FROM THE PALISADES FIRE. PHOTO COURTESY OF INSTAGRAM @ SHOPELIZABETHLAMONT
Although Corpus Christi Catholic Church and its accompanying school and rectory were destroyed during the wildfires, one Los Angeles firefighter discovered a big, gold box in perfect condition on the property after the flames were put out.
Msgr. Liam Kidney, who is the pastor at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, later revealed it was the Tabernacle that was discovered by a local first responder.
“The biggest miracle for me is the Tabernacle,” Msgr. Kidney said after delivering a Mass for his parishioners at neighboring St. Monica Catholic Church. “The name of our parish is Corpus Christi, which is the body of Christ. So where do we keep the body of Christ? In the Tabernacle. Here we have this terrible fire. Everything is destroyed. Metal is melting. Concrete is falling apart and yet; the Tabernacle makes it through this whole thing.”
“To me, the miracle is that we are being reassured by Jesus that He is with us through this journey,” Msgr. Kidney continued. “He got through the fire. The fire did not destroy Him. He came through the fire, and He’s with us, and we are reassured we’re not alone.” After Elizabeth Lamont lost her home in the Pacific Palisades, she was looking
for a message of love from her Catholic community.
After hearing Msgr. Kidney share the miracle of the Tabernacle, she couldn’t help but feel hopeful.
“When I saw Msgr. Kidney at St. Monica’s, it was very moving,” she shared. “We all have lost so much, but what a miracle the Tabernacle was saved.” While Lamont was blessed to have her retail store in Pacific Palisades survive, her home was not as fortunate. While every week brings ups and downs, she is trying to find hope through her faith.
“This has been a very tough time,” she said. “I am staying in Manhattan Beach and there is a beautiful Catholic Church here. I visited it this week alone. It was very emotional.”
While rebuilding will take time, Lamont is praying it will be done in the best interests of the families who live there.
“I hope my design firm and shop can once again bring comfort and a sense of community to the residents,” she said. “We are open online and as soon as we can, we hope to open and be a gathering place. Our neighbors in Orange County can help support the local businesses still standing and donate as much as they can to help rebuild the Pacific Palisades.”
Like Lamont, Martí plans to continue relying on his faith and attending Mass. After attending St. Monica and singing the lyrics, “The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want,” Martí was reminded that he still has more than enough.
“I can tell you, only because of my faith, I can say that I lost everything, and I have everything, and I have everything I need because my faith cannot be burned down,” he said. “My family is safe with me. We are clear that the things that matter in life are love, faith, hope and sharing. We didn’t lose any of that.”
As he continues raising a young son and daughter, Martí is also determined to focus on the positives. With the support of his relatives from around the world and his brothers and sisters in Christ at St. Monica, Martí believes he will see God’s light whenever there is darkness.
“What really, really matters didn’t burn down,” he said. “We just need to focus on that. What is it that really matters? If this doesn’t give you clarity, I don’t know what will. I love my family, and I get to hug them and be with them every day, put them to bed and make their breakfast. The area changed, but our strength and our love are together.”
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