THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 46, NO. 21 | JANUARY 17, 2025
OSV NEWS PHOTO/DANIEL COLE, REUTERS
A signal light goes green on the Pacific Coast Highway during a weather-driven windstorm in Los Angeles Jan. 7 that fueled ferocious wildfires. The fires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force Jan. 8 after setting off a desperate escape for residents from burning homes through flames, fierce winds and towering clouds of smoke.
‘IT’S TOO MUCH’ Los Angeles fire victims grieve lost homes, church
By Pablo Kay OSV News
put out the flames encircling his home of 28 years. “Next door, everything was all burned alOS ANGELES (OSV News) — Pacifready, all of the sides,” recalled Laganà. “The ic Palisades is the only place Sam next-door neighbor’s house was blowing all Laganà has ever called home. of its embers straight at me.” The man known today as the ofThanks to friends who soon arrived ficial stadium voice of the Los Anto help with the firefight, Laganà’s house geles Rams grew up playing in was saved. Corpus Christhe closely knit community’s ti’s church building, located streets. He was educated in its directly downhill from his public schools, and received house, was not. Laganà saw To donate directly his faith at Corpus Christi the church in flames as he fito wildfire relief, go to Church, where he went to catnally drove out of the neighthe website at: www. echism class as a child. borhood around 11 p.m. Tuescatholiccharitiesusa. On the night of Jan. 7, he day night. org. Or contribute this watched all of it — the streets, “As I was leaving, I was weekend to the second the homes, the schools and trying to defend my home and collections being taken his beloved church — burn to hoping to keep the [Corpus up at archdiocesan parishes (Jan. 18-19). ashes. Christi] school from catching “It’s too much,” said Laganà. on fire by watering down the “Overwhelming.” hillsides,” said Laganà. While the last residents were evacuating Laganà’s efforts may be one reason the the picturesque enclave in LA’s Westside parish school was mostly spared, apart that night, Laganà was using water from >> See “STATUE” on page 10 garden hoses and his backyard jacuzzi to
L OSV NEWS PHOTO/ISABEL CACHO, COURTESY ARCHDIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES
A man prays as Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez concelebrates Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Jan. 9 to pray for those affected by the fires raging through parts of Los Angeles County.
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