‘We’re with them in prayer’: A Santa Monica church welcomes worshipers who saw theirs destroyed

Spirited by unity and a desire to help its neighboring congregation, St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica welcomed Pacific Palisades parishioners from Corpus Christi Church to its Mass Sunday morning, Jan. 12.

Earlier in the week, the Palisades fire destroyed the 60-year-old church.

“It’s just unthinkable to be in this situation,” said Danielle Villalobos, coordinator for children’s faith foundations with St. Monica’s. “I think it’s still sinking in.”

She said that though they’re separate churches, many members from each congregation will sometimes attend Mass at the other’s church.

“We have many members who live in the Palisades,” she said, with St. Monica’s located on the northwest side of the city at 725 California Ave., close to the Palisades’ border. “Many of our parishioners, they go back and forth … so we share a lot.”

Along with St. Monica’s longtime Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson, the service, which drew more than 200 people, was led by Bishop Matthew Elshoff.

“As I was in touch with various people and read different articles, as I read texts and different stories that are posted on social media, I couldn’t help but be touched by the generosity of people,” Elshoff said, citing examples of bravery and kindness related to the fires.

“In that person we see someone who has a sense of identity and a sense of mission …

“That is who we are and that is what we are called to do,” he said. “This is what church means. This is what church means in our lives.

“We flourish as a church when we are challenged to live our faith … We are not meant to live our spirituality in isolation, but rather we live that as a community,” he said.

Torgerson led a special prayer for Palisades residents who were in crisis, with about 15 of those parishioners standing while the congregation, many with hands raised, prayed for them.

“My heart goes out to all of you,” Torgerson said.

If you’re here, I just want you to know that we surround you with love and care and support,” he said.

“Our community of faith is strong in that of caring and supporting and loving each other,” he said, noting he had been at the church for many years and experienced many hard times with the community.

“That’s what baptism is about,” he said. “It’s brings us right into — right into — a community of love, and with that community we receive the incredible gift of blessing and grace.

“But we also, my brothers and sisters, take on a responsibility,” he said, “a responsibility to care for each other, to love each other and to support each other, especially in this time of crisis.”

For Santa Monica’s Mayor Lana Negrete, Sunday morning’s mass at St. Monica’s Catholic Church was an emotional one, both personally and professionally.

“I was born and raised in this city and in this church,” she said afterward. “Monsignor not only did my confirmation and baptized my kids, he married me, so to be here and hear the bishop’s words that were so perfect to this community, it touched me, it made me cry.”

She said it was an extremely emotional time, with a fast-moving, dynamic situation the required area leaders to be working around the clock.

“We don’t have fires here in Santa Monica, but we have people who are impacted, myself, personally, as well,” she said. “Coming to service today just put it all into perspective about how great our community is.

“To see families here that have lost everything and to find refuge here in our church just reminds me that we will be resilient,” Negrete said. “We will rebuild.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath was also in attendance.

“Monsignor Torgerson is a leader like no other and I wanted to be here to be with him and of course to see this parish welcome another parish in Corpus Christi, that lost everything,” she said after the service.

“This is what church is,” she said. “This is what community is and I feel very grateful and I feel blessed to have been here for this service.”

Teresa Carroll of Santa Monica and her family, regular parishioners, were in attendance.

“Everybody knows somebody who lost something,” she said, wishing that everyone from Corpus Christi will come to attend church at St. Monica’s

“That’s why we’re here at our church,” she said, “to show we’re grateful and to help those who need it.”

Felipe Sanchez, director of administration for St. Monica’s, said they have more than 7,500 families who are part of their congregation.

“I think the church is a place where people turn in times like this,” he said. “It’s important that we’re here for our people.”

He said they’ve been reaching out to all Palisades residents for whom they have contact information in their database.

“Many, many of them lost their homes,” he said, “so we’re with them in prayer and supporting them in any way we can.”