Corpus Christi Church recently made national headlines when Capt. Bryan Nassour of the Los Angeles Fire Department discovered the pound tabernacle unscathed amid the wreckage. The four regional wildfires that exploded at the same time have already claimed 28 lives and incinerated 40, acres.
Corpus Christi parish is one of the more than 6, structures demolished by the Palisades Fire. Students at adjacent Corpus Christi School, a K-8 school also incinerated by the fire, are among the more than 5, students impacted in the community. Other parishes, such as St. Corpus Christi recently made national headlines when Capt. Nassour and his crew hauled the sacred receptacle to the fire station across the street.
Often mistaken as its own city, Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles. The population at the time of the fire was about 23,, with a daytime population that included hourly workers, commuters and beach visitors of more than 77, With only one Catholic church located in the Palisades, it might appear at first glance to be a reflection of the supposed religious indifference that permeates Southern California.
Such a need was determined to meet the growing Palisades area. Monica 2 miles south. The topography of the Palisades, a bluff in the foothills of the Santa Monica mountain range, proved prone to not only wildfires but also landslides. The perilous terrain upon which Corpus Christi was built is in stark contrast to the dozens of Catholic parishes that populate the area. From St. Monica, headed east along Santa Monica Boulevard the famed Route 66 towards Hollywood, one will find a dozen nearby Catholic churches that were founded as Los Angeles established massive precincts across the sprawling flat landscape.
Corpus Christi has remained at the same location off Sunset Boulevard, less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean. Until its destruction this month, the present red-brick church stood since Corpus Christi School, which opened in , was initially staffed by the Sisters of St. Sister of St. Louis Michele Harnett, who taught at Corpus Christi, was shocked at the devastation.
