Catholic communities in four Southern California counties rushed to the assistance of dozens of parish families who were left without their homes by last weekend's wind-driven brush fires that (as of Nov. 18) had scorched 42,000 of acres and destroyed nearly 1,000 residences.

The largest concentration of destruction took place in Sylmar's Oak Ridge Mobile Home Park, where 484 homes (out of 600 in the park) were lost to the fire. Those included 39 family homes of parishioners of St. Didacus Church, and that of Barbara Barreda, principal of St. Elizabeth School in Van Nuys.

Another parishioner's home was severely damaged, and many parishioners were evacuated to nearby shelters.

This week, more than 200 St. Didacus parishioners --- including adults and teen youth ministry/confirmation members --- were involved with assistance efforts aiding the affected families. On Nov. 18, Valerie O'Reilly, parish director of liturgical ministry, took Communion to parishioners evacuated to Sylmar High School, and accompanied homeless fire victims to sift through the ashes of their demolished mobile homes at the Oak Ridge Mobile Home Park.

The parish will open an assistance center Nov. 21, providing food, clothing and essentials for two weeks. According to St. Didacus business manager Frank Cantu, the parish is collecting financial donations through its Christian Service Fund which will be distributed to fire victims.

"Our volunteers have responded tremendously," said Msgr. Peter Amy, St. Didacus pastor, noting that parishioners are praying for the victims and contributing financial donations, including a former parishioner who made a trip to St. Didacus to hand in her donation. "This sort of disaster brings the community together," added Msgr. Amy.

Several parishes --- including St. Julie Billiart in Newbury Park, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pasadena, and Immaculate Conception in Monrovia --- have called St. Didacus to inquire about ways to help fire victims. And nearby Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills is collecting donations for two school families who lost their homes, and Catholic Charities of Los Angeles announced plans to assist in relief efforts (see below).

In a letter to parishes issued Nov. 15, Cardinal Roger Mahony urged parishes to include special prayers and petitions in their weekend Masses for those affected by the fires.

"We realty need to live out our bonds of unity in Jesus Christ at this disastrous time in our communities, and surround those most deeply affected with our prayers and solidarity," the cardinal said.

Santa Barbara area
The first of last week's fires Nov. 13 struck the upscale area of Montecito, just east of downtown Santa Barbara. While the fire destroyed 219 homes, amazingly only one death was reported --- a 98-year-old man who died during the evacuation process.

The closest parish to the fire was Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, where one parishioner lost her home, and was receiving assistance from the parish. The area's lone Catholic high school, Bishop Garcia Diego in west Santa Barbara, saw no families lose their homes, although some were damaged, said Josephite Father Tom Elewaut, principal.

"We also learned that several alumni or their parents lost homes," he said Nov. 17. "Overall, though, we are grateful that it wasn't worse, because the situation was very bad last Thursday night."

The smoky air forced cancellation of schools throughout Santa Barbara on Friday and that evening's Bishop Diego-Oak Park football game "for health and safety reasons," said Father Elewaut. There were other factors, too: the helicopters that flew over the city all night Thursday and into Friday morning "meant many people got no sleep," he said. "And three of our coaches are also members of the local fire department, so they were busy working to put out the fire."

The wind direction --- from the East --- spared the historic La Casa de Maria Retreat Center, though at least two staff members lost their homes. A weekend retreat continued as scheduled, as the air began to clear.

Among the lost structures was the 61-year-old Mount Calvary Monastery, situated on a ridge 1,250 feet above Santa Barbara. As the Montecito fire flared Thursday night, the seven Episcopal monks at Mount Calvary left the Spanish-style house and went to stay at the Episcopal Sisters home of St. Mary's nearby. The dramatic shift of wind and burning embers rendered their monastery a total loss, which they learned the next day.

According to a member of the Sisterhood of the Holy Nativity, the monks are grateful that they are together and intend to stay at St. Mary's until their monastery is rebuilt. While priceless paintings and works of art were lost in the devastating fire, the monks said the Lord provided for them, that they only lost "things," and will carry on their ministry.

Providentially, the Episcopal Sisters were in the process of deciding if the retreat center could remain open since four of the Sisters had died and only one remained. Now it will become the monks' refuge.

Approximately three miles down the ridge, 222-year-old Santa Barbara Mission prepared for any emergency. According to Franciscan Father Richard McManus, youth members from St. Mary's Retreat Center stayed at the Mission for several hours and then decided to leave for Los Angeles.

"Several people came to the Mission," he said, "just to be there and watch, the flames were really scary and we expected the worse. On Friday the wind died down and it was a relief."

Diamond Bar-Yorba Linda
In the "Freeway Complex" fire" that spread south to Anaheim Hills, and also crept into Brea and the east L.A. County community of Diamond Bar, some 250 homes were destroyed --- from expensive hillside residences to apartment units.

Some areas fared better than others. At St. Denis Church in Diamond Bar, no parishioners lost their homes, nor was the parish damaged, said Msgr. James Loughnane, pastor. However, Sunday Masses after 10:30 a.m. were cancelled due to smoke and evacuations in the area, and early this week there was still the threat of renewed flare-ups, although the high winds had diminished noticeably.

On the morning of Nov. 15, a wedding at St. Martin de Porres Church in Yorba Linda was assaulted by smoke from an advancing fire that had begun in Corona, several miles away. The wedding continued, though by its end the fire was only blocks away.

Further south, at least one parish family of San Antonio de Padua Church in Anaheim Hills had lost its home, and numerous families were forced to evacuate. The parish was in the assistance planning stages, and was still gathering word on other potential victims.

Attendance at St. Martin de Porres' Saturday Vigil Mass and its early morning Masses Sunday was much smaller than normal due to evacuations taking place in the city, said parish secretary Liz Diggin. The parish's "Generations of Faith" faith formation program meeting was cancelled on Sunday, but by late morning Mass attendance had picked up.

Two parish families "that we're aware of" lost their homes, Diggin said, "and we're trying to get the word out so we can assist those who need it." Members of the 3,300-family parish are offering rooms, pet care and travel assistance in running errands for those affected.

"Last Sunday's Gospel talked about being neighbor," Diggin noted. "And this weekend we very clearly were living that teaching."

'A new kind of homelessness'
For those who lost multi-million-dollar estates (including 113 in Yorba Linda), the conflagration and its aftermath presents special challenges - "a new kind of homelessness," said Theresa Montminy, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities of Orange County.

"These people who lost their homes in Yorba Linda are the people who also lost a lot of money in depreciated stock in a very short period of time. So it's kind of like the economy has hit them on both sides."

Montminy pointed that although these homeowners had insurance, the value of many of their houses had depreciated 30 to 50 percent just in the last year - and, their insurance covers only the current value of their homes.

"These are the same people who have lost a fortune because of their stock investments," she noted. "So it's a new kind of dynamics here in Orange County. Because we are looking at a very fragile population that is well educated, that doesn't exactly know how to access the kinds of services they need.

"And they have been the ones who have always contributed to Catholic Charities," she added. "To try to help them understand that it's our turn to give to them is not something they're used to hearing, especially in Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills. That's our biggest challenge."

The economic downtown has also affected Catholic Charities' bottom line, according to Montminy. The steady stream of donations has largely dried up at the same time the social service agency is caring for more and more families who can no longer make ends meet. In short, the amount of charity going out already exceeds funds coming in.

Right now the agency is listening to people affected by the so-called Freeway Complex fire, which also damaged Brea and Corona. Staffers are also talking to pastors about the needs of local parishioners.

"We are communicating with the victims of the fire storm, and we are trying to best understand what their needs are before we launch off in a way that is not effective," said the director. "With the bad economy, it's a very, very difficult challenge.

"It's a serious time for us," Montimy stressed. "All the money given to us will be restricted to the victims of the fire storm. Catholic Charities is committed to the financial resources that are entrusted to us to make sure that it goes directly to those people affected in this new generation of homelessness."

Contributing to this story were Paula Doyle, Hermine Lees, R.W. Dellinger and Mike Nelson.