The text message lit up the Rev. Carri Patterson Grindon’s cellphone at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
A congregant of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena, where Patterson Grindon serves as rector, had forwarded an image of the sanctuary. It was ablaze — a victim of the raging Eaton fire.
The building had stood since 1949, with the community dating back to 1906.
“It was incredibly devastating that the fire burned unabated and knowing the church and campus there were unprotected,” Patterson Grindon said. “To learn about the destruction through a photograph was very difficult.”
Patterson Grindon, her husband and daughter evacuated Tuesday evening, when the fire had burned within a couple of blocks of their Altadena home.
The next day, they learned Saint Mark’s wasn’t alone in its fate. At least 11 other churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and religious institutions have been completely destroyed by the series of fires ravaging Southern California.
The loss of religious institutions is compounded with the individual suffering of their flocks. Some congregations have said up to three-fourths of their members lost their homes or schools in the firestorm.
But even with the sting of those losses still fresh, rebuilding and fundraising efforts are underway.
Saint Mark’s lost not just its sanctuary but its adjacent school, which has 70 employees and 325 students in preschool through sixth grade. Patterson Grindon said she believes at least 40 members have also lost their homes.
Even such carnage, however, gave way to a little mercy.
The only portion of the elementary school not to burn was the brand-new preschool that had just been built thanks, in part, to a $8.5-million capital campaign.
“When the head of the school and I learned that it had survived, we knew it was a miracle,” Patterson Grindon said. “In this horrific landscape, it was a beacon of hope, a gift to build upon.”
The church has established a relief fund on its website, saintmarksaltadena.org.
Here’s a list of other religious institutions reported to have been destroyed in the firestorm:
Altadena Community Church (Altadena)
The total loss of the 80-plus-year-old community church was confirmed on its website.
Altadena Fountain of Life Church (Altadena)
The destruction of the church was confirmed on Facebook by the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. Several community members also lost their homes, the Ministries noted.
The Ministries established a website for donations: give.ncm.org/donate/140061.
Altadena United Methodist Church (Altadena)
Pastor Andre Wilson said “our hearts are broken” after confirming on Facebook that the more than 100-year-old faith community lost its church to the Eaton fire.
At least 50% of faith families have lost their homes, according to the Rev. Garth Gilliam, North District Superintendent of the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church.
“God is with us and closer to us than ever before,” Wilson wrote on Facebook. “So we will grieve what we have lost. We will comfort one another. We will support and assist one another through this.”
Donations can be made at advance.umcmission.org/p-620-umcor-us-disaster-response-and-recovery.aspx.
Lifeline Fellowship Christian Center (Pasadena)
Bishop Dr. Charles Dorsey confirmed the institution’s total loss in an emotional Facebook Live discussion on Wednesday, on what would have normally been a Bible study lecture.
The center, founded by Dorsey and his wife Lisa, stood for more than 20 years.
The center has established a GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-restore-lifeline-fellowship-of-altadena
Pasadena Church of Christ (Pasadena)
A member of the congregation told the Christian Chronicle on Tuesday that the church had been destroyed.
Corpus Christi Church (Pacific Palisades)
The church held its first Mass in 1964, though the local Roman Catholic community dates back to its first parish meeting in 1950. The homepage of the church’s website has a photo of a burned-out church frame with the ominous caption: “I have no words. Our beautiful church in Pacific Palisades, as of this morning. Praying for my hometown, the LAFD and everyone affected by these horrific fires.”
Paul Escala, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, confirmed that the kindergarten-eighth grade school attached to the church suffered a fair amount of damage, and part of its roof was burned. While the buildings remain intact, 154 students and 29 staff will be disbursed to other schools while repairs are made.
Donations can be made to lacatholics.org/california-fires. Put “Corpus Christi” in the notes section.
Masjid Al-Taqwa (Altadena)
The mosque served Altadena residents for more than 30 years and saw its total members rise from a few dozen to 200, according to internal figures. The building had recently been renovated right before the blaze. So far, fundraising efforts have brought in around $500,000.
To donate, visit, launchgood.com/v4/campaign/help_restore_our_beloved_masjid_in_altadena.
Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center (Sierra Madre)
The Catholic center celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, but was heavily damaged this week. Two groups of nearly 60 people had to be evacuated, according to Angelus News.
Donations can be made to lacatholics.org/california-fires. Put “Mater Dolorosa” in the notes section.
Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church
A Wednesday Facebook post noted the church’s destruction.
“I hold tight to the steadfast knowledge that church is not a building or a physical space, it is her people and her community of faith,” the Rev. Dr. Grace Park, one of the church ministers, wrote on Instagram.
Donations can be made at secure.myvanco.com/L-Z6YC/campaign/C-15ASR.
Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center (Pasadena)
The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, the synagogue and preschool that served the Pasadena area for more than 100 years, is among the many structural casualties of the Eaton Fire.
“We’ve got many congregants who have lost their homes already and many with homes next to homes that are burning,” Executive Director Melissa Levy told The Times earlier this week. “We are trying to focus on our people now, and we’ll get to the building after.”
Donations can be made at pjtc.net/payment.php.
St. Matthew’s Parish School (Pacific Palisades)
The school’s namesake Episcopal church suffered serious damage but is still standing. The school, with 70 staff and 334 students in preschool through eighth grade, was destroyed. The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is still working on a plan for students and teachers to finish off the rest of the semester, according to Schools Executive Director Ryan Newman.
The school and church, however, claim at least 75% of their members lost their homes in the Palisades fire.
“God’s will has nothing to do with this fire,” Los Angeles Episcopal Bishop John Taylor said. “God’s will is urgently desiring that people come together and devote themselves to each other’s healing.”
A fundraiser is available at diocesela.org/annual-appeal.
