Thank you for your support of this year’s Lenten Project. The funds collected will be used to assist Corpus Christi parish in Pacific Palisades, California. You can return your donation box by placing the contents of your box in the glass cylinders in the Gathering Area or Narthex. If you wish to contribute by writing a check, the check should be made out to St. Thomas OSJ with Lenten Project in the memo line. Please return your donation this weekend, April 26-27.

The parish of Corpus Christi was recently able to secure a ‘semi-permanent’ sacred space for the community to gather each Sunday as they continue their mission to build the Body of Christ.

As they indicated on their website, “The Roaming Catholics will now settle down and meet each Sunday …”

April 20, 2025

Thank you for your support of this year’s Lenten Project. The funds collected will be used to assist Corpus Christi parish in Pacific Palisades, California. You can return your donation box by placing the contents of your box in the glass cylinders in the Gathering Area or Narthex. If you wish to contribute by writing a check, the check should be made out to St. Thomas OSJ with Lenten Project in the memo line. Please return your donation by April 27.

“Corpus Christi Parish remains a community of resilience, holding weekly Masses after losing their church and many of their homes in the devastating Palisades wildfires.” (Source: Corpus Christi website)

April 13, 2025

Continue to ‘feed’ your brown box throughout Lent. These donations will be used to help provide housing for elderly parishioners who lost their homes and cannot afford to rebuild in the area. When you are ready to return your donation, please place the contents of your box in the glass cylinders in the Gathering Area or Narthex. If you wish to contribute by writing a check, the check should be made out to St. Thomas OSJ with Lenten Project in the memo line. Please return your donation by April 27.

So far, we have raised $3,200. Your generosity will help the Corpus Christi faith community be church even though they do not have a church building.

“Corpus Christi Parish remains a community of resilience, holding weekly Masses after losing their church and many of their homes in the devastating Palisades wildfires.” (Source: Corpus Christi website)

April 6, 2025

Continue to ‘feed’ your brown box throughout Lent. These donations will be used to help provide housing for elderly parishioners who lost their homes and cannot afford to rebuild in the area. Your contribution can be placed in the glass containers in the Gathering Area and Narthex. Please return your donation by Easter Sunday, April 20. If you prefer to donate online, please click here.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 to be a light in the darkness and to help the Corpus Christi faith community be church even though they do not have a church building.

“Corpus Christi Parish remains a community of resilience, holding weekly Masses after losing their church and many of their homes in the devastating Palisades wildfires.” (Source: Corpus Christi website)

March 16, 2025

Corpus Christi Parish, in Pacific Palisades, California, was destroyed by wildfires this past January.

During the weeks of Lent, St. Thomas will be collecting funds for Corpus Christi to be used to help parishioners who can no longer afford to live in the area they have long called home.

You are invited to take a ‘little brown box’ which you can find in the Narthex and Gathering Area for your donation. Return the box on or before Easter with your contribution. If writing a check, please make it payable to St. Thomas OSJ with Lenten Project in the memo line. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to be a light in the darkness and to help the Corpus Christi faith community be church even though they do not have a church building.

Corpus Christi parish is a Catholic church in Pacific Palisades, California. In the recent wildfires, their church building and rectory were destroyed, and their school was severely damaged. These structures will eventually be rebuilt. In the meantime, they understand it is the people who are ‘the church’ and Corpus Christi continues being church, in many ways, wherever they can and in whatever places let them borrow space.

When we approached Corpus Christi about how we could help, they indicated that there are several elderly parishioners whose homes were damaged. These parishioners had purchased homes 40-50 years ago. Prices have risen so much that it is impossible to rent or buy in the area again. Corpus Christi would direct St. Thomas donations toward helping their elderly population afford temporary housing. A recent communication with Corpus Christi ended with “Thanks for being a light in the darkness.”

During the weeks of Lent, St. Thomas will be supporting the work and ministry of Corpus Christi Parish. You are invited to take a ‘little brown box’ which you can find in the Narthex and Gathering Area and collect spare change and dollars. Return the box on or before Easter with your contribution. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to be a light in the darkness for Corpus Christi.

The following message is from Corpus Christi parishioner, Lorraine Hartman:

My name is Lorraine Hartman, and I am a Corpus Christi parishioner for over 40 years. On Tuesday, January 7, at around 10:30 am, we evacuated the parish office because of a fire in the hills surrounding the Palisades. I grabbed my purse and locked my office door, never dreaming that we would not return — that we would lose our church office, our church building and the entire Palisades community. For weeks after the fire I listened to our parishioners and my dear friends who shared their heartbreaking stories of loss — loss of homes, jobs and our beloved community.

Sometimes prayer is hard in times like these, but I began to realize that God was truly walking with us through it all. As I was the contact person for our parish, I began to receive calls from all over the country offering help, and I began to realize that God was showing us love and compassion through these people. They are truly the hands and feet, the tears and hugs of a loving, compassionate God to a suffering community.

During the weeks of Lent, St. Thomas will be collecting funds for Corpus Christi Parish to be used to help parishioners who can no longer afford to live in the area they have long called home. You are invited to take a ‘little brown box’ which you can find in the Narthex and Gathering Area and collect spare change and dollars. Return the box on or before Easter Sunday with your contribution. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to be a light in the darkness for Corpus Christi.