Homeless persons’ interreligous memorial held in downtown LA – NBC Los Angeles

The Los Angeles community came together in prayer on Sunday to honor the lives of thousands of homeless people who lost their lives in 2025.

Hymns and prayers echoed throughout the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Sunday night – to remember the lives they fear many have forgotten. In total, more than 1,500 homeless people have died in 2025.

Rabbi Susan Nanus says these deaths say less about those who lost their lives on the streets, and more about those who watched it happen without fighting harder to prevent it.

“We are commanded to act, to alleviate suffering, to lift up the fallen and extend our hand,” said Rabbi Nanus.

At the interreligious memorial, the faces of many faiths are illuminated by the flames of 1,564 candles, each representing a life lost while unhoused in LA and Ventura counties this year.

“Even if they died alone, they are not alone because we’re here and we pray and we think of them,” said Yvonne Huitron, a theology teacher.

Those in the pews, not divided by denomination but fueled by a shared humanitarian obligation.

“The attempt to care for those on the street is not a Catholic issue, not a Christian issue, it’s a moral imperative facing all of us, of every creed, of every religion,” said Father Alexei Smith, interreligious officer for the Archdiocese of LA.

While the number of unhoused people in LA County has dropped 4% from last year, faith leaders speak with urgency about the estimated 72,000 souls still on the streets.

“I think there’s a common calling and vocation here, for all faith traditions, for all who value the dignity of human beings to look to full dignity,” said Pastor Tim Compton.