Homily for November 29, 2009

Father Tom’s Homily
Safe Haven at St. Mary
August 12 – November 20, 2009

On Wednesday, August 12th, about a dozen homeless people became our guests at St. Mary. They were called the “Tent City” by some because they were living in tents. They called themselves Safe Haven because they were now depending on their own small community to provide a haven of safety.
Perhaps the most significant problem the homeless experience when out on their own is the lack of safety. Many of them are preyed upon when sleeping out on their own. One member of the Safe Haven community told me that his father was beaten to death while he was homeless.

They are part of a movement in this country by the homeless to use their own initiative and ingenuity to remedy their situation because no one else seems to care that they had no place to call home.
The Safe Haven tents were only a first step towards a more permanent housing solution. They intend to build a number of mini-houses that are ventilated and insulated, located around a community center that will provide a kitchen and dining area, washrooms and a laundry. In this way they are following the model of homeless communities found in several other U.S. cities.

In June officials of the City of Champaign invoked the city code to evict them from their tents in the back yard of the Catholic Worker House on Randolph Street. In search for a temporary solution, some expressed the hope that the local churches would come to the rescue.
I offered to provide space for the tents at St. Mary because it is what we should be doing. It seemed unlikely to me that the city would object to tents on church property because it is a work of mercy to shelter the homeless.

With the understanding that it was a 30-day commitment, we welcomed about a dozen guests in mid-August. It was hoped that there would be other church properties opened to them during the tenting period until the mini-houses could be built on a piece of land that would be their own.
The city code keeper would have none of this as he warned that our parish could face a fine of $750 a day for violating the precious code. So I invited them to use the Archbishop Oscar Romero Center for their sleeping and daily needs.

In the meantime, the community grew into the mid-thirties and no other location was provided. Finally in November, a solution was arranged with Restoration Urban Ministries in west Champaign for Safe Haven’s next move.
They are now living there in sixteen newly renovated rooms for their winter quarters. These rooms had been unused because of code violations. Sixteen local church communities have donated the money to bring these rooms up to code. The rooms were ready on Wednesday, November 18.
Our Safe Haven guests moved on Friday, November 20th. What had begun as a 30-day stay lasted for 100 days. This is a short history of Safe Haven at St. Mary.

I have not regrets about their presence at St. Mary. As disciples of Jesus, we should not ignore the homeless. Our religious tradition calls us to do justice and the works of mercy.
This is a significant teaching in the Old Testament tradition. The Hebrew words tzedek (just) or tzedakah (justice) can be found more than 500 times in the biblical literature. The biblical story is a story of justice and yearning for peace.
In the New Testament, we have the powerful example of Jesus life and teachings. At the Last Supper he performed a servant’s role when he knelt before each of his disciples and washed their feet. When he had finished this, he said, “I have given you an example that you are to follow. You must wash each others feet.” As disciples of Jesus, we are called to serve those in need.
Jesus was homeless. He spoke of this when he said, “The Son of Man has no where to lay his head.” He counted himself among the homeless of every age. In the faces of the homeless poor, we should see the face of our homeless God. As disciples we must not ignore them.

Many have given service to the needy in our Christian history. A couple of weeks ago, our liturgical calendar honored the memory of three women in consecutive days. One day was the feast of St. Francis Cabrini. In the prayer of the Mass we prayed, “By her example teach us concern for the stranger, the sick and the frustrated.”
Similar prayers were offered in following days on the feasts of Margaret of Scotland and St. Elizabeth of Hungary, two saints devoted to care for the poor and needy.
These saints represent a commitment that is at the heart of our tradition.

Before the arrival of Safe Haven literally at my doorstep, I had not thought very deeply about the homeless. Over the years, some have come to my door asking for help. But with Safe Haven in my backyard, we got to know them personally and to hear their stories.
We met David and Donnie and Roxanne and Chelsea and Red and George and Big Pete and Re-Pete and Ron and Gloria and the rest. While we offered them hospitality, they have taught us what it means to be homeless.
(story of Maryknoll priest working in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya)

This experience has had its moments of difficulty and exasperation. I consider their presence at St. Mary, however, to be a blessing for the parish and for me. For me more than anything else it has been an experience of the soul.
In many ways it has reminded me of what I have discovered in the poor of the mountains of El Salvador. They asked us to walk with them and to tell their story.
In the company of the poor we can be lead to places of the heart where we cannot go on our own. Their story is a story of grit and pain and faith that teaches us about God’s presence in the struggles and joys of living on the edge.

Walking with the poor can help us appreciate the blessing of small things. For example, on returning from Calavera, I am very grateful to be able to turn on my faucet and have water so conveniently available – water that is safe to drink. This experience with the homeless has sharpened my appreciation of having a place to call home.
I thank God for the friendship of the campesinos of the mountains and the Safe Haven gang who have let us see how the poor live. They sharpen our sense of gospel values. In their stories we begin to hear Mary’s Magnificat as a prayer of praise to a God who does justice and calls us to do the same.
They introduce us to Jesus, the poor preacher/healer who sided with the outcasts and sinners and died as a criminal. Maybe we can begin to recognize God, the homeless, the ex-con, the poor, the ignored person who stands at our door.