Trinia Reed looks at the prayer shawls made by parishioners at
St. Mary for each of the guests. (HENRIETTA GOMES | CATHOLIC HERALD)
Instead of trying to find a place to sleep on an empty park bench or
on the cold hard ground in the woods many of the homeless of Fairfax
County found refuge at St. John Neumann Church in Reston and St. Mary
of Sorrows in Fairfax during the last two weeks, where they ate dinner,
showered and slept, but also found spiritual nourishment.
It was not the typical homeless shelter experience, said Trinia Reed, one of
the guests at St. Mary.
“I was surprised at the beautiful and warm feeling of love and appreciation,” said
Reed, who attended the praise and worship healing service after the evening Mass
on Saturday. “It’s been wonderful with great food,” she said.
“We’re just happy to bring them in from the cold,” said
Marlene Atkinson, who was one of the many organizers of the weeklong shelter
at St. Mary.
“It’s not just seeing Christ in the poor, but seeing Christ in everybody,” said
Atkinson, a parishioner of St. Mary for 31 years. While she was moved to be among
the homeless and serve them, she said she was inspired by the volunteers from
the parish and the other faith communities who gave of their time.
The idea to provide shelter for the homeless in the dead of winter developed
after church representatives met with the Fairfax Area Christian Emergency and
Transitional Services (FACETS), the Lamb Center — a day center for the
homeless, and Fairfax County staff members to coordinate the hypothermia shelter
for the winter of 2005-06. The project has continued each winter since
with the collaboration of various faith communities.
Though each year parishes in the area, including St. Mary, St. John, St. Leo
the Great in Fairfax, St. Mark in Vienna and Nativity in Burke, provided meals
and volunteered their time, other faith communities provided shelter.
This year St. Mary and St. John were able to open their churches to up to 25
guests, many of whom were the overflow from a county shelter in Falls Church.
The shelter transported the homeless to the churches.
“I feel privileged to be with them and have a chance to shelter them,” said
LaSalette Sister Sonia Silverio, who lives near the church.
“It’s a very rare opportunity to be with them and to welcome them
and be up close with them. We always say we love the poor, but this is a genuine
experience in listening to them,” she said.
Describing a man who shared his “brokenness,” Sister Sonia said she
felt honored to speak with him and listen. The nun, who volunteers at the Lamb
Center said, being with the homeless guests, “gives me the essence of who
I am as a religious.”
St. Leo Parish provided meals and volunteered one night during the week along
with Nativity in Burke, Westwood Baptist Church, St. George’s Methodist
Church, Burke Methodist and St. Andrew Chapel United Methodist.
“It’s an opportunity for people to put their faith into action,” said
Fred Burgess, parishioner of St. Mary since 1982. Burgess, who provided security
and safety for the guests each night, said, “the real action is working
with people, hearing their stories and trying to understand their situation,
and giving them ideas and affirming them.”
He noted that some of the guests were struggling with substance addictions or
mental health issues, but felt they found solace in being in a church setting.
Aside from serving the homeless, the hypothermia shelter also provided for the
parishioners, Burgess said, because it “gave the people in the parish an
opportunity to mingle, serve, support and raise their own awareness and treat
these people with dignity.”
Seeing the dignity in every person was what inspired parishioners to bring china
and silverware to serve their guests during the week instead of paper plates
and cups.
“Mother Teresa always (said) that we talk about the poor, but we
don’t see them,” said Father Stefan Starzynski, parochial vicar of
St. Mary, who along with Father James Barkett spent time with the homeless. He
noted that it was especially poignant to have the shelter at the beginning of
Lent.
Parishioners at St. Mary also made prayer shawls for each of their guests before
their departure on Sunday morning.
“It’s so easy especially in the suburbs to write a check,” said
Father Starzynski. “I think it’s really important that we come in
contact with them.
“It’s important that the poor are a part of the Church. We are richer
because of them.”
Henrietta Gomes can be reached hgomes@catholicherald.com