That time I told a priest to get out of his church more often

(we all need more face-to-face interactions)

(The Who)

This story began four months ago but I’ve hesitated to write about it. Firstly, I’m not looking to appear overly critical. Also, I’m still hoping for a happy ending. With that in mind, here goes…

I was out and about in late July — looking for homeless women — in an area in Astoria where I’ve typically encountered a handful of regulars. As I walked past a Catholic church, I opted to enter to commune with the saints. On the steps, a priest was speaking to a parishioner.

When I exited the church, the priest was still there — standing alone. He commented on my “Do the Right Thing” t-shirt and we ended up in a brief, pleasant conversation about the Spike Lee film.

The priest then asked me if there was something specific I wanted to pray about. I thanked him and explained why I was in that area. He was instantly intrigued — asking me many questions about my project.

I learned that his church ran an unsuccessful food pantry. The priest — impressed with my seven years of work — wanted to pick my brain. He told me he’d be on a retreat for August but upon his return, he wanted me to share my knowledge with the church volunteers.

While he desired to help locals in need, he lamented that they just weren’t showing up at the food pantry.

“Many of the people I’ve helped over the years have had bad experiences with churches and religious folks offering help,” I replied. “Maybe you and the volunteers should get out and go to them. Three people are panhandling less than a block from where you and I standing. I could introduce you right now.”

The priest did not take me up on that offer so I gave him my contact info and moved on.

I still haven’t heard from him. I followed up a couple of times but whoever answered my latest email misunderstood my purpose and told me:

“Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, our homeless shelter program has not opened up and therefore, we haven’t been in contact with volunteers. If something opens up, we will reach out.”

I remain hopeful that this connection will still be made and that I’ll be able to impart some valuable information to individuals who are seeking to help others.

In the meantime, the entire episode stands as a reminder that I’m not just an ideological free agent. I’m also a misfit when it comes to “religion.”

On that note, I’ll leave you with some words — attributed to St. Francis — that serve as inspiration for me:

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