December 17, 2013 // Local

Solidarity with the poor emphasis at Our Lady of the Road

Todays Catholic

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades celebrates Mass, Dec. 13, at Our Lady of the Road in South Bend, a weekend drop-in center for the homeless, and a ministry of Peter Claver Catholic Worker community. Every month the Catholic Worker community also holds a “First Friday” Mass, potluck and discussion for the clarification of thought in the dining room at Our Lady of the Road.

By Allison Ciraulo

SOUTH BEND — Ten years ago, on the evening of Dec. 12, 2003, the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker House in South Bend welcomed its very first guests. A family, looking for shelter from the bitter December cold came to the door and were the first of hundreds of guests since to be received as Christ himself, in need of a place to stay.

The small staff of Catholic Workers drew their inspiration from Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin, founders of the first Catholic Worker house in 1933 in New York. Armed with only the works of mercy and trust in God’s providence, the fledgling staff opened their home and their hearts to South Bend’s poor.

A decade later the Catholic Worker continues to welcome guests as Christ in disguise, both in their residential houses of hospitality for men and women as well as at Our Lady of the Road, a weekend drop-in center for the homeless, which opened its doors in December 2006. The community depends entirely upon volunteer labor and financial donations from its benefactors.

Every month the Catholic Worker community also holds a “First Friday” Mass, potluck and discussion for the clarification of thought in the dining room at Our Lady of the Road.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, who first visited the Catholic Worker houses this past August, celebrated Mass for the gathering on Friday, Dec. 13. This month’s Mass was moved from the first to the second Friday in order to accommodate the bishop’s schedule.

In his homily, Bishop Rhoades reflected on how, like the people in Jesus’ time, we are often tempted to complain. Instead of keeping our focus on God and living as Christ’s disciples, he said, we allow ourselves to fall into a “spiritual sickness” of criticism and grumbling.

“That’s why it’s so good that we have places like the Catholic Worker in our diocese, where the focus is on charity,” the bishop said. “Pope Francis is also calling us to have this focus, on charity and on serving the poor.”

Aimee Shelide Mayer, a long-time volunteer at the Catholic Worker and First Friday regular, felt that the bishop’s presence at Our Lady of the Road was an inspiring sign of solidarity. “It’s compelling to see our local bishop respond to this call from Pope Francis to be close to the poor,” she said. “It should lead us to do the same.”

Solidarity with the poor is central to the mission of the Catholic Worker. First Friday attendees always include a mix of volunteers, students, and families, as well as guests of the Catholic Worker houses and folks from the streets.

“This place brings everyone together,” said Joe Coman, age 13. His family of 10 lives close to the Catholic Worker houses and is regularly involved in the activities at Our Lady of the Road.

Earlier in the day on Friday, Coman and his siblings had spent several hours at Our Lady of the Road serving breakfast. A hot breakfast is served there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, and guests are offered access to shower and laundry facilities as well. Volunteers like the Coman family bring coffee and food to guests at their tables and stop to visit with people as they make the rounds.

Coman values the openness he senses around the Catholic Worker community as well as the emphasis put on relationships, “both with God and with other people.”

In his remarks at the end of Mass, Bishop Rhoades expressed his appreciation for the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker community and for all those whose generosity supports the works of mercy at Our Lady of the Road. The bishop added that he would like to see a Catholic Worker house in Fort Wayne someday too.

As the gathering coincided with the memorial of St. Lucy, Bishop Rhoades related the story of the virgin martyr, blinded for her faith, to the season of Advent, in which we anticipate the coming of the light of Christ. “In her courage we see that the light of faith cannot be extinguished by any visible darkness. May St. Lucy intercede for all of you here at Our Lady of the Road and all who come here, and may her faith encourage and inspire us in our pilgrimage of faith.”