Why Them and Not Me?

According to a report published a few months ago in

The Wall Street Journal, the overall homeless
population in the US dropped by 11% during the past
five years. However, during that same period
homelessness in New York surged by 42% increasing
by more than 22,000 people. This comes as no
surprise to us at St. Anthony Shelter for Renewal.
Every day people call us or come in person looking for
a peaceful place away from the harshness of life on
the street and the chaos of other shelters.
What does surprise us over and over again, though,
are the stories of the men the Lord sends to us; some
are heart-wrenching and almost incomprehensible.
Many of our guests have serious medical conditions
like diabetes, and calling 911 (as we did the other day)
is not an unusual experience. One man suffers from
epilepsy and has seizures almost weekly. When this
happens in a vulnerable place like on the subway, he is
sometimes robbed of his possessions while
unconscious. Another a humble, saintly, cheerful
man has a degenerative eye disease. He is already
legally blind and his vision is getting worse. He reads a
large print Bible with a magnifying glass and enlarged

The exterior wall of St. Anthony Shelter will be scraped and repaired
beginning in the fall. Scaffolding is already in place.

copies of prayers we say at the shelter. He has been

trying to get subsidized housing for ten years.

Br. Shawn OConnor, CFR (right) with volunteer Joe Best (center)
and a shelter guest (left) at a game in nearby Yankee Stadium.

Others suffer more from personal, emotional trauma.

A number of our guests have clinical diagnoses of
schizophrenia or depression. Others had high-paying
jobs lost as a result of an addiction or other crisis.
Some of our younger men grew up in homes where
close family members were drug dealers. Two
brothers staying with us have been on their own and
had to fend for themselves since they were teenagers.
Some of our African guests have been physically
tortured. When we hear stories like these, and realize
how many of these tragedies were completely beyond
our guests control, our response can only be the
same as that of Pope Francis when he visits prisoners:
Why them and not me? I deserve to be here. Their
fall could have been mine, (The Name of God Is
Mercy, p 41).

on; two are pursuing religious vocations: one with us,

the Franciscan Renewal, and the other with the
Dominicans. We currently have a number of summer
volunteers and plan to receive a new crop of longtermers in August. In July, Fr. Herald Brock, CFR will
take over as Director of St. Anthonys. Our current
Director, Fr. Louis Leonelli, CFR will stay on as a life
coach to our guests as well as oversee maintenance
and repairs.
During the past year we were able to renovate the
chapel, paint all the bedrooms and install a new floor
in the basement. Come fall, major work will begin on
the exterior of the building, as mandated by the city,
and we will begin the process of renovating our
heavily-used bathrooms and replacing the well-worn
floors in the areas where our guests sleep. A big part
of the way we communicate a sense of dignity to our
guests is by the physical appearance of the shelter.
We strive to keep the St. Anthonys clean, beautiful
and in good condition, but in a hundred-year old
building this takes constant effort!
We are deeply grateful for your support of St. Anthony
Shelter for Renewal. And, aware of our needs, humbly
ask for your continued generosity. Please also pray for
the guests at St. Anthonys, and for the friars and
volunteers who serve there. We pray for you all the
time!
Celebrating birthdays (above) and re-birth days (right) at St. Anthonys!

What surprises us most of all, though, is the way the

presence of Christ breaks through and the grace of
God erupts in so many different ways at St. Anthonys.
It can happen during the friendly banter at dinner or
joking along a hallway. It might be during the
celebration of a birthday or some other special event.
The Lord is present during personal conversations
where men drop their guards, open their hearts and
share their struggles. It happens most of all when one
of our guests is moved to ask for the Sacraments. In
the past six months we have celebrated two complete
Christian initiations (Baptism, Confirmation, Holy
Communion) and two other men who were already
baptized received Confirmation and Holy Communion.
A few hours after receiving Confirmation on Pentecost
Sunday, one man Robert helped save the life of a
woman about to commit suicide! More guests are
now expressing their desire for these life-changing
encounters with Christ.
The summer ushers in a time of transition and special
activities. We have several camping trips and other
outings planned for our guests, and many evening
meals will be enjoyed in our beautiful outdoor garden.
In May, Fr. Innocent Montgomery, CFR was ordained
to the priesthood, and will continue in his position as
Assistant Director. The four young men who served as
full-time volunteers for he past year have now moved

Tax-deductible donations to support St. Anthony Shelter for Renewal can be made by mail or online at the addresses on the front page.