On my walks through town, I often see people sitting by the side with handmade signs asking for help. And frankly, I’m never quite sure about the best way to deal with these situations. On the one hand, we are called to be a Church of the Poor, and here are the poor staring us in the face. And yet I have heard people who should know telling us that giving money to people on the street is not the best approach. There may be some mental illness or addiction, in which case some experts suggest that it would be better to donate to some agency or group that helps with such cases. Our monthly donations to the FOR Center in McKees Rocks have truly shown the generosity of the wonderful people of St. Malachy. Within our parish, we have the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, a group of volunteers who respond to all kinds of needs of the poor in our neighborhood. Theirs is not a public ministry, meaning that they do not do their work in front of everyone. Their ministry is often anonymous, with only those who receive help knowing of all that they do.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is funded from donations, primarily those in the Poor Boxes in our church. That money helps people where they need it. The members of the society speak to those in need and help determine what their need really is. They can provide food or help with other necessities, but they can also advise people and help them get the help that they need.
The question of how to help those in need came up when I was on vacation. A family showed up in our parking lot asking for help after one of the Sunday Masses. They were back the next weekend, after my vacation, and they took me by surprise. (It appears that ours is not the only parish where they were begging.) The presence of people in the parking lot raised a further question for me. Certainly we want to help, but if word gets around that the parking lot is a good place to beg, then others will follow. Probably the best thing in such cases is to direct them to call the parish and ask to be put in contact with someone from the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
I did hear a leader of a Catholic aid group being interviewed once, and someone asked him if we should give to people begging on the street. He did not answer one way or another, but he did have a suggestion. He wanted us to see the human dignity that God has given to such people. In other words, if we do not give something, we should not pretend we didn’t see them. Rather, give them at least a smile and a kind word.
On a different note, please remember that Monday is Labor Day. Our Mass will be at 9:00 that morning, and the parish office will be closed.
Father H
