“Without access to a warm shelter, some of these people will die in the extreme cold. If the use of our hall can save even one life, our partnership will be worth it.” – Fr. Kevin McGee, Pastor of St. Mary Parish, Saskatoon

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

St. Mary Parish in Saskatoon’s core neighbourhood has opened the doors of its well-known church hall on 20th Street West to serve as a night-time warm-up location from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week until April 2024.

The overnight warm-up location opened its doors for the first time Dec. 4, 2023, with 66 people spending time in the hall on the first night. As a designated warm-up location with funding from the federal government, the parish hall does not provide beds, but rather is simply a safe and warm place for those in need to find safety from cold winter temperatures.

The new warm-up location in the church hall will help fill a gap in the city’s Emergency Cold-Weather Strategy: while there are a number of locations to get warm during the day – including libraries and other locations – there is a great need for safe haven from the cold during the night-time hours.

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After a time of discernment and heartfelt discussion by parishioners on both sides of the question, St. Mary Parish has worked with several partners on the initiative – most especially the Salvation Army, which will oversee staffing and day-to-day operation of the overnight outreach.

Other partners who have participated in the discussion and planning of the warm-up location include the City of Saskatoon’s Emergency Management Organization (EMO), the Saskatoon Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP), the Saskatoon Fire Department, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon. Funding is provided by the federal government through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy.

“We are navigating new territory as we try to respond to an unprecedented number of people who will find themselves without shelter during these winter months,” said Fr. Kevin McGee, pastor of St. Mary Parish.

“Without access to a warm shelter, some of these people will die in the extreme cold. If the use of our hall can save even one life, our partnership will be worth it.”

Throughout a prayerful Ignatian discernment process undertaken by the parish about the idea of using the hall, McGee has acknowledged the many sides of the debate about how best to respond to the growing needs that St. Mary Parish is witnessing in its neighbourhood, and who should be responsible for addressing those needs, as well as concern for the safety of parishioners, especially the elderly.

McGee points to the complex nature of the problems, and also to advocacy earlier this year by the parish, in the form of letters to government leaders asking for more support and intervention to address problems of poverty, homelessness, mental illness, and addictions, which are impacting both the neighbourhood and the entire province.

At the same time, through its discernment process, St. Mary Parish has determined that it must also continue to be part of the response to those problems, he said. “Some of the advantages we identified were: saving lives, an opportunity to partner with professionals to help those in need, living the Gospel call of serving the poor, affirming the dignity of the human person, and being a witness of God’s love.”

Other parishes within the city as well as individuals have already given and indicated further support though resources, donations and prayers, said McGee. “I also have confidence that we will find support from ecumenical partners as well as members of other faith communities.”

In particular McGee expressed gratitude to the Salvation Army in moving forward with this overnight outreach. “Their many years of experience and expertise in serving the complex needs of those who are houseless give me the confidence that this project will be undertaken with great care and love.”

McGee led a prayer service the day before the overnight warm-up location opened, with participation from the Salvation Army and other partners, and blessing of the location by Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen.

“This ministry is about saving lives as we are now in unprecedented times of facing a homelessness challenge that none of us have previously witnessed in our lives in Saskatoon,” observed Myron Rogal of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon Office of Justice and Peace, who journeyed with the parish and other partners in the discernment process that preceded the opening of the warm-up location.

“The guests that will visit the site have no other options on dangerously cold winter nights. These people have names; they are not strangers but someone’s children, brothers, sisters, parents, neighbours, and above all, children of God who deserve to have their basic needs met,” said Rogal.

Rogal observed that Catholics have a responsibility to both charity and justice.

“Similar to most parishes offering emergency food relief St. Mary’s has prayerfully discerned to offer temporary emergency shelter relief. This however should not deter us from seeking longer-term justice solutions. Governments alone cannot and prudently should not try to solve a problem this large alone. Catholics have an obligation to be directly involved in this field of mission and to collaborate with local community partners which is what we have happening here,” he said.

“It is a tremendous challenge to bring together the three pieces necessary for this type of project: funding, a competent partner, and a site with a supporting community. For example, once the site closes in the morning, guests will be able to access a hot breakfast a short walk away at the Friendship Inn.”

Rogal added: “It has been an immensely humbling experience to witness many new people come forward to offer their time, talent, and treasure to support this ministry, while others have had a renewal of faith.”  He noted that further details on supporting the wider ministry of St. Mary’s outreach as well as volunteering opportunities, will be forthcoming.

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Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – rcdos.ca.