By Quinton Amundson

The Catholic Register

Charlotte Mescall, a Grade 11 student at Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon, was so moved by the community outreach at St. Mary’s Parish that she coordinated two Christmas concert fundraisers on behalf of the church.

Advertisement

Newly formed this past spring, the St. Mary’s Mission and Outreach Ministry opens the parish hall doors each night starting at 6 p.m. to provide overnight accommodations, supper and breakfast to well over 100 unhoused men.

“We've had temperatures here in Saskatoon that have been profoundly dangerous for people on the street,” said Fr. Kevin McGee. “It's given them a place to stay, to work and really to survive. I can say that doing this has been a work of the Spirit. It has saved lives and it has created connections and relationships in very beautiful ways.”

Charlotte’s father, Devan, began working with the program at the invitation of his old friend McGee. A business professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Devan used his acumen to help develop a strategic plan for St. Mary’s Mission and Outreach Ministry to achieve long-term sustainability and success.

Leading up to a summertime community barbecue fundraiser, there was a discussion between McGee, Devan and outreach program coordinator Jennifer Nunes about potential fundraising for the mission and ministry. A concert was an appealing idea, and it seemed natural to recruit Charlotte because she was connected with bands and choirs.

“It was really at the barbecue that I got more inspired to do it,” said Charlotte. “We saw lots of people who would benefit from St. Mary's outreach program and how important it really is.”

The first concert was hosted at Holy Cross High School on Dec. 4, the second the following night at St. Theresa’s Parish in nearby Rosetown. Both nights featured singers, musicians, baking and fellowship. Notably, the school performance showcased the talents of the “Choir for Kindness” Charlotte assembled just for this function.

Devan beamed about his daughter’s determined efforts to help a worthy cause.

“Each week for three weeks, she tried something new to try to attract people (to a practice), and nobody showed up,” said Devan. "But she kept working at it, and it is a credit to her resilience that eventually, all of a sudden, different people began to say yes. Then some students came forward and said, ‘I don't do choir, but I could play the guitar.’ She said,’ that would be great.’ And someone else said they could play the cello.”

Advertisement

One could say she emulated the resoluteness of the St. Mary’s Mission and Outreach Ministry. Charlotte said she was touched listening to Nunes delve into the process of discernment — using the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola — the parish community went through to decide whether or not the hall should be used as a warming shelter.

Concerns arose whether such an initiative could potentially lead to the loss of parishioners or cause facility damage. The bigger question: did the parish have the capacity to operate such an initiative?

Ultimately, it was very clear to all that “yes” is the only answer. Nunes said her three children guided her during this process.

“I did ask my children for their opinion, giving them the pros and cons as (McGee) mentioned, and all three of them, without fail, said immediately yes,” said Nunes. “That really made me stop and think and realize that I was the one overcomplicating things. And then it just generally was about doing what God wanted us to do, and saying no did not sound like God's voice to me.”

During this period of contemplation, Nunes and her family embarked on a “rogue street ministry” and “were able to create wonderful relationships with the people that we were serving and quickly learned that we were receiving much more than what we were giving.”

This experience, Nunes added, “really taught us more about the word dignity and what that meant.”

McGee praised Nunes’ work as coordinator, calling her “a perfect fit.”

Both McGee and Nunes emphasized they are not seeking to supplant the work of the Salvation Army or the Mustard Seed. They are looking to partner with and augment the efforts of these established organizations with space, resources and fundraising.

“We’re going to them and letting them know that we are friends,” said Nunes. “We're here to build bridges, to fill in the gaps. We're not here to compete with or duplicate what they offer.”

Advertisement

The practical support provided by St. Mary’s Mission and Outreach Ministry is complemented by a passion to offer companionship and spiritual care to their guests.

See stmarysoutreach.com/ to learn more.