The street brings old friends home

The late iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot had a massive hit with a song entitled, “Did She Mention my Name.” The song starts with the words, “It’s so nice to meet an old friend and pass the time of day.” 

I met up with two ladies this week that I first met on the streets when I started The Church on the Street in 2006. Each of them contacted me separately last week: one from her home in Newfoundland, and the other from downtown Toronto. I could not help but sing these words to myself this week when each of them reached out to me separately and I planned to meet with them: one at a restaurant in Toronto, and the other via the Internet. 

Both have worked hard on overcoming their addictions and have reached out in their own way to assist others who are facing the same challenges as they did. I met Chimene in a Toronto restaurant, and she brought her young baby with her. I had sent her a copy of my latest book, The Church on the Street, Ministry of Presence, and she recognized one of the stories as being about her and her daughter. In her reply she asked, “Is that story about me? It was so beautiful?” 

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We planned to meet for lunch, and it was truly a joy to see her interact with her young daughter. It brought back memories of when I blessed her just after her birth.

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A few days later, I received an Internet message from Shannon who lives in Newfoundland. She gives me regular updates on how she is doing with her young daughter, who has had some health challenges since she was born. I told her that she is my real-life heroine and a remarkable mother. 

I still remember meeting her for the first time about 20 years ago at a women’s shelter in Toronto called Street Haven. Her response was beautiful as she wrote: “She is the best gift I have ever received. I pray someday to visit so you can meet her and see how absolutely amazing she is. I feel like I’m finally finding my way back to the things I love, like writing and creating, and rediscovering parts of myself that got lost along the way. It’s been a long journey, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come.”

From her experiences, Shannon has created a website which lists resources for parents who feel they need help. As the website says, “No parent should have to do this alone.”

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Recently I have been reading pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas which, among other things, talks about the Church and pastoral ministry. One comment that struck me was when he wrote “What matters most is initiating good processes and enabling them to mature.” 

It reminded me that I am not getting any younger, and although I want to continue being the Church on the Street for many years, I should start a process of “succession planning” so that the Church on the Street ministry can continue to grow and expand. To this end, I have started to reach out to other deacons who may want to join me in the ministry. After all, as I often tell people, “I have franchises available.”

(Kinghorn is a deacon in the Archdiocese of Toronto.)

A version of this article appeared in the November 01, 2026 issue of The Catholic Register with the headline "The street brings old friends home".