Scottish Catholic Observer

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley said that on the Feast of the Epiphany he saw a post on Facebook about how homelessness in the central belt of Scotland had risen dramatically.

“Homelessness charities said they were all seeing more homeless people in full view on the streets and in shop doorways, whereas only a few years earlier they were confined to back alleys,” he said.

“Last year demand at the centres had jumped way up and they were having to turn people away on many occasions.

“I thought of how we were ending the Christmas season when we have been thinking about how wise men brought the wealth of their resources to help a homeless family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and still the problem remained.

“I just thought: can we not bring some of our collective wisdom, and the wealth of our resources, to the homeless souls in our times in a way that might lead to some lasting solution?”

He put out a request on his Facebook page for suggestions to find out what could be done, and ‘could not believe the huge response I got or the quality of many of the answers.’

“Clearly they were people working in the field and I immediately saw it would be good to bring them together. They would know how to avoid reinventing the wheel by not organising things that were already being done.

“They would bring their collective knowledge together to see how they could add to help that was out there.”

Among those who responded to the bishop’s appeal was Maureen Smith, a lawyer. She and others were inspired to turn words into action, so they met up earlier this month at a meeting she chaired.

“It was an amazingly positive meeting,” she said. “There were lots of people who work with homeless people, who know what they’re talking about, and they were full of energy and ideas.”

“The one thing they all had in common was they couldn’t turn a blind eye any more.”

She said members of the group were still discussing exactly what action to take. “It could be campaigning on certain issues as well as giving practical help and advice to people who are homeless,” she said. “There’s no doubt that the problem of homelessness is getting worse; anyone who walks the streets of Glasgow knows it. And with the resources of the Church we want to do something to help.

“We all see these people sleeping rough. There’s a casual brutality to the way we all accept that. We want to do something about it.”

Bishop Keenan said he had been hugely impressed by the first meeting but that those involved were ‘very well aware how the problem of homelessness is huge and complex and how it is easy to be naïve and think you can come along with a quick fix.’

“I did not want to bring people together on a wild goose chase only for us to fail and be disappointed,” he said. “We have to do what we can and place the rest in the hands of God.

“We will give to Jesus what expertise and willingness we have and leave the rest to Him.

“All we know is we are not allowed to walk on by. We have to try and God will bless our effort.”

—This story ran in full in the February 24 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.