Mother Teresa Shelter opens for Christmas celebration, Mass

Simon moved to Corpus Christi from Chicago several years ago. As a long-haul truck driver, he visited almost every state in the country, and he truly loved his job. But then, a traumatic incident on the road changed his life forever.

“I witnessed something terrible while I was driving and developed PTSD. I don’t drive anymore. I’m thankful the shelter opened for Christmas and provided a nice meal. Today turned out much differently than I had imagined it would,” Simon said, with a broad smile.

Simon was one of over 300 clients of the shelter who enjoyed a delicious, freshly prepared meal on Christmas Day, preceded with a Holy Mass and followed by singing Christmas carols alongside volunteer musicians who serenaded guests at the luncheon.

The operations supervisor at the Mother Teresa Shelter, Sister Rency Moonjely, from the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, noted it was important for the shelter to offer a meal for the homeless on Christmas Day.

“I knew most of the other shelters in town would be closed on Christmas, so I wanted to give our clients the chance to celebrate Christmas with others,” she said.

Sylvester Vargas, 55, a shelter client, enjoyed the gathering and appreciated everyone who pitched in to make it happen.

“I appreciate everything the sisters and volunteers at Mother Teresa Shelter do for us. Their hard work does not go unnoticed. Without the shelter, there would be so much suffering for those of us who have struggles,” he said.

Vargas said he has been homeless for three weeks, but Mother Teresa Shelter is the silver lining to his tough situation.

“I feel blessed to have somewhere to go for food and shelter. I thank God for the blessings he has given me,” he said.

During his Christmas Homily, Father Jose Gutierrez retired from the Diocese of Corpus Christi almost two years ago, reminded those in attendance about the true significance of Christmas day.

“Today is all about the birth of Christ. It is a beautiful day for us, where we each receive the greatest gift of all: the gift of Jesus. The Jesus who touches our lives and the Jesus who changes us. Jesus is the gift that never grows old or goes out of fashion,” he said.

Father Gutierrez added he has been volunteering at the shelter the last few months every day, serving breakfast to the shelter’s clients.

“This shelter is a special place near and dear to my heart. It’s special because when we are blessed enough to serve here, we are serving Jesus. Even though I’m retired, I’m waking up every day at 6 a.m. to be here for breakfast,” he laughed. “But I don’t mind, and actually, I miss this place on the weekends.”

Sister Rency added she is thankful for the group of volunteers who donated their time on Christmas Day to serve others, adding she has found giving is a treasure mostly beneficial for the giver.

“What I have learned about helping the poor is they give us back much more,” she said.

Mother Teresa Shelter, located at 513 Sam Rankin, always seeks volunteers and donations. Currently, the shelter is in dire need of a commercial-grade ice machine. Contact Sister Rency Moonjely, SABS, at (361) 883-7372 for more information.