The Mother Teresa Shelter, an expression of God’s love

 

Sister Rency Moonjely, SABS manages the day-to-day operations of the Mother Teresa Shelter. Sister Rency, who has been working at the shelter for almost nine years, said: “every life is a blessing.”

Mary Cottingham | STC

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“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

–Mt 25:40

In the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis calls on the entire Church to evangelize... “above all the poor and the sick, those who are usually despised and overlooked, ‘those who cannot repay you (Lk 14:14).’ We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. May we never abandon them” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium).

Clients who frequent the Mother Teresa Shelter come from all walks of life. They are someone’s brother, sister, mother, father, daughter or son. Usually, they suffer from one or more conditions which only tends to exacerbate their present circumstances. Some of the clients are mentally ill, while others may battle some form of addiction. Others can’t afford rent and don’t have any family support.

Sisters Rency Moonjely, the operations supervisor of the Mother Teresa Shelter and Sibi Varghese, are Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and manage the day-to-day operations of the day shelter. They, along with seven other staff members, including a security guard and a handful of volunteers provide more than just food and shelter to some 150 clients – they offer a temporary home.

Five days a week, from 7 a.m.- 4 p.m., clients can take a shower, make a phone call, do laundry, job hunt, use their computers, eat, check their mail, store their belongings in lockers or store their medicine in the refrigerator. They can also relax, read books, draw, write, watch television and rest up from a long night on the streets. Catholic Charities Licensed Therapist Gloria Garcia comes in once a week and offers group therapy and anger management classes. They can even participate in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings Monday-Friday at 7 a.m.

Sister Rency, who has been working at the shelter for almost nine years, said most of the homeless she encounters are clinically depressed. “They are so sad, but they tell me they are fine,” she said. Sometimes they open up to her and tell her they don’t believe anyone cares for them. “It hurts my heart,” she said.

Mother Teresa Shelter operates under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, Inc. 

The only requirement for getting registered at the shelter is for clients to get tested for TB. But to get tested, they need some identification. “It’s the law,” Sister Rency said. The Health Department comes to the shelter every two weeks to test onsite; otherwise, they have to take the bus to get tested. The shelter receives 100 ($75 worth) of token passes a month from Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority (RTA), which the sisters give to clients to get them transportation to Horne Rd., where the clinic is located.

The sisters have a good working relationship with the city and the Corpus Christi police officers who are stationed just across the street. At times, Sister Rency enlists the aid of an officer to help remove a disruptive client from the shelter “We still give them other chances. Usually, they are barred three times before they are permanently barred. “Even if they are barred, we still give them something to eat,” she added.

Artist Marty Medellin has been a client at the Mother Teresa Shelter for three years. He is often seen drawing pictures in his sketchbook outside, either under the new pavilion or in the Multipurpose Activity and Therapeutic Center. When he completes a drawing, he gives it away, all but his colorful rendition of Spider-Man on a skateboard – he has kept for himself. Mary Cottingham | STC

Marty Medellin said being homeless is “a discipline,” He believes that God is forming him. He explained that it had taken him 50 years to trust and believe in God, and now that God has disciplined him, he is never afraid even at night, because “when you got God on your side, nobody will touch you,” he said.

 Nora Morales, 43 and homeless, lives on the streets with her husband, Juan Morales. Her father, who had always looked out for her and her children, died a few years back. She has never worked in her life. She overstayed her welcome with other family members and became homeless. She has three children, twins who live with their father, and another who lives with her sister. She met Juan on the streets, and they married. Both seem to get by, but only with the help of each other and the shelter. Neither qualifies for assistance, but Juan works odd jobs to buy them what they need.

Most of the time, mental illness plays a major role in why people are homeless. Two friends, who prefer to be unnamed, are clients of the shelter. They are both well mannered, clean and their clothes have been freshly laundered thanks to the day shelter. While many of their sentences are disjointed, and their conversations seem to have no end, what they have to say is fascinating. Their minds work overtime as they try to explain their reality. To an outsider, they seem to understand, love, and depend on each other. 

According to one staff member at the shelter, they both qualify for disability, and one of them may even be a veteran. Both suffer a similar mental illness. If they started taking their medicine, they could find an affordable place to live, but so far, they won’t help themselves. No one knows, why – maybe the fear of being labeled, locked up in an institution, or the fear of change? 

Joe Hominic volunteers once a week at the shelter. He says that for many who are mentally ill, taking their medicine helps them feel better. Once they feel better, they don’t think they need their medication anymore. So, the vicious cycle begins all over again. He has been volunteering at the shelter for the past seven years. 

Before she started volunteering at the Mother Teresa Shelter, Barbara Little said she never saw the faces of the homeless. Like a lot of people, she never looked into their eyes as they lay huddled on the streets, in entryways or stood at crossroads and intersections. She sees them now and agrees with Sister Rency, “they don’t think anyone cares.” Little has been a volunteer at the shelter for eight years.

Many groups throughout the Diocese of Corpus Christi volunteer their time and talent at the Mother Teresa Shelter. A group from St. Philip the Apostle serves breakfast every first Saturday of the month. A group from Most Precious Blood serves on the third Saturday of the month. And a group from St. Thomas More serves both Saturdays and Sundays on the fourth or last weekend of the month. Other volunteers include the St. Anne Altar Society and the Catholic Daughters of America who serve on certain Saturdays. Many individuals volunteer every week. Sister Rency said that right now they need a group to volunteer on the second Saturday of each month. 

 Mother Teresa Shelter has many anonymous donors who are guardian angels of the shelter. Sister Rency said that one woman calls her once a month, out of the blue and asks what she needs. On a recent call, she told her they were out of bleach, and the woman delivered 42 bottles of bleach the next day. The same thing happened to Escamilla in the kitchen. She asked if there were any more turkeys left, other than the one from a donation several months ago. Before she knew it, someone delivered three more.

In her book, “A Simple Path,” Mother Teresa wrote, “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”

 If you feel called to help our homeless brothers and sisters at the Mother Teresa Shelter, visit motherteresashelter.org for more information.  
 

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