Showers for the Homeless at the Vatican

A significant part of our faith journey is growing and being ministered to by the people we serve.  Bishop Konrad Krajewski is the Pope’s Almoner, which means that he is responsible for raising money for the poor and distributing it. When he took a homeless man to dinner at a Chinese restaurant for the man’s 50th birthday, Bishop Krajewski discovered an unmet need.The homeless get by with handouts of food but they have almost no bathing facilities.

Beginning with the public restrooms in St. Peter’s Square and parishes in Rome with large concentrations of the homeless, Pope Francis is paying for the construction and operation of showers. In addition to sanitation and promoting human dignity, Bishop Krajewski cites a deeper element of faith: “The Basilica exists in order to keep the Body of Christ, and we serve Jesus’ suffering body by serving the poor.”

Read more about this new apostolate.