In this Jubilee year celebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, we Capuchins are called to renew and reflect. To renew in ourselves what it means to be a follower of Francis and to reflect on how this becomes real for us today. Francis teaches us how to do this. From the very moment he embraced the leper he embraced Christ both in the leper and within himself. From this place his eyes opened, and he encountered Jesus in all people, especially the poor.
This is at the heart of who we are and what we do at the Capuchin Day Centre. Taking Francis, the other Christ, as our inspiration we try our best to see with his eyes and feel with his heart. Pope Leo, proclaiming the Jubilee in January invites us to “follow the example of the Saint of Assisi, becoming models of holiness of life and constant witness of peace”.
In this season of Lent we are invited once again to pause, to reflect, and to become more aware of the people who find themselves at the fringes of society. Those who feel left out, not listened to, and unequal.
Response
In the heart of Dublin City we welcome these people to the Capuchin Day Centre as our Guests made in God’s image.
At the Capuchin Day Centre, we do not insist that people tell us what brought them to our door. We do not judge. We respond to the need in front of us. It can take one unexpected difficulty for anyone to lose footing: illness, job loss, or family breakdown. Others who come through our door are not equipped to break a cycle of disadvantage they’ve inherited.
At ten o’clock one morning, Mary, one of our Guests, did not know where she would sleep that night.
Mary was invited to come to the Day Centre for a hot meal, a warm shower and clean clothes. She could charge her phone, use the Wi-Fi, and receive gentle guidance toward other supports and referral to the appropriate accommodation providers. Above all, in the Capuchin Day Centre she was met with kindness, patience, and respect.
Food is essential for our bodies, but nourishment is also found in the welcome that surrounds the meals at the Day Centre”
What strikes me most for people like Mary is that it’s not just the practical difficulty of the lack of a safe place to rest, but the toll of the cold that settles into the body, the hunger, the exhaustion and the relentless uncertainty that shapes each day.
Food is essential for our bodies, but nourishment is also found in the welcome that surrounds the meals at the Day Centre. Often, it is being welcomed without judgement that allows hope to take root again.
Many of our Guests are known by name, and speak of how special it is to sit at a table with others, being valued as part of a community and being missed when they are absent. One man once told me it was the first time in years he had shared breakfast with another person. In moments like that, a service becomes a sanctuary, a place of warmth and healing.
The work of the Capuchin Day Centre continues Monday to Saturday every week. Over the past year, we served more than 331,000 hot meals, provided over 77,000 food parcels, offered thousands of showers and healthcare supports, and helped families meet their children’s most basic needs through provision of over 6,500 infant parcels.
The figures matter, but only hint at the deeper reality behind them – each number represents a person, like Mary, seeking warmth, dignity, and belonging.
Lent calls us to allow ourselves to notice the person beside us on the bus, on the street, or at the door and to respond with tenderness and compassion.
It is with thanks to the compassion and generosity of our supporters from communities, churches, schools and businesses all around Ireland, that the doors of the Capuchin Day Centre remain open year round.
When someone like Mary visits the Day Centre, often in a moment of crisis, the call of St Francis becomes real. In this season of Lent we could not respond to the call without the support of our generous benefactors.
Our God is all tenderness and compassion
In this Jubilee year celebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, we Capuchins are called to renew and reflect. To renew in ourselves what it means to be a follower of Francis and to reflect on how this becomes real for us today. Francis teaches us how to do this. From the very moment he embraced the leper he embraced Christ both in the leper and within himself. From this place his eyes opened, and he encountered Jesus in all people, especially the poor.
This is at the heart of who we are and what we do at the Capuchin Day Centre. Taking Francis, the other Christ, as our inspiration we try our best to see with his eyes and feel with his heart. Pope Leo, proclaiming the Jubilee in January invites us to “follow the example of the Saint of Assisi, becoming models of holiness of life and constant witness of peace”.
In this season of Lent we are invited once again to pause, to reflect, and to become more aware of the people who find themselves at the fringes of society. Those who feel left out, not listened to, and unequal.
Response
In the heart of Dublin City we welcome these people to the Capuchin Day Centre as our Guests made in God’s image.
At the Capuchin Day Centre, we do not insist that people tell us what brought them to our door. We do not judge. We respond to the need in front of us. It can take one unexpected difficulty for anyone to lose footing: illness, job loss, or family breakdown. Others who come through our door are not equipped to break a cycle of disadvantage they’ve inherited.
At ten o’clock one morning, Mary, one of our Guests, did not know where she would sleep that night.
Mary was invited to come to the Day Centre for a hot meal, a warm shower and clean clothes. She could charge her phone, use the Wi-Fi, and receive gentle guidance toward other supports and referral to the appropriate accommodation providers. Above all, in the Capuchin Day Centre she was met with kindness, patience, and respect.
What strikes me most for people like Mary is that it’s not just the practical difficulty of the lack of a safe place to rest, but the toll of the cold that settles into the body, the hunger, the exhaustion and the relentless uncertainty that shapes each day.
Food is essential for our bodies, but nourishment is also found in the welcome that surrounds the meals at the Day Centre. Often, it is being welcomed without judgement that allows hope to take root again.
Many of our Guests are known by name, and speak of how special it is to sit at a table with others, being valued as part of a community and being missed when they are absent. One man once told me it was the first time in years he had shared breakfast with another person. In moments like that, a service becomes a sanctuary, a place of warmth and healing.
The work of the Capuchin Day Centre continues Monday to Saturday every week. Over the past year, we served more than 331,000 hot meals, provided over 77,000 food parcels, offered thousands of showers and healthcare supports, and helped families meet their children’s most basic needs through provision of over 6,500 infant parcels.
The figures matter, but only hint at the deeper reality behind them – each number represents a person, like Mary, seeking warmth, dignity, and belonging.
Lent calls us to allow ourselves to notice the person beside us on the bus, on the street, or at the door and to respond with tenderness and compassion.
It is with thanks to the compassion and generosity of our supporters from communities, churches, schools and businesses all around Ireland, that the doors of the Capuchin Day Centre remain open year round.
When someone like Mary visits the Day Centre, often in a moment of crisis, the call of St Francis becomes real. In this season of Lent we could not respond to the call without the support of our generous benefactors.
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