First “world day of the poor”

On this first world day of the poor we (those who are working or helping in the homelesscenter of Klagenfurt) have celebrated together with the homeless Hl. Mass at 11 o´clock. The Mass was said, by the boss of the Caritas organisation in Carinthia. Before the Mass some of us went around the city to find the homeless and to invited or to remind them to come. After the celebration in the church, the homeless have been invited to a retaurant, that belongs to the Caritas. The homeless, have been served by the employed of the homelesscenter. And then we have been sitting and eating together. There we have been about 30 or 40 persons alltogether. It was a nice and relaxed, family atmosphere.

On this same day we sisters and the priest informed the faithful about our concern for the homeless. We asked for donations of sleeping-bags and plankets. Also a part of the collektion was given for this purpose. In this way, we have received the very same day 5 sleeping-bags and 2 plankets already. In the following week, we have received still a lot kind donations more.

With donated money we could buy 6 sleeping-bags and 6 warm winter jackets (waterproof). In the evenings I take them on the bike and go around the City (parks, railway station, …) to visit the homeless and to deliver to them needed materials. They have been very happy to get it and they try to hide it during the days, so it may not be found and thrown away.

We also could manage to arrrange a bed and an indoor place for a homeless man. To carry this bed, to the place (its the room to the sacristy of a church) I got help from one of the other homeless. (See on the photos).

Also in the Restaurant, there have been cooking refugees from Afganistan and Syria for our homeless people although it was Sunday and actually their free day.

This have been very meaningful signs to me… poor ones helping the other poor.

Prvi svetovni dan ubogih

Ob prvem svetovnem dnevu ubogih smo (tisti, ki delamo ali pomagamo v centru za brezdomce v Celovcu) praznovali skupaj z brezdomci sv. mašo ob 11h. Sv. mašo je vodil direktor organizacije Karitas na Koroškem. Pred mašo smo nekateri odšli po mestu, da bi našli brezdomce in jih povabili ter spomnili, da naj pridejo. Po praznovanju v cerkvi so bili brezdomci povabljeni v restavracijo, ki pripada Karitas. Brezdomci so služili zaposleni v centru za brezdomce. Nato smo se usedli in jedli skupaj. Skupaj nas je bilo približno 30 ali 40. Bilo je lepo in sproščeno družinsko vzdušje.

Isti dan smo sestre in duhovnik obvestili vernike o naši skrbi za brezdomce. Prosili smo za donacijo spalnih vreč in odej. Za ta namen je bil tudi del nabirke. Na ta način smo prejeli isti dan 5 spalnih vreč in 2 odeji. V naslednjem tednu smo prejeli še veliko donacij.

Z zbranim denarjem smo lahko kupili 6 spalnih vreč in 6 toplih, nepremočljivih zimskih plaščev. Ob večerih vzamem zbran material in se peljem s kolesom okoli mesta (parki, železniška postaja, …), da obiščem brezdomce in jim dam, kar potrebujejo. Zelo so bili veseli, da so dobili to in poskušali so skriti čez dan, da jim kdo ne bi vzel in vrgel stran.

Tudi me bi lahko uredile in pripravile znotraj prostor za enega brezdomca. Soba poleg zakristije v cerkvi ima posteljo, ki mi jo je pomagal prinesti brezdomec (fotografija). Tudi v restavraciji so kuhali begunci iz Afganistana in Sirije za naše brezdomce, čeprav je bila nedelja in za njih prost dan.

To so bila zame zelo pomenljiva znamenja … Ubogi, ki je pomagal drugemu ubogemu.

Prevedla: s. Mojca Cafuta