[NEWS] Sister Mary Scullion: How we’re prepping Philly’s homeless for the Pope and what more can be done

From Billy Penn: 

With a little less than a month left before the visit of Pope Francis, it seems that our civic anticipation is devolving into anxiety over the potential nightmare of security and traffic logistics. Or into burgeoning commercialism and cheap profiteering from sometimes tawdry papal memorabilia.

We cannot afford to lose sight of the importance of this event – and the historic opportunity it represents.

Sam Vasquez hasn’t lost sight.

Sam spent many years homeless on the streets of Philadelphia. Now a resident at Project HOME’s JBJ Soul Homes at Broad and Fairmount, he is giving back. In anticipation of the Pope’s visit, Sam is part of a special outreach team, including several formerly homeless persons, who have been going out in Center City, engaging in dialogue with the men and women currently living on our streets.