In response to the emergency caused by the cold weather, since Saturday 7 January, the church of San Callisto in Rome’s Trastevere neighbourhood, has kept its doors open to the homeless, offering them a place to sleep at night.
A few days ago, San Callisto, a Vatican church in use by the Community of Sant’Egidio, started offering night-time shelter to the homeless, in response to the cold weather emergency. The church will continue to offer shelter to the homeless until the freezing cold weather subsides. The Office of Papal Charities said this in a statement signed by Bishop Konrad Krajewski.
“The church and its buildings are within the extraterritorial zone are a property of the Holy See,” the statement reads. “The church is an ancient place of worship, built around the well where Pope Callixtus I was martyred in 222. The current building dates back to the 17th century. It is a rectory linked to the parish of Santa Maria in Trastevere and is under the care of the Community of Sant’Egidio, which carries out activities of worship and catechesis, especially for the elderly and people with disabilities.”
There are around thirty Italians and foreign nationals living on the streets, who are currently spending the night in the church of San Callisto and the adjacent buildings, all of which are suitably equipped with heating, beds, blankets and bathrooms.
“Dinner is offered to guests as of 7:00pm, in the nearby refectory in Via Dandolo, after which they can access the church of San Callisto between 8 and 10 pm. In the morning they leave at about 8 am. Volunteers from the Community of Sant’Egidio are on hand to welcome the homeless and remain there during opening hours, also doing night shifts. Each guest is assisted by volunteers who help them find a solution to their material and health needs. In the days following their first stay, attempts are made, where possible, to find more stable form of accommodation.”
The Church pews were moved to make space for beds. But the Most Holy Sacrament inside the tabernacle remains where it is.
