POLLYWOOD
Jean-Marie and Raul Fernandez
Debbi Jarvis and Sheila Johnson
Pope Francis
WL EXCLUSIVE
POPE FRANCIS VISITS
CATHOLIC CHARITIES
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church | PHOTOSBYTONYPOWELL
Mary Hopkins with Karen and Chris Donatelli
SYMBOLICVISIT: After stops at The White House and
Capitol Hill to call on leaders to fight income inequality
and climate destruction, Pope Francis climbed into his
small Fiat and was driven to St. Patrick’s Church, the
oldest Catholic parish in the city. Greeted by a choir, the
Pope stopped in to bless lunch with about 300 homeless,
immigrant and other low-income clients of Catholic
Charities. Pope Francis also greeted top givers of Catholic
Charities, but spent most of his time with those he said
must be given hope, including people like William Smith, an
addict who told The Pope he once lived in cardboard
boxes, and Latisha Bussie, a recovering alcoholic now
getting her college degree. “The fight against poverty and
hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts,”
the Pope said. Catholic Charities’ 12 employees prepare
1,900 meals each week for senior citizens under a contract
with the District of Columbia Office on Aging, and also
cook meals for poor and homeless people around the
city under the St. Maria’s Meals program, including 400
people who show up Wednesday evenings outside of
Catholic Charities’ headquarters near Chinatown
Katie and Matt Stanton with Austin Herndon,
Susan Lacz and Mary Donatelli
Laura and Billy Kappaz with Chaffi
Kapaz and Ralph Fairbanks
Michael and Andrea Steele
Catholic Charities’ President Msgr. John Enzler with kids
of donors and those receiving services.
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A client of
Catholic Charities
EJ Dionne
WA S H I N G T O N L I F E
Pope Francis
hugs a child
| O C T O B E R | washingtonlife.com