San Quentin’s Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, in lieu of a food banquet for Easter on Palm Sunday, held an “un-banquet,” where residents donated food items and toiletries.
The donations collected were given to the Missionaries of Charity Sisters who live in Richmond. The Sisters were able to give these gifts to people who are struggling with hunger and homelessness.
“God makes sure I have what I need and more. I thought here was an opportunity to pass these blessings onto someone who needs them more than I do,” resident Kelvin Ross said.
The Lenten season is a time to take a long look at our lives and often persons practice giving up something that is earthly and bounding. A more fundamental obligation is to make Lent a penitential season and one of giving. Three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (acts of charity), which SQ’s Catholic Chaplain Fr. George Williams was hoping to accomplish with an “un-banquet.”
“Our Catholic community did something beautiful this Easter season. The best way to give glory to God is to serve one another and those who are in need,” Fr. Williams said.
The idea for an “un-banquet,” in which residents make a sacrifice and give to others, was proposed to the Catholic community at Masses. The conversation started when Fr. Williams and the Catholic clerk Arturo Melendez were discussing recent hygiene donations and decided it would be good to do something different this Easter.
“When I reached to give, I saw all that God has blessed me with. It was then others’ needs came to the surface,” Melendez said.
“There is a time and a place for banquets here, but sometimes I think it is helpful to step back and ask ourselves how we are caring for people who are suffering more than we are,” Fr. Williams said.
Most of the residents said giving is a way of making amends and said it feels good to be doing something for people fighting to live outside the walls.
Resident Luis Lopez, on his way to church, was questioned by a person on his tier in the housing unit who wanted to know where he was carrying canteen items to on a Sunday. When he told neighboring cell residents the Catholic Church was doing a donation, dozens did not hesitate to contribute. He said this donation since has established a connection with fellow residents.
“It was awesome to be able to give back. It was the highlight of my day,” Lopez said.
“We have to be aware of others who are struggling and try to connect in some form,” resident Delfino Verdun said. “It feels good to be responsible, in a way to give back to community and share what we have with people.
