Br Kevin tells of joy as Pope plans homeless shelter visit
THE Pope will pay a visit to the Capuchin homeless shelter and poverty relief centre when he arrives in Dublin later this summer.
Brother Kevin Crowley who runs the Day Centre on Bow Street, in the inner-city, said Pope Francis will meet homeless families.
‘It will be for the homeless people and most importantly it will be for families, mothers with children’, he said.
‘It’s terrific to think that the Pope is giving his time to visit them.’
Brother Kevin said the visit will be ‘great recognition’ for homeless people and that he was not surprised by Pope Francis’s decision.
‘Everywhere he goes he is sure to meet the homeless and the poor people and that’s one of the great gifts the Pope has, his love for those who are marginalised,’ said the tireless supporter of the city’s most needy.
He said that when told of the visit the centre’s users were ‘absolutely thrilled’ and said a visit had been ‘rumoured for a while’.
According to the Franciscan brother, the 81-year-old pontiff will arrive at around 4pm and any arrangements for the usual services will have to be made amidst stringent security measures.
Pope Francis is no stranger to homeless centres.
Earlier this year he ordered thousands of ice creams to be distributed to poor people in shelters across Rome and on his 80th birthday he invited a group of homeless people to share breakfast with him.
The Pope will visit Ireland on August 25 and 26 as part of the Meeting Of The Families 2018 gathering.