Deacon Ven Garcia reflects on his week-long experience with Maryknoll on an immersion trip to the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. Visit the Maryknoll Immersion Trip page to learn more about our domestic and international immersion trips!
Mr. Cellophane
by Deacon Ven Garcia
Cellophane, Mr.
Cellophane shoulda been my name
Mr. Cellophane 'cause
you can look right through me
Walk right by me and
never know I'm there.
This song played and replayed in my head throughout our
Tenderloin mission immersion trip. Mr.
Cellophane, the invisible, inconsequential man in the Broadway musical Chicago
is everywhere and nowhere in the streets of San Francisco. He is panhandling on the sidewalks, sleeping
in the public library and lounging on the grass at Civic Center Plaza. Most people look the other way, immune to
their plight. But there is no ignoring Mr.
Cellophane in his home turf, the thirty blocks shaped like a wedge triangle
called the Tenderloin. He has stories to
tell, scars to show, lessons to teach. So,
off to the Tenderloin I went with my fellow pilgrims to experience mission and
encounter Jesus in His many disguises.
And that is the first thing that becomes readily apparent about
Mr. Cellophane. He is male, female and transgender,
young, old and a baby in a stroller, different nationalities and mixed races, various
religious faiths or none at all, in good health, poor health or poorer health. All ended up at the Tenderloin “and there but
for fortune”, but for the grace of God “go you or I”.
This week, I had to overcome some fears and confront some subconscious
prejudices that bubbled up to the surface.
I expected Mr. Cellophane to behave badly at St. Anthony’s dining hall. I was proven wrong: they waited their turn in
the lines, raised their hands and waited patiently to be served, smiled and
said thank you when I handed them their food tray. I expected Mr. Cellophane to hit me up for
money, but not one of them did. I was
initially hesitant and insecure to initiate table conversations with complete strangers,
but most responded graciously and even enthusiastically.
The two senior centers that we visited presented some
communication challenges. Cantonese was
the language of the day. And just like
that, the roles reversed. I became Mr.
Cellophane as I went around the room and received blank stares from many residents. However, the smiles, the Cantonese Good
Morning “Jo san”, the dominoes, karaoke and the Macarena saved the day.
God was everywhere in the Tenderloin but I strongly felt His
presence upon entering St. Boniface Church.
Serenity descended on me, everything else receded into the background. I honored the sacredness of those sleeping on
the church pews at the back – “to sleep, perchance to dream”, perchance to
heal, perchance to hope, perchance to cope.
I can’t imagine how anyone would want to deny them this sanctuary. My feeling was: This is right, this is as it
should be - God is here! And silently, I
asked our Father to lead our Tenderloin brothers and sisters to the “restful
waters to revive their drooping spirits.”
God invited me to respond as part of a community of love, support
and healing. We are, indeed, the people
of God, called to love one another, especially those who are in need. The truth is, we all have great need for each
other.
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