WHEREAS, In the early 1960's Joseph O'Neill and his brother, Father Anthony J. O'Neill, pastor of Saint John the Evangelist parish on 13th Street became increasingly saddened and concerned about the City's skid row within the parish boundaries; and
WHEREAS, Father O'Neill began offering sandwiches and shelter to the poor and homeless at Saint John's on a regular basis but believed that the church could do more; and
WHEREAS, As Father O'Neill began planning how the church could better help the poor and homeless in his parish, he was elevated Monsignor and while on a trip to New Orleans visited a shelter operated by the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd which further inspired his vision for helping the homeless in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, On September 17, 1962, Most Reverend John J. Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia granted Monsignor O'Neill permission to purchase the building at 1221 Race Street; and
WHEREAS, On Saturday, September 7,
,
1963, with the blessing of the Archbishop, Saint John's Hospice began operating; and
WHEREAS, In the early years, the clientele of the Hospice was composed of elderly men. Many were alcoholics, others simply down on their luck. These men came to Saint John's for a hot meal, clothing and shelter which were given with dignity and compassion. Because of this, Saint John's became, and still is, the melting pot of Center City's homeless population and the place where Charity Unlimited, the Little Brothers' motto, was practiced 24 hours a day; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, Saint John's became a part of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Brothers continued their long hours of service and additional lay staff were hired to reduce the Brothers' hours to a more manageable level. Many of the new employees were former residents; and
WHEREAS, In 1995, a longtime dream was realized when the Good Shepherd Program for medically needy homeless men, including those with HIV/AIDS, opened its doors; and
WHEREAS, Saint John's Hospice today continues to operate in line with the high standards and good works of the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd; now therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Philadelphia, Commemorates and celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Saint John's Hospice.
RESOLVED FURTHER, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Saint John's Hospice further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
End