Francis Eato - January 5, 1988

Francis was a street person who stumbled into the Saturday Night Dinner Program at St Luke's. He was living pretty much hand to mouth; room to room in the village. I believe he used to work the Holland and Lincoln Tunnel relieving husbands and boyfriends on their way home to the 'burbs. While that sounds demeaning, what you saw in Francis was not the tacky dress or the tattered jeans, but the enormous stamina it takes to live on the streets of New York.

Before the dinner, those that wanted to would go into the sanctuary for some prayer and blessing. Francis was one who started here and then came to the high mass on Sunday. On those occasions you would see a man radiant with love and gratitude for an open hand at the altar. He was good for St Luke's in our totally white-waspiness.

There was no uncertain controversy about the food program at St Luke's. It started as a recommendation from a group of 3 of us who were appointed by the Rector to come up with ideas to respond to the crisis. Hospitality was a clear path for us and Saturday night was the night most people went without food, so it was a natural mix. It was short-sighted of the Wardens and Vestry to think this would pass muster from the School Board and the parents, however, but that's another story of intolerance, fear and fully-cognizant irrationality.