JANUARY 2008
18th Annual Interfaith Memorial Service for Homeless People
Government officials, homeless advocates, members of faith communities, homeless people and other concerned individuals gathered at Church on the Hill (Swedenborgian) to observe National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day on Friday, December 21, 2007.
Held on the longest night of the year, the interfaith service allowed the community to mourn those who have spent many long nights on the streets and ultimately suffered from the country’s failure to end homelessness. Religious representatives from Islamic, Jewish, Christian and other faiths shared a sacred text or prayer from their tradition. The names of known homeless individuals who have died in Massachusetts during the year were read aloud.
State Representative Byron Rushing, Kip Tiernan, founder of Rosie's Place, Bob Taube, Executive Director of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and others offered reflection, music and prayer.
At 4:15 p.m., faith leaders and community members gathered to light luminaries on the Boston Common, near the corner of Park and Tremont St., while churches in Boston and across the Commonwealth honored those who have passed by tolling their bells.
“Homeless people in Massachusetts are dying at a rate that is almost four times higher than the general population. This must motivate us to look hard and fast for solutions,” said Dr. Jessie M. Gaeta of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance and Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. “If I could write a prescription for housing for my patients, it would be the most effective medical intervention I could make.”
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