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San Francisco Saint Mary’s Cathedral Drenches Homeless With Water To Keep Them Away
CBS Local ^ | 03/18/2015 | Doug Sovern

Posted on 03/18/2015 3:02:44 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — KCBS has learned that Saint Mary’s Cathedral, the principal church of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, has installed a watering system to keep the homeless from sleeping in the cathedral’s doorways.

The cathedral, at Geary and Gough, is the home church of the Archbishop. There are four tall side doors, with sheltered alcoves, that attract homeless people at night.

“They actually have signs in there that say, ‘No Trespassing,’” said a homeless man named Robert.

But there are no signs warning the homeless about what happens in these doorways, at various times, all through the night. Water pours from a hole in the ceiling, about 30 feet above, drenching the alcove and anyone in it.

The shower ran for about 75 seconds, every 30 to 60 minutes while we were there, starting before sunset, simultaneously in all four doorways. KCBS witnessed it soak homeless people, and their belongings.

(Excerpt) Read more at sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: greatidea; sanfrancisco
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To: Craftmore
Thats great Catholic christian charity at work there.

It is.

Christ washed the feet of the Apostles. This Church washes their whole damn body.

21 posted on 03/18/2015 3:20:36 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (With Great Freedom comes Great Responsibility.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

The church is in the middle of Chinatown, where there is very little tolerance for the homeless. I’m not judging, just saying.


22 posted on 03/18/2015 3:20:39 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: Huskrrrr

The church building in Chinatown is old St Marys this is the one on Geary and Gough


23 posted on 03/18/2015 3:25:24 PM PDT by Jolla
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To: Farmer Dean

Despite the propaganda from the left, the vast majority of homeless don’t want help. They’ll take your money for cheap booze or drugs, but they refuse a helping hand because it might require them to expend some effort to help themselves.

They are programs to help the homeless. The Catholic Church and various religious institutions have them. But these people are coming to church only to make a mess and cause trouble.


24 posted on 03/18/2015 3:25:33 PM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: Responsibility2nd; Farmer Dean; Craftmore

Archdiocese of San Francisco media advisory:

(SAN FRANCISCO, March 18, 2015) The following statement was made today by Bishop William Justice, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and Rector of The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption:

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is, along with the Catholic St. Vincent de Paul Society, the largest supporter of services for the homeless in San Francisco. Every year, it helps many thousands of people through food, housing, shelter programs for people at risk including homeless mothers and families, and in countless other ways.

St. Mary's Cathedral is a huge part of that program, and does more than any other Catholic church. The Cathedral itself serves hundreds of homeless people giving them food and shelter, as an integral part of the San Francisco Interfaith Council's efforts in that regard, for example, opening its doors for shelter and food for five weeks over the holidays.

This sprinkler system in alcoves near our back doorways was installed approximately two years ago, after learning from city resources that this kind of system was being commonly used in the Financial District, as a safety, security and cleanliness measure to avoid the situation where needles, feces and other dangerous items were regularly being left in these hidden doorways. The problem was particularly dangerous because students and elderly people regularly pass these locations on their way to school and mass every day.

When the system was installed, after other ideas were tried and failed, the people who were regularly sleeping in those doorways were informed in advance that the sprinklers were being installed. The idea was not to remove those persons, but to encourage them to relocate to other areas of the Cathedral, which are protected and safer. The purpose was to make the Cathedral grounds as well as the homeless people who happen to be on those grounds safer.

We are sorry that our intentions have been misunderstood and recognize that the method used was ill-conceived. It actually has had the opposite effect from what it was intended to do, and for this we are very sorry.

We have also now learned that the system in the first place required a permit and may violate San Francisco water-use laws, and the work to remove this system has already started, and will be completed by the end of the day.

For more information, please call Larry Kamer at (415) 290-7240 or email: lkamer@kamergroup.com

25 posted on 03/18/2015 3:27:57 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("God bless the child that's got his own." - Billie Holiday)
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To: Jack Hydrazine

Oh that was so fun watching!! Did you see the ones laying loads as well...not to mention how many were of a particular ...well culture.

I wonder how that guy set it up to drown these jerks ..maybe motion sensors?

At any rate sooo worth the watch LOLOOOL!


26 posted on 03/18/2015 3:30:23 PM PDT by caww
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To: Responsibility2nd

They also wet their clothes, sleeping bag, and gear without any warning that a deluge is coming, you want to sell that as Christian?

Have you experienced having all of your sleeping gear wet for days, during a wet winter, who would want to surprise homeless people with that condition?


27 posted on 03/18/2015 3:30:38 PM PDT by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Thank you Mrs. Don-o for posting that.

So. The Church is not doing anything that other businesses aren’t already doing.

But because this is a Christian Church - the haters are gonna hate.


28 posted on 03/18/2015 3:31:32 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (With Great Freedom comes Great Responsibility.)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Free showers, seems pretty ungrateful to me.


29 posted on 03/18/2015 3:32:29 PM PDT by freedom6178
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To: cripplecreek

I wish these Catholic Charity Hierarchy types could get a drenching when they operate on grant money from the feds.


30 posted on 03/18/2015 3:33:10 PM PDT by magna carta
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To: Mrs. Don-o

I think it was ridiculous to make such an issue of this........as I understand it most of those people were drug attics to begin with....and it’s sure a public safety issue the way they leave their surenges and the like laying wherever they drop.

I think they were doing this with good intentions regardless of how it’s being made into something it isn’t. Especially in light of all the programs and housing available for these people to begin with.


31 posted on 03/18/2015 3:33:49 PM PDT by caww
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To: ansel12

They were warned.


32 posted on 03/18/2015 3:35:15 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: ansel12

Dude. Stop with the sobbing bleeding heart crap.

If YOUR home or property was being crapped on daily, then you would react responsibly as the Church is doing here.


33 posted on 03/18/2015 3:35:40 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (With Great Freedom comes Great Responsibility.)
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To: caww

Yes at least here in the midwest, it’s pretty well understood that a vast majority of the “homeless” are substance abusers who refuse to reform. Otherwise they are welcomed at various shelters run by religious organizations.


34 posted on 03/18/2015 3:36:42 PM PDT by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
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To: Responsibility2nd

Good idea! But I would drench them with Clorox!


35 posted on 03/18/2015 3:36:52 PM PDT by miserare ("Reverence for life--life of all kinds--is the first principle of civilization." ~~Schweitzer)
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To: Mrs. Don-o

Thanks, Mrs. Don-o.


36 posted on 03/18/2015 3:38:17 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Farmer Dean

May Magdalene didn’t pee in public places.


37 posted on 03/18/2015 3:38:59 PM PDT by miserare ("Reverence for life--life of all kinds--is the first principle of civilization." ~~Schweitzer)
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To: caww

Don’t know how the guy did his setup for spraying the riffraff, but I bet he could be a consultant to the sisters on improving theirs.


38 posted on 03/18/2015 3:39:06 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
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To: Craftmore

Go into your closet and jerk off.


39 posted on 03/18/2015 3:39:22 PM PDT by miserare ("Reverence for life--life of all kinds--is the first principle of civilization." ~~Schweitzer)
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To: Craftmore

That’s right! Because everyone knows the Baptists welcome homeless men pissing on their doors!


40 posted on 03/18/2015 3:39:51 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (As we say in the Air Force, "You know you're over the target when you start getting flak!")
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