'Lost souls' of Gallup benefit from Mother Teresa's New Mexico legacy

Published: 2003-11-18

GALLUP, N.M. (CNS) -- A group of men lean against the white wall of the white adobe mission waiting for their morning meal. Their worn clothes and expressionless faces reflect years of wandering through the streets of Gallup, looking for their next meal or drink. Many of these homeless men are alcoholics, some emotionally disturbed, others disillusioned in one of the poorest counties in the United States. At Casa San Martin, members of the Missionaries of Charity follow the philosophy of the order's founder, Blessed Mother Teresa, that everyone should live with dignity and compassion. Here these "lost souls" have an oasis to escape their daily plight and uncertainties. "They save our lives -- especially in the winter," said Les, who declined to give his last name. The 48-year-old resident of Ganado, Ariz., said he finds the mission to be an environment of mutual respect between the nuns and visitors. Ryan, an unemployed 29-year-old from Tsaile, Ariz., said "there's nothing else to do" in Gallup except eat and hang out at the mission. The mission is in the Diocese of Gallup, which includes parts of Arizona and New Mexico.

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