Fr. Dale leading Street Chapel at the Community Kitchen
Father Dale Hall reflects on five years of Street Chapel. Fr. Dale is a priest and a chaplain to the homeless community in Chattanooga, TN. He is married to Kimberly, a high school literature teacher. They have two grown sons and a dog named Talula who helps Dale stay in shape. Hobbies include travel, music, visiting monasteries and missions, and discovering good food.
For five years now on Thursday mornings, The Street Chapel, a Morning Prayer & Eucharist service, has been offered in the day center of The Chattanooga Community Kitchen, the central hub for homeless services in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
A small team from The Mission Chattanooga and I began the outreach in August 2016 after a conversation with the COO of The Community Kitchen about providing a friendly and inviting service for the guests of the facility. Every week there are prayers, a gospel lesson, time for confession and absolution, and Holy Communion.
This past year with the pandemic has been a long year of face masks, face shields, and extra precautions as I have ministered to people on the street, continuing to engage the guests of the Community Kitchen as well as caring for staff, whenever there has been a need.
We had not been able to do Street Chapel services due to pandemic safety and health constraints, but I continued to talk and pray with people, one on one, on the street and at the shelter. This has been considered an essential service. I’ve made my daily rounds, checked in with folk, helped out at the shelter or the hospitality station, handed out hundreds of cups of cold water, Bible Promise Booklets, prayer beads, and mints. Recently we were able to begin Street Chapel again, providing the weekly eucharistic service for the homeless guests. Sometimes people are really surprised and touched that we are there. It may have been a long time since they’ve attended church, yet the church has come to them. They seem grateful.
The people at The Mission Chattanooga have really become active in being practitioners of the teachings of Jesus, doing good works in Jesus’ name. They have provided me with cough drops to give away in cold weather; they have made sandwiches for delivery meals to homeless encampments. People are bringing staples for food drives and also volunteering to serve the homeless community in many ways.
The Community Kitchen recently acknowledged The Mission Chattanooga this past spring as their Community Volunteer Group of 2020.
Our prayer book reminds us to pray, “Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.” It is a constant reminder to us to be a part of the solution and to practice kindness.
For the Poor and the Neglected (1979 BCP)
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
If you would like more info about Street Chapel, or would like to get involved, feel free to reach out to Father Dale at dale@missionchattanooga.org.
Image credit: The Mission Chattanooga