“It was truly divine intervention,” Marquez would later quip.
A vast majority were there to ask the Council to reconsider its previous rejection of Mary’s Village, a proposed transitional housing facility for homeless men. The project is the latest expansion of Mary’s Mercy Center, which has provided food, housing and other essential services to the poor in San Bernardino since 1987.
Mary’s Village would follow the model of Veronica’s Home of Mercy I and II, which offers long-term housing, rehabilitation and training to homeless women with the aim of helping them rebuild their lives. Located on Artesia Street, the 85-bed facility is to be part of a south campus for Mary’s Mercy Center that would also include a medical and education building, apartments, a community garden and community care facilities. The $12.2 million cost of the project is being raised entirely by Mary’s Mercy Center.
With a strong, nearly 30-year track record of serving the poor in San Bernardino, no public dollars needed, and the city experiencing a homelessness crisis, an approval from the City Council seemed hardly in doubt. Indeed, the initial vote of the Council on July 6 was to approve Mary’s Village, but in a rare move the Council reversed its approval at the following meeting.
Over the next seven weeks supporters of Mary’s Village reached out to council members who had voted against the project, asking them to reconsider their position. It was hoped that this would result in a vote by the Council on Oct. 10 to reconsider approval of Mary’s Village at a future meeting.
Instead, Council Members John Valdivia, Benito Barrios and Bessine Richard, who previously voted against the project, chose not to attend the meeting. Councilman Henry Nickel again voted ‘no,’ asserting that Mary’s Village would attract homeless people to San Bernardino.
In addressing the Council on Oct. 10, Father Michael Barry, S.S.C.C., the founder of Mary’s Mercy Center, offered a response.
“It’s not the program that’s a magnet,” he said. “It’s the City.”
Fr. Barry was one of 24 people to formally address the Council in support of Mary’s Village. Church pastors, health care leaders, social service providers and residents whose lives have been touched by homelessness in some way made up the group of supporters. Prior to the meeting, Father Leonard DePasquale, I.M.C., Administrator of St. Bernardine Parish, and Father Manuel Cardoza, Administrator Our Lady of Hope Parish, worked to convince Councilman Barrios, a Catholic, to change his mind about the project.
When Mary’s Village failed to win reconsideration on Oct. 10, the two priests issued a hard-hitting editorial.
“We need to hold these four leaders accountable for their actions, for letting political alliances, infighting and indifference to the poorest amongst us, stand in the way of good governance, and mercy for people who need it the most,” it read.
Mike Hein, Vice President/Administrator of Mary’s Mercy Center, said Mary’s Village is not dead.
“We need the support of the community at large to ensure that the homeless issue is dealt with in a meaningful way with compassion towards all of our brothers in need,” he said. “Mary’s Mercy Center will review all options to make sure Mary’s Village becomes a reality.”