What do spiritual traditions teach us about affordable housing? Saint Paul faith leaders offer insight
Written by Rev. Emily Goldthwaite, Beacon’s Director of Congregational Organizing
It’s a busy season for all of us at Beacon as we advocate for resources to sustain high-quality supportive housing in Minneapolis and St. Paul. At the same time, we’re moving The Aragon through the land use process and awaiting a critical City Council vote on December 11. We also find ourselves preparing for the 2025 legislative session and laying the groundwork for transformative change that will take years to unfold.
For two congregations preparing for the season of Advent—the holy season leading up to Christmas—these “seasons” of public advocacy and spiritual life are deeply connected. In a recent conversation with Pastor Kirsten Fryer of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in the Hamline Midway neighborhood and Father John Mitchell of St. Pascal Baylon Catholic Church in St. Paul, we reflected on what sustains us while working to build and operate the best housing we can provide. We all agreed that this work could be as challenging as it is rewarding.
At St. Pascal Baylon, Fr. John remarked that the vote to secure land use approval for the Aragon marks a significant milestone after several years of discernment. For years, the St. Pascal’s congregation has been discerning the best purpose for the church’s vacant land on White Bear Avenue.
In a letter to the St. Paul City Council, urging their support, Fr. John spoke about the congregation’s awareness of homelessness in their neighborhood and their faithful response in selling the land to Beacon. “I’m proud to help create new homes for families and individuals at The Aragon so that our city can provide more affordable homes right here in St. Paul,” remarked Fr. John.
As some neighbors of The Aragon have expressed fears that they wouldn’t want to live next door to supportive housing where residents receive services, St. Pascal’s leadership and team members have remained grounded in their values of inclusion and welcome. They’ve worked to build trust and tell a different story for the future of this land and community.
Across town in Hamline Midway, Pastor Kirsten serves a congregation that consistently faces neighborhood challenges with compassion. She and her fellow congregants serve weekly meals and advocate for supportive housing.
In a message to Bethlehem members that may resonate with others in the Beacon collaborative as well, she writes:
As we move through Advent toward Christmas, we return once again to the story of Mary and Joseph, urgently trying to find a place for Mary to deliver the baby. As we look around and continue to listen for how God calls us to love and serve our neighbors, particularly those who are unhoused, hungry, and suffering from addiction, we remember this story. The humble beginnings of Jesus Christ, who, according to Luke’s Gospel, was wrapped in bands of cloth and laid in a manger “because there was no place for them in the inn.”
Referencing the author Ken Bailey, Pastor Kirsten reinterprets the story of Jesus being born in a barn. Understanding that in a traditional Palestinian home, the place for animals was often indoors, at the center, the Greek word translated as the “inn” may have been intended to mean the “guest room.”
In this interpretation of the story, the family was offered hospitality rather than rejection.
“Jesus was born in the living room. With the support of other people. Mary and Joseph were not alone in fending for themselves; in fact, they were surrounded by people who not only gave them a place to stay but also made sure they had what they needed. Jesus was born amidst supportive housing.”
The members of the Beacon community—regardless of their political orientation, spiritual background, or where they live—can do so much more together than any of us could do ourselves. Beacon relies on the wisdom of its community members as it rallies for a vital vote on December 4 in St. Paul. And we hope you’ll join us.
We are grateful this season with all the work to be done and that we can rely on one another.
Together, we can ensure all people have a home.
