St. Louis Catholic Worker

09/18/2026

The community has overwhelmingly spoken and we want care not cages. We want money for human needs not cops. If SGCID is really sorry they should redirect funding away from private security and into resources for people who are unhoused.

Because the question remains : is the South Grand CID truly repentant or are they just putting out a statement as cover once they realized it was a bad look? We can ask the same of the business owners on the CID board who signed off on this letter and then claimed not to have read it. Are these purported meetings more of that same PR cover or will SGCID invest in support for those on the street?

In the Catholic tradition we come from you can receive forgiveness but you have to do penance first. You must do right to atone for your wrongs.

09/18/2026

09/17/2026

We got home last night to find a dozen cases of water on our front porch!

We’re so grateful for all the people from St. Louis and beyond who recognize the absurdity of the South Grand CID’s position of criminalizing unhoused people who ask for water. We’re grateful to all of you who believe that water is a human right.

We do small things at the St. Louis Catholic Worker; sharing burritos, giving out ice water and freeze pops in the summer, distributing blankets and hot hands in the winter. But if all of us help each other out a little bit and if we all come together to struggle for a more just world, it starts adding up to a lot.

09/16/2026

On Thursday afternoon, Tent Mission STL and the St. Louis Catholic Worker will be out in front of South Grand CID’s office giving away ice water to EVERYONE who needs it, whether they’re housed or unhoused. Join us at 4!

09/15/2026

This is sick. This week the South Grand community improvement district in our City of St. Louis sent a letter to all the businesses in their area encouraging them not only to deny homeless individuals water during this heat wave (it was 98 today) but to instead call the police on those who ask for water. If businesses don’t want to involve the law immediately they were encouraged by the CID to film our unhoused neighbors without their consent if they asked for help.

One woman was furious that members of the St. Louis Catholic Worker and Tent Mission were out in front of the CID’s office handing out water to anyone passing by and calling their director Rachel Witt to take a more compassionate stance. She even tore up one of our signs. To hear this woman tell it, there are just empty apartments right now waiting for homeless folks to claim them if only they choose. That just isn’t the case. Even shelter beds are scarce in this city, let alone safe, dignified, long term housing options.

On our regular food distributions we’re seeing more people living on the streets than at any time in recent years. With the way the economy and this current administration is going, things are only going to get worse before they get better.

It isn’t against the law to ask for water. Folks living on the street already face harassment daily. Calling the cops won’t help anyone in need.

Hydration not handcuffs!

09/14/2026

We had a great time at the Midwest Catholic Worker’s annual Sugar Creek gathering this weekend! It’s always life giving to hang out with other CWs for classification of thought and relationship building.

This year was extra fun because we won the prestigious Football Mary award! Our talent show winning skit presented a lesson in Catholic Worker economics with our friends from the Ozark Foothills CW Farm in costume as Dorothy and Peter and theo the catholic worker performing ‘9 to 5’ as Dolly Parton!

08/25/2026

Our potluck this month is a pool party!

08/17/2026

Sunday!

08/09/2026

Sometimes a nonhuman friend gets to try one of our famous Catholic Worker burritos 🌯. We met Nya at one of the encampments we support on this weekend’s food distribution.

08/08/2026

Thursday the 13th will see the return of Godzilla movie night! Our friend Emily who studies the films as part of her PhD at SLU will be joining us once again. This time we'll be watching the more recent film Godzilla Minus One. Stick around afterwards to discuss the film's themes of survivors' guilt, the trauma of war, and the value of individual life versus the good of the nation. Join us at 8617 Mora Ln. anytime after 6 for soup before the film starts at 7:30.