Our

Mission

We are a Franciscan, Eucharistic community called to minister with the poor and homeless of Philadelphia. Formed in the spirit of the Gospel and inspired by the life and compassion of Francis and Clare of Assisi, we try to meet the immediate daily needs of the people we serve with food, clothing and hospitality.

Furthermore, we empower persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty and address structural injustices. We seek to build relationships with those whom we serve by respecting their human dignity, by helping them to restore hope in their lives, and by living simply among them.

Our

History

St. Francis Inn was founded in 1979 by three friars, Roderic Petrie, Emmet Murphy, and Anthony Struzynski, who came to Philadelphia looking to start a ministry to the poor. From the beginning, the friars did not want a ministry that saw the poor as inferior or deficient people who needed their betters to correct them. Rather the friars saw the people they wanted to serve as brothers and sisters and chose to live in solidarity with them, sharing their lives and circumstances to the greatest extent possible. Their vision was of a place where the poor would be welcomed as friends and treated with dignity. This is why, when the friars decided to open a soup kitchen as their first ministry, it was run as much like a restaurant as possible. Since the start of the Inn’s dining room, people were welcomed at the door, seated at a table, and a waiter brought them their food. From the moment the Inn first opened its door to now, those who entered have been called guests.

This spirit of radical hospitality has defined everything the Inn has done since the dining room first opened on December 16, 1979. This commitment to radical solidarity is also why the Team that has run the Inn has always lived next door to Inn – originally on the upper floors of the Inn itself. The other values that formed the Inn’s early years were those of collaboration and equality. From early in its history the Inn has welcomed women religious and lay people to join its Team as equals. Even today, the Team makes all major decisions about how the Inn operates through consensus and discussion. There have also never been titles or hierarchies at the Inn, no executive director, no managers or supervisors, and everyone on the Team has shared equal authority.

Over the years the Inn has offered a variety of ministries and services. These have included thrift stores, men’s and women’s shelters, a women’s day center, and a social service center. All have sought to maximize the dignity of our guests and show them the respect they deserve as fellow human beings created in the image and likeness of God. Today, the Inn continues to open its dining room at least once a day every day of the year, including weekends and holidays. We also operate a clothing center and a variety of programs and services to serve the needs of our guests.

Values

Our

Solidarity

As an organization founded in the Catholic-Franciscan tradition, we seek to share the lives and circumstances of our guests to the greatest extent possible. We wish to be part of the community we serve, to receive the wisdom of their experiences and knowledge even as we share our own.

Simplicity

We support ourselves and our ministry through our work and in begging for alms. We avoid needless ostentation and expense in our operations. We rely on the love of the poor in individuals and organizations to support our ministry.

Hospitality

As an organization we welcome our guests as brothers and sisters in the Lord and seek to always walk with them in the programs and services we provide. This includes seeking their input in the planning, development, and evaluation of all we do.

Equality

We empower persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty and address structural injustices. We seek to build relationships with those whom we serve by respecting their human dignity, by helping them restore hope in their lives, and by simply living among them.

Witness

We seek to call the attention of society to the dignity and needs of the poor and marginalized we walk with. We do this by advocating with and for our guests and their needs. We also do this by welcoming diverse groups and individuals to share our work for varying periods of time and to bring their experiences and our values to their home communities.