Everyday Christmas at the Tekakwitha Native American Missions

Most days, when Mavis arrives to work at 7:45 a.m., there’s already a line of people waiting at the door. Although the center where she’s employed doesn’t officially open until eight o’clock, many patrons cannot wait. Mavis shuffles through the group, offering brief greetings to the familiar faces. There are many familiar faces.

Recognizing their need, Mavis hurries inside to put the coffee on. Patrons stand in anticipation as the smell of coffee fills the small dining area. While the coffee is brewing, Mavis lays out rolls on the small serving table beside the coffee machine. For most patrons, this small breakfast is a gift from God.

Every day, the spirit of Christmas lives on at the Paul Warcloud Drop-in Center at the Indian reservation in Sisseton, South Dakota. This wonderful ministry gives the gift of nourishment to the weak, the weary, and those strong of heart.

The Drop-in Center serves warm food to about 35 families a day. Open four hours a day for just five days week, the center provides coffee and rolls in the morning and soup with fry bread for lunch. Mavis Hill works as the cook at this Oblate-funded charity. Through her time at the Drop-in Center, she has come to understand need more clearly.

“These aren’t just homeless people that come in here,” she said. “Sure, there are some homeless people who come in after sleeping at the park, but a lot of
people that come in here are regular people. They are families with jobs. But they just don’t make enough money.”

Although for most people Christmas comes once a year, in Sisseton, responding to need and giving gifts is a daily activity. But the giving is not entirely one-sided.
Fr. Walter Butor, O.M.I., strives constantly to increase lay involvement.

“It’s important to get the people involved in improving their community. We can’t do it all for them,” Fr. Walter said. “If we did it all for them, they wouldn’t learn all of the things they could do for themselves.”

By giving members of the community the initiative to take control of their lives, the Oblates in Sisseton are giving the people a very important gift: Empowerment. The Oblates are teaching people that there could be a day when they would need no charity. A day when they could begin giving their charity to others.

The Drop-in Center is a testament to this. Today, the tribe regularly donates the meat to stock the Drop-in Center’s freezer. These donations help the Oblates keep those who hunger fed.

Once this Christmas season is past, the season of giving continues indefinitely, with praise and understanding of God’s will.

Tomorrow, Mavis will arrive at the Drop-in Center again. The familiar faces will be gathered outside again, waiting for the food they need to survive. And once again, Mavis will begin brewing coffee and celebrating an everyday Christmas one more time.