Real Life of an MSW

On the street I saw a girl cold and shriving in a thin dress, with little hope of a decent meal. I became angry and said to God: ‘Why did you permit this? Why don’t you do something about it?’ For a while God said nothing. That night he replied quite suddenly: ‘I certainly did something about it. I made you’”(80)

I recently read “Sometimes God Has a Kid’s Face” (110 pages, 2010) by Sister Mary Rose McGeady. It is a poignant and heart-wrenching collection of stories detailing the struggles of young people seeking refuge at Covenant House. The book offers a difficult but powerful glimpse into the lives of children forced to choose between abusive homes and the dangers of the streets. — “Very dark world, filled with pimps and pushers and pornographers who make a livelihood out of feeding off scared kids like Sheila.” (65).

I found the reflection questions in the book particularly impactful, especially those concerning the safety and emotional well-being of our own children and their friends.—Where is your child right now? What are your teens’ deepest fears? Who is your child’s best friend? Does your teens friends feel welcome in your home?(104)

While Sister McGeady depicts Covenant House as a vital safe haven, I was deeply pissed off to learn about the national scandal involving the organization’s founder, Father Bruce Ritter, and the sexual allegations from 1989-1990. I found myself wondering how much the organization has truly improved since that time. However, I did check Charity Navigator and found 54 locations with four- and five-star ratings, which suggests a reputable standing today.

Have you read this book or ever donated to Covenant House? I would be interested to hear your thoughts on the organization. While the content is difficult to process, I highly recommend the book as a powerful eye-opener.