Priest serves parish in Ely and homeless in Las Vegas
It is a cold and windy November night as cars and trucks start to gather at McWilliams Avenue and G Street, only a stone's throw from I-15 near downtown Las Vegas. One person at the same spot every week is the Rev. John McShane, who arrives from Ely, a northeastern Nevada town about 250 miles from Las Vegas where he leads the Sacred Heart Catholic Church congregation.
Helping the homeless in Las Vegas is McShane's weekly ritual, and there are many that gather in the open lot for spiritual encouragement and the distribution of food, blankets, coats and other clothing in what is called Give Back Mondays.
The neighborhood is one of Las Vegas' roughest areas, but police do not hover. McShane is trusted to keep everything under control after 16 years of providing aid as an extension of the St. Benedict Lebre Homeless Ministry.
McShane, born in 1943, is a San Francisco native who was ordained in Reno in 1974. He is an avid Bay Area pro sports fan (Warriors, 49ers, Giants) who loves serving at churches in rural areas such as Round Mountain, Fallon, Hawthorne, Tonopah and of course, Ely. But he also has a passion for saving the indigent and the 163,000 miles to show for it on his reliable 2012 Honda Fit. He is here every Monday night regardless of the weather.
He has been bolstered by the help of many others who have discovered his mission. Especially on Thanksgiving week, McShane is offering spirituality for the soul as well as food and clothing for the body to the hundreds in attendance. Participants also are given gift certificates from various restaurants such as McDonalds for future meals.
"We have grown over the past several years," McShane says. "There are some tremendous people supporting this ministry. It's a beautiful event, not just distributing things but also forming friendships at the same time. It is a happy time for all of us and we always get more than we can give out.
"The food line is really fantastic and we compare it to a hotel buffet. We try to adjust depending on the time of year. Everyone contributes. It just all seems to work out."
The glitz and glamour of Las Vegas is in stark contrast to McWilliams and G Street, so McShane and his followers thrive on the chance to brighten the days of those living in the streets.
Professional photographer Rick Martin is among those helping "Father John" on most nights at the vacant lot.
"He is the finest man I have ever met," Martin says. "I will help his cause the best I can for the rest of my life."
Martin's good friend, Don Logan of the Las Vegas 51s, is another fan of McShane. A native of Tonopah, Logan admires the man for the same reason as others who have found a breath of fresh air in the rural priest, who also is good friends with Logan's father, Don Sr.
"He is a man of God and he is a great guy," Don Logan Jr. says. "He sits in the back of his car handing out water in the summertime or blankets, hoodies and underwear in the winter.
"He takes care of those who cannot take care of themselves."
Because of Logan's long ties with Major League Baseball, he makes sure McShane has tickets for San Francisco Giants games each year.
"He's just a very special person," Logan adds.
Student Karlie Wixom of Las Vegas serves food at the gathering and loves the positive vibes.
"This is the kind of thing that gets your energy going," Wixom says. "You go home feeling like you were able to help people."
Siloh Moses, 35, says his group Serving Hope LV started serving at McShane's gatherings a little more than a year ago.
"I was homeless less than two years ago," Moses says. "I wanted more out of life and I was meant for more. When we first started, we had about 10 tables. In the past year, we have helped Father evolve it into an event that offers food, clothing and hygiene. We now have a total of about 40 tables."
