CLEVELAND, OH — A decades-old tradition meant to feed the city's needy was suspended following a shooting that wounded three people outside a Cleveland church last Monday.
A church administrator posted on St. Malachi's website that the Monday Night Meal is temporarily suspended as "we continue to assess and pursue new safety measures to increase protection for our volunteers and guests."
Three men have been arrested and charged in connection with the July 29 shooting outside the church.
Police said the shooting was not connected to St. Malachi, but the shootout occurred during the Monday dinner, blowing out windows and tires on volunteers cars parked behind the church's hall.
Longtime volunteer Paul Farace said the church had little choice but to pause the program and review what happened.
"To have people shooting like it's a carnival shooting gallery in front of a church," said Farace, shaking his head. "I saw 75, 80-year old grandparents in terror."
But a steady stream of regulars still showed up at St. Malachi Monday night, unaware the meals were suspended.
"It's a history-making moment," said Demetrius Johnson, who said he's been coming to the church since 2002. "Normally, people should be eating right now. People should be enjoying themselves right now. People should be getting fed right now."
"Sad to me," said Christopher Jarvis, who said he's been attending meals at the church for more than a decade. "When you're low income, don't have a lot of money to go eat, yeah that's kind of sad."
Monday night, volunteers met at another Ohio City church to discuss what's next.
But, we're told no timetable for resuming the meals was decided.
"I'll come back if they have armed security," said Farace.
Regulars hope good will triumph over what happened last week, and the meals return.
"Everything happens in its time," said Johnson. "And we just hope and pray that the doors open back up soon.
