San Francisco’s Vigil for the Homeless Dead

For over twenty years, a Vigil for the Homeless Dead has been organized each year during the holiday season across the street from San Francisco’s City Hall. This special celebration is a time for people to gather and honor those who have died homeless on the streets of San Francisco.

Every year, leaders of various faiths in the community offer prayers, readings, and songs along with the name of each individual being honored. As each name is read throughout the ceremony, a bell is rung. The ceremony reminds the world that each person throughout the world has a name, a story, and a life to be honored and remembered, regardless of the circumstances of that life. The number of names varies greatly from year to year — and is difficult to track — and has ranged anywhere from a few dozen to over 100.

Although these numbers can be shocking, the purpose of the vigil is, in fact, not to act out against homelessness. Activism is set aside. At this time, the focus is simply on honoring the lives of every person, acknowledging that every single person deserves to live and die with dignity.