Si Mason and two friends were the first in line early Wednesday in the prayer garden of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver.
By 3 a.m., a line began to form behind them for the annual $20 Christmas gift to the city’s homeless.
Three hours later, that line extended more than a quarter-mile around the church onto Pennsylvania Street.
“God told me to come early,” said Mason, who said he served 14 years in prison before being released a week ago. “The service means more to me than anything.”
Mason said he hopes to use the money to help buy Christmas gifts for his three children.
The tradition began 16 years ago when the late Monsignor Charles B. Woodrich, known as Father Woody, gave $10 in Christmas card envelopes to the homeless.
“Father Woody wanted to make sure we didn’t hand it to them like they are beggars,” said Lovey Shipp, a volunteer who worked for Father Woody and has yet to miss a single Christmas giveaway. “You hand it to them like they deserve it.”
Shipp said Father Woody, who died in 1991, was passionate about helping the homeless.
Wednesday, the basilica opened its doors at 9 a.m. and more than 600 people filled the church for a prayer service led by the Rev. Phil Meredith. Another 400 people waited outside.
“At church, we take the collection, but today is an unusual day when we give the collection to you,” Meredith said to the crowd.
As the service ended, each person filed past Meredith and three other priests to accept their envelopes, funded by an anonymous donor.
“Thank you, Father,” one man said.
Shouts of “Merry Christmas” and “God bless” echoed throughout the church courtyard as Tina White, 36, reconnected with old friends after the service.
“The money is nice, but I like the service,” she said. “It’s great to see all my friends, God’s beautiful creations, who I’ve thought were long gone.”
Sgt. Mark Martinez of the Denver Sheriff Department, said about 1,000 people attended this year’s giveaway, down from 1,700 the previous year.
“Last year, people spent the night in 4-degree weather,” Martinez said. “I think the threat of cold weather scared a lot of people off this year.”
“Stretch,” who is living at the Salvation Army Crossroads shelter and gave only his nickname, has attended the service annually since 1991.
“I didn’t exactly come here for the money,” said Stretch, 44, who reiterated the sentiment of many at the service. “I came to hear the word of God.”
Staff writer Michael McCollum can be reached at 303-820-1201 or mmccollum@denverpost.com.
