Pope Leo XIV gives homeless western Sydney mother keys to a permanent home
A once homeless western Sydney mother has described receiving the keys to a home from the Pope as like ‘winning the lottery’ after she spent part of her pregnancy in emergency accommodation.
A formerly homeless Western Sydney mother has praised Pope Leo XIV, after he handed her the keys to a permanent new home for her and her 18-month-old daughter.
Nadia Howlader became homeless when she was 35 weeks pregnant, and was living in emergency accommodation until her daughter Alisha was born.
She was looking for a transition home when a life changing opportunity beckoned.
Ms Howlader was connected with St Vincent de Paul’s 13 Houses project – a global campaign to combat homelessness inspired by the Catholic saint who used a royal bequest to build homes for street children in Paris in 1643.
“My case worker told me there is a house in Harris Park, would you be interested, so I went and saw it and I liked it,” Ms Howlader said.
“It’s like winning the lottery to me – being homeless with a little kid is a very hard life, in Sydney especially, and this house is beautiful, I instantly liked it.”
Ms Howlader said there were no words to explain the feeling when the Pope handed over the symbolic keys and gave her his blessing.
“I didn’t lose my hope, that’s my thing – I had my faith something good would happen even when I wasn’t sure where it would come from,” Ms Howlader said.
“The opportunity to have a house like this has completely changed my life – I can focus on Alisha, she’s going to childcare, I’m looking for work and I don’t have to worry about this anymore, it’s a permanent house and I can live here as long as I want.
“This has wholly changed my life, just because of my hope and my faith.”
Ms Howlader was flown to Rome last week by the St Vincent’s Health Australia (CHECK) for World Day of the Poor, where Pope Leo XIV presented her with a symbolic bronze key to their new home.
St Vincent’s Health Australia group general manager of public affairs and general counsel Pat Garcia said it was an honour to participate in St Vincent de Paul’s Thousands Program.
“As part of the program, they brought a homeless family from Western Sydney to Rome to be given keys to their new home by the Pope,” he said.
During the visit, Mr Garcia also gifted the pontiff a Wallabies scarf.
“It just makes me smile every time I think about it. The idea of the Pope potentially wearing something from the Wallabies just makes you smile, right? Like, he’s the bishop of Rome,” Mr Garcia told The Daily Telegraph.
“The Pope looked at it closely and he said, ‘oh, is this from Australia?’ And I said, ‘Yes, it represents the national rugby team.
“You don’t expect the Bishop of Rome to have such a uniquely Australian connection, but the idea that he now owns a wallaby scarf is pretty special.”
Mr Garcia was looking for “something Australian” to give the pontiff for the occasion and immediately thought of the Wallabies scarf, both iconic and instantly recognisable to all rugby fans.
“We wanted to give him something before he wore something like an All Blacks scarf,” he joked.
The playful gesture has sparked laughter among friends and family, praying the American Pope – a Chicago native and world’s most famous White Sox baseball fan – may have been converted to the game they play in heaven.
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Originally published as Pope Leo XIV gives homeless western Sydney mother keys to a permanent home
