MIAMI — As Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski prepares for his annual motorcycle ride this weekend, organizers hope the event will draw attention and funding to a faith-based rehabilitation program that serves people struggling with addiction and homelessness.
St. Luke’s Center, an Archdiocese of Miami program, provides residential treatment and stability for men working to rebuild their lives.
“Currently, I am homeless and it’s very hard for me to find a place to stay. So, this center is providing that stability that I need right now in my life,” said Manuel Bombino, a resident at St. Luke’s Center.
Bombino said the program has helped him chart a new path forward after a recent relapse.
“I’m hopefully going to stay here six months, get a job, save up some money and branch out on my own,” he said.
Sandra Valdes, the center’s behavioral health senior director, said the impact of the program reaches far beyond treatment.
“It changes lives. It saves lives,” Valdes said. It helps people reconnect to their families (and) helps people find their best selves.”
Each year, Wenski combines his longtime love of motorcycles with his support for the program by hosting the Archbishop’s Motorcycle Ride, an event that raises awareness and funds for St. Luke’s Center.
“It’s a great program there and it’s a very much needed program in our community, because we know the problems people have with addiction and substance abuse,” he said.
Wenski said he began riding motorcycles later in life and sees it as both a personal outlet and a way to connect with the community.
“I’ve ridden motorcycles since I was 50 years old. It is a great pastime, he said. “When I’m on my motorcycle, it’s a way of clearing the cobwebs from your mind.”
The ride has also become a place where participants share stories of recovery.
“Every year, one of the rides will come and say that place saved my life,” Wenski added.
The event comes months after he followed canon law protocol and submitted a letter of resignation to Pope Francis before turning 75 last October. However, he said he is not stepping aside just yet.
“Some people think it might be my last ride as archbishop, but I think the pope is leaving me in place for a while,” Wenski said.
Click here or email Events@theadom.org if you would like to join Sunday’s ride.
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