So a priest walks into a bar...

Often over the last few weeks, I have felt like a set up for the joke, "A priest walks into a bar," and yet, it is imperative to my job.

When I first started, I thought I would have a hard time going into bars and would just haunt the 24-hour donut and coffee shops. And yet, as the weeks have gone by, I have found it easier to sit and talk in bars.

There is one I usually stop in, and in one instance, a woman asked me as I was walking in, "Are you for real?" To which I replied, "Yes, I know I am a set up for a joke." We proceeded to have a good conversation. As I have made it a point to frequent this bar, I have gotten to know some of the regulars, and am known simply as "Fr. Thom."

Recently, it has been raining in SF, and after a reprieve, I visited a regular person the Night Ministry talks with. Over the course of the conversation, he stated the one thing he really needed was a garbage bag for his clothes. Instead of proceeding to a local supermarket, I stopped into a neighborhood bar and ordered a coffee and two garbage bags to go.

So, a priest walks into a bar...