NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A resolution filed by Nashville area lawmakers would designate one day in March to honor the legacy of a priest who dedicated his life to helping the unhoused.
HB 325/SB 634, by Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) and Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville), seeks to honor and recognize the work of the late Father Charles Strobel by making March 13 “Father Charles Strobel Day” in the Volunteer State.
Strobel, who died of complications due to Parkinson’s Disease in August 2023, was a staple in the Nashville community and church. Notably, he founded Room In The Inn, a nonprofit organization that offers emergency services, transitional programs and long-term solutions to help people rebuild their lives.
Strobel founded the organization in 1985 when he first opened his parish to people seeking sanctuary in the church parking lot. The next year, four congregations committed to doing the same; as of publication, nearly 200 congregations take part in the mission.
The resolution “seeks to honor Father Strobel and how he combatted homelessness to enact positive change, and created programs for the homeless that have become a successful model for the entire nation.”
Additionally, the resolution recognizes Strobel’s belief in “living his faith on a daily basis, pulling inspiration from the Sermon on the Mount, among other holy texts and divine inspirations,” as well as honors Strobel’s “mission and the valiant and noble strides [he] took to combat homelessness in Tennessee and the positive impact his efforts have had nationwide.”
Campbell told News 2 Strobel was a “beloved and revered member of the community,” and only heard positive things about him, so when Bulso asked her to support the resolution in the Senate, she agreed to do it.
“I think it’s important for us to honor people who have done great work in our community, especially around helping the homeless and helping marginalized people in our community,” Campbell said. “I am very supportive of the idea of having a day to honor somebody who was a really good servant to the state of Tennessee and to Nashville, specifically.”
Strobel’s death in 2023 sparked numerous community tributes, including those from other faith leaders, city officials and other nonprofit organizations.
Then-mayor John Cooper lauded Strobel’s work with Room In The Inn and the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen, which he opened in 1983 at Holy Name Catholic Church, where Room In The Inn began.
Multiple figureheads in the Catholic Church also offered their condolences to his family and the community upon his death.
“Today we received the sad news of the passing of Father Charles Strobel, a friend to so many in our community,” Bishop J. Mark Spalding of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville said in 2023. “He was a man who was always mindful of those who lived on the margins, making it his life’s mission to put into action Christ’s words in the Gospel of Matthew to feed the hungry and to welcome the stranger. We pray for the repose of Father Strobel’s soul and the comfort and consolation of his family.”
The designation of “Father Charles Strobel Day” would be a Day of Special Observance in Tennessee if the resolution passes. Days of special observance are not official state holidays; rather, on these days Tennesseans are “invited to observe the days in schools, churches, and other suitable places with appropriate ceremonies expressive of the public sentiment befitting the anniversary of such dates.”
There are more than 50 officially designated days of special observance in Tennessee, including John Sevier Day (June 23), Women’s Suffrage Day (Aug. 18), Historically Black Colleges and Universities Day (Nov. 8) and Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day (Dec. 1).
According to Campbell, Strobel’s birthday was March 12, making the officially designated day of special observance just near it.
Campbell herself has volunteered with Room In The Inn, she told News 2. She has also worked with other organizations that partnered with Room In The Inn.
“He touched so many people’s lives, and I am one of many who benefitted from knowing him,” Campbell said of Strobel. “I’m glad that we’re getting the word out, and I look forward to celebrating Father Charles Strobel Day with people.”
