In 2011 while delivering Panera bread to the poor, I was lured into a home by a convicted child rapist. It happened so quickly I didn't realize the danger I was in, until it was almost too late.
I was with a Catholic Monastic community in Northwest Philadelphia studying Philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary . One of the corporal works of mercy that was assigned to me was taking in the weekly bread delivery by the local Panera Bread business around the corner from us. I'd receive up to 50 loaves of the round, flat, and long bread. I would then have to bag them up and then plan my route for the day. I would normally carry a few bundles at a time and walk up to 6 blocks away, delivering the bread to poor in our area.
On of my routes took me by the School for the Blind in Overbrook. The neighborhood near the school was not a good one, and I always felt a bit freaked out walking down there when it got late at night. One particular afternoon however stood out for me as one that would make me always wonder "What If"... in regards to what I experienced. At the time of being in the religious life, I was 29 yrs old and looked like a teenager, I have always retained my youthfulness, even now at the age of 35, I still get mistaken for a teen from time to time.
So here I was.. walking down the road to a very poor home that I was told signed up at our monastery for bread delivery. I had been forewarned ahead of time that the guy was a felon and to be careful around him. I was told that he never answered his door and to just knock and leave the bread on the ground. I turned down the dark and dank street and began the long walk down to the house. The sun was setting beyond the trees and it was eerily casting strange shadows on the sidewalk in front of me. As I neared the home, I looked up at the house that was situated off the road by about 75 feet and up a sharp slope. The top 3 windows were boarded up and the bottom two windows were boarded. The only window that wasn't boarded had aluminum foil over it. There was trash all over the front of the house and it looked like something you would expect to see on the 'Hoarders' TV Show.
I adjusted the bags in my hands and then began the climb up the steep old stone stairs to the front door. I knocked and there was no answer. As I laid the bags down by the door, I saw roaches scurry away as they went under the door. As I was just letting go of the bags, the door flew open and before me stood a wild haired old man, in his late 60's wearing a stained wife beater shirt and a pair of dirty jeans. He clearly hadn't shaved or taken a shower in a long time. I jumped back startled still with the bags of bread in my hands. He stood there eyeing me and then said "I'm an old man and I struggle to carry these in each week, would you mind bringing them inside for me and putting them on the table.". I knew that I wasn't supposed to do this.. but I felt compassion for the guy and thought.. "What's the harm?". I walked through the door and he shut it behind me, what stood out as strange for me, he locked the top bolt on the door.. and then led me over to the kitchen table.
The inside of the home was covered in trash, bags everywhere.. disgustingly I could hear the distinctive "crunch" as I step on roaches that were still scurrying all over the place. Most of the lights were off and there was a terrible smell in the home. After I put the bread down.. he said he wanted to show me a new vacuum cleaner he had just gotten. Some of the people that I deliver bread to, didn't have many visitors and would talk to me about anything they could to get some human interaction. So I followed him down the hallway and at the end was a old oak table. He said the vacuum was under the table and as I got down on one knee to look under, I saw two things at one time. First.. the vacuum was about 600 yrs old and hadn't been used in God only knows how long.. and second.. as I looked back behind me.. I realized.. much to my horror that the guy was sizing me up.. he was checking me out. My hair stood up immediately.. and I got chills. What a fool! I had allowed myself to enter this guys home out of misplaced empathy.. and now here I was in his house.. locked in.. and he was behind me with the vantage point. I slowly stood up and a million things were going through my head.
The first thing that I knew.. I had to get him in front of me and me behind him. So I quickly started up a convo on the vacuum and said that one of the nozzles was missing. He walked over and looked himself, at the same time.. I quickly and calmly changed positions.. so now my back was to the open hallway and he was in front of me. I began to chat about the home and the history and at the same time I started to take small steps backwards towards the front door. I knew not to turn my back on him.. He was aware of what I was doing and tried to get behind me, each time I would deflect him with a new question. As I neared the door, he said that he had a new HVAC system installed that week and wanted me to come down into his basement to see it. I couldn't believe it when I heard it.. so blatant! I continued my backwards walk to the door. It was now or never!
I saw a glint in his eye as I swirled around, I reached up and unlocked the top bolt and then took off the chain lock, at the same time.. I heard him step forward quickly and that is when I ripped open the door, just in time to see him out of the corner of my eye, lunge for me, he missed my right arm by a fraction of an inch and I made it out the door. I took off and ran 5 blocks back to my monastery without looking back. My heart was pounding in my chest and as soon as I got home.. I went immediately to my superior and told him what happened. He called down to the Church and they took him off the list and then warned all volunteer's not to go near that house. I learned later that he was a convicted child rapist and had molested many boys.