Giving Tuesday 2025: Please Support our Mission of Hope and Hospitality

In the spirit of Giving Tuesday 2025, we would like to share some stories of hope, hospitality, and hidden angels. To start, we will share a Scripture passage that guides our mission.

Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2

The hospitality that we offer at The Leo House follows this teaching of Scripture. We root our hospitality in the person, not in the luxuries, which puts our work in a different realm. Our mission remains the same as 140 years ago. We offer simple, dignified, safe, and comfortable accommodations to travelers, students, religious and clergy, pilgrims, and those seeking medical care in New York City. The Leo House continues its work of entertaining the “angels” that Scripture speaks of. Those “angels” who are sometimes hidden, sometimes weary, and often in need of a place of rest, peace, and compassion.

An image of Saint Raphael, the partron saint of travelers, stands in our lobby, welcoming all who visit. Our chapel offers a place of refreshment and quiet reflection, unheard of in other places of hospitality. These places express who we are and who we have always been.

This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in continuing this mission of welcome.

This Giving Tuesday, we humbly ask you to help us continue this mission of unknowingly “entertaining angels”. Your support allows us to maintain our historic building for future generations. Generous donations also help us modernize rooms, provide accessibility, offer discounted stays for those in need, and preserve our legacy of hospitality rooted in faith.

Our Giving Tuesday goal is $10,000.
Will you help us meet it? Please consider donating today.

Throughout our long history – first on State Street and now on 23rd Street – we’ve welcomed thousands of guests who leave lasting imprints on our hearts. Here are just a few stories from across the decades that continue to remind us why our mission matters..

It was intended to be the trip of a lifetime. Always wanting to visit New York, a visitor from Australia shared his story with us.

“From the time I was a boy, New York has always been a place that fascinated me. The lights, the noise, the hustle and bustle of city life was enticing to a man who grew up in a moderately-sized town on the outskirts of Sydney. In over 50 years, I’ve never traveled more than 500 miles from home. The idea of traveling almost 10,000 miles from home was both exciting and intimidating.

“Now nearing 60 years of age, my wife and children encouraged me to make the trip to celebrate my birthday. Being comfortable but also on a limited budget, I ‘shopped’ for places where I could stay at night that wasn’t a hostel for teenagers nor a questionable motel nor a luxury hotel (which I couldn’t afford anyway). A quick search brought me to The Leo House. Centrally located in the neighborhood known as ‘Chelsea,’ and only a short walk to the Metro, this became my dream come true. I was able to make a reservation for 8 nights, air fare was purchased, and I was on my way.

“My wife, son, and daughter brought me to the airport and I was bursting with excitement. Arriving in New York after a very long flight, I found my way to The Leo House. I walked in and felt like I was ‘home’. The staff greeted me warmly and made sure that I got checked into my room as soon as possible. The lobby provided a comfortable, safe space to wait, with cookies and punch that gave a weary traveler some refreshment.

“Traveling the city, I covered everything from the upper West Side to the Financial District in those 8 days. Thanks to a recommendation from the front desk staff called TKTS, I saw 3 Broadway shows. I also visited museums, churches, and rode the Metro wherever I could (a little scary sometimes, but I stayed alert). I ate in diners, Metro stations, and a little Italian restaurant down the street from The Leo House. And every night, I came back to my room at The Leo House and slept soundly.

“My room was comfortable, not fussy, but adequate for my needs. Some work was being done to upgrade the rooms, but again, I wanted for nothing. The air conditioner was still in the window and helped to dull some of the street noise. I had a delicious breakfast every morning with more than enough to eat and it was complimentary! Even better than the breakfast was the chance to meet other people who were also traveling, sharing stories with them and finding out the places they visited and recommended.

“I’m not a Catholic but that didn’t stop me from checking out their chapel. It’s an interesting feature to have in a hotel or guesthouse so I figured I’d take advantage of that space. It actually became a nice place for me to visit when I got back each night and to spend some time thinking about what I had seen and done.

“I chose an off-time of year to visit and I’m glad I did. There wasn’t any more congestion or foot traffic in NY than there is in Sydney. I didn’t have any problem getting Broadway tickets or a seat in restaurants. The Metro wasn’t quite what I’m used to, but I navigated it well.

Would I come back to NYC? Absolutely! Next time, my wife is coming with me so I can show her all the things I’ve seen. Would I come back to The Leo House? That’s a definite YES! Their sense of care, hospitality, good food, comfort, and safe space all made this memorable trip even more special. Thank you to The Leo House staff, I can’t wait to see you all again!

Dreams can come true – and The Leo House can be a part of that dream for you and other traveling to NYC. Would you consider a one-time donation or perhaps even a sustaining supporter of The Leo House to help dreams of travel come true? Thank you for your help to continue our mission of service and hospitality.

The year was 1960 – probably long before many readers of this appeal were both. But in that year, an unexpected visitor came to our doors seeking a room for the night. Wonderfully enough, we welcomed two angels in religious habits!

Her flight was delayed and an arrival at a local convent would have inconvenienced the Sisters, but in the very early hours of the morning, a small woman in a white and blue sari walked through our doors fresh from the airport. Her name? Mother Teresa. She was “known,” but not as widespread as she is today. She was a little nun, a foundress of a religious order known as the Missionaries of Charity, who found a resting place at The Leo House.

A chance arrival became the source of something even more wonderful! Staying with us at the same time was Mother Anna Dengel, SCMM, the foundress of the Medical Missionary Sisters. We can only imagine that these two forward-thinking women probably saw each other at Mass, perhaps shared a breakfast together, and maybe shared the vision of their communities.

We do know that Mother Teresa and Mother Anna met in the 1940’s when Mother Teresa visited Holy Family Hospital in Patna in northern India run by the Medical Missionary Sisters where she learned how to care for the sick and dying. We can believe that the two women must have greeted one another like St. Francis and St. Dominic during their chance encounter at The Leo House.

And how that friendship must have endured! In 1976, when Mother Anna was a patient in a hospital in Rome, Mother Teresa visited her. What a beautiful act of humility when Mother Anna asked Mother Teresa to hold her hands as they do in India, to impart a spiritual blessing from one foundress to another.

Our little guesthouse in NYC had the priviledge of two great and holy women who not only stayed with us but graced our ‘house’ at the same time.

In 1960, we had 2 angels who stayed among us – one now a saint, another deeply revered. Who knows? Perhaps this year YOU will stay with us and add to our list of “angels.” Would you help us to continue our mission by becoming a one-time donor or perhaps even a sustaining supporter of The Leo House? We thank you for your consideration in advance.

Month after month like clockwork, the reservations office receives a call for a reservation. Month after month, this guest visits with their doctor and calls The Leo House to reserve a room where they can travel back and forth to the doctor for treatment and be surrounded by people who are familiar, caring, and maintain a watchful eye.

Part of The Leo House mission is to ensure that those who find themselves in a similar situation — whether long-term or for a single visit — will find that a huge expense is mitigated in terms of accommodations. The cost of medical treatment is high, but this familiar guest, like so many others who have passed through our doors, knows that a room at The Leo House will not completely drain their financial resources but will still provide the kind of safety and care that they need while seeking medical treatment.

No, we don’t offer any kind of medical services—no doctor or nurse on staff—but we offer the kind of service that allows our guests to have peace of mind while in NYC to return to a place where their name is known, where a hearty and delicious breakfast can start their day, where they can return after their treatment and be comfortable.

The Leo House is not about bells and whistles. We’re not about luxury and loads of amenities, but we are about comfort, about knowing your name, about welcoming you as one of those “angels” whom we have the privilege to “entertain.”

Our mission extends far beyond simply offering a room—our mission recognizes YOU, as our guest, who will find a “home away from home” among us.

Perhaps you could consider becoming a single time or sustaining supporter of The Leo House and help us to continue our mission of service and hospitality.

It was a sad visit—the kind no parent ever wants to have to make. NYC was a very different place in the 1980s. While always a place of hopes and dreams for students or budding actors, models, singers, and others involved in the arts, it was also a place where innocence could be a detriment.

Such was the case of a young person who came to NYC to begin life and be exposed to the best of the best in the world of entertainment. With a certain wide-eyed wonder, arriving by train and taking an apartment with a friend who had similar hopes, life was just beginning.

And then the phone call home: “have you heard from…?” No parent wants to hear that question from a roommate, but the question was asked. “No, we haven’t. What happened?”

A dinner out with a friend and a quick drink afterward turned into an interminable night of waiting. Before the days of cell phones and location tracking, the young person seemed to have gone missing. Two days later, they were discovered in the East River.

Frantic parents were already on their way to NY. They called hotel after hotel. Some were fully booked; others were too costly. And then they found The Leo House through the recommendation of a friend. They called the front desk and told their story. The news had already picked up the account of what happened, and so their phone call was directed immediately to the Executive Director. In a moment, a room was secured at The Leo House. In a moment, a part of the terrible experience they were enduring was eased, knowing there was a place waiting for them.

Now years later, those parents continue to be in touch — not reliving the unbearable – but working to prevent the same awful fate from happening to someone else’s child. Those parents continue to visit, to find peace, to know that with the passing years, they are still a part of The Leo House family. Forty years later, visits continue, memories and tears are shared, a life taken too soon, is remembered and treasured. The chapel welcomes those tears and offers comfort; the staff cherishes these visitors; the peace that was snatched away from them is rekindled and renewed.

This is not a story that ends in “happily ever after,” but it is a story that says, “but peace is restored.”

Stories of families struggling, grieving, waiting are part of the story of The Leo House. Would you be able to help us to continue this mission, this service, this ministry? Would you consider a one-time donation to help support the mission of The Leo House? Perhaps you would be able to become a sustaining member? We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Everyone remembers the date—September 11, 2001. On a day that began beautifully, NYC and the world drastically changed before noon.

A mere 2.8 miles separates the World Trade Center and The Leo House. With the devastation that surrounded the Financial District of New York, The Leo House became a place of refuge for many volunteer medical professionals, firefighters from all over the United States, and clergy who found their way into the rubble that was once the Twin Towers.

Those 2.8 miles provided enough distance to clear the heads of those who volunteered and to offer comfort and quiet for the people who helped. Those were difficult days for everyone—families of those lost, survivors, volunteers—but in some way, The Leo House became a place of respite. We could not provide a quick fix to the problems that were created, but we could provide peace, food, and shelter. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t much—but it was what we could offer.

The 2.8 miles seems at once far and yet so near, and the distance created a place where stories could be told, where frustration and anger could be voiced, where judgments would not be made, but comfort would be offered. This was our small part in that effort.

We humbly acknowledge that we did our best then, and continue to do our best today, for guests who need to share stories and memories. We continue to welcome firefighters who return to see what has become of NYC. Medical professionals who remember the countless of hours of service they volunteered will always find solace in our halls. Ours was a small part—but one that had an impact on so many.

Today, we come to you asking you if you are able to do a small part for The Leo House. On this Giving Tuesday, would you consider a one-time or sustaining gift so that The Leo House can continue to be a beacon of hope, safety, and comfort for those who come to us? We pray we will never have to revisit the events of September 11, but we do pray that we will continue our mission of hospitality and comfort well into the next hundred years.

Old books can sometimes provide a great window into the past. It’s intriguing to look back at old guest registers from the beginning of The Leo House in 1889 to read the names of those who came to us seeking shelter and an opportunity for a better life here in the United States.

Everyone who has heard of us knows us as “The Leo House,” but in fact, our full name is “The Leo House for German Catholic Emigrants.”

Established in 1889 by the Saint Raphael Society (Verein), The Leo House provided temporary housing for German Catholic emigrants seeking a new life in the United States. Tempted by the idea of “streets paved in gold,” many from Europe came to the United States to find a new beginning, a new career, a new way of living away from the poverty, challenges, and sometimes religious persecution in Europe. And to our shores they came, not finding streets paved with gold, but with opportunities for those who were willing to work hard and become established in a new place and time.

With a sizable donation from Pope Leo XIII in 1886, the foundation for The Leo House was laid. Always concerned about the safety of our guests, the original mission of The Leo House has changed from a haven for new immigrants to a guesthouse for travelers, students, the sick, religious and clergy, where all find welcome and peace.

For more than 140 years, we have operated on the affordable room rates that we continue to monitor with other hotels and guesthouses of similar size and mission as us.

We have continued to exist on donations, on “gifts in kind,” and with a careful eye on our expenditures. Rather than fighting unscrupulous people who took advantage of the German Catholic emigrants in the late 19th century, we now provide simple accommodations for those who come to NYC for any one of a number of reasons.

On this Giving Tuesday, would you help us to continue our mission of hospitality? Many “angels” have passed through our doors—first on State Street, and now on West 23rd Street. Many “angels” have blessed our halls, our rooms, our space with their presence. We hope that we, in turn, have been a blessing offering comfort and peace. If our mission of “Christian Hospitality” is to continue, we need YOUR help on this Giving Tuesday. Please make a donation to help us to do the work of hospitality, updating rooms, and cleaning our spaces to welcome YOU and other angels in the future. And if you are able, perhaps you would consider becoming a sustaining sponsor for The Leo House so that we may continue this work for many years in the future.