Priest faces US$500,000 in fines for feeding homeless amid lawsuit

For 36 years, Fr. Bob Caudill has been feeding the homeless at All Saints Catholic Mission in Oakland Park. For the last 12 years, he's been locked in a standoff with the city, which alleges he's operating a nonpermitted soup kitchen. (Credit: WFOR via CNN Newsource)

For 36 years, Father Bob Caudill has been feeding the homeless at All Saints Catholic Mission in Oakland Park. For the last 12 years, he’s been locked in a standoff with the city, which alleges he’s operating a nonpermitted soup kitchen.

“In 2014, they decided to rezone the power line area. They told me fallaciously that ‘you have to stop feeding, you’re not feeding in the new zoning,’” Caudill siad.

Caudill kept feeding the homeless, offering them showers, and giving spiritual guidance. There’s a price to that.

“Long and short of this is the case, we are suing them to stop the harassment because it’s over US$500,000. It’s 125 dollars a day since 2014, and they put a lien on our building,” he said.

He already took the city to court in January, but Oakland Park’s attorney successfully got the case tossed because of a missed deadline.

Jeremiah Williams is unhoused. He’s been coming here the past few months as he works to get a license to drive semi’s.

“I come here to take showers. I come here to eat breakfast and lunch. I use my snap card to purchase other items. I go to the park, I exercise there, and, I even come to mass here,” Williams said.

He depends on the help to give him a hand up.

“I don’t know any other church or any other, any other pastor that will help us the way that he has,” Williams said.

“So Christ was very clear about us helping his people, and it doesn’t matter what stage of life or who you are,” Caudill said.

“Everybody’s just a child of God, point blank, right?”

Caudill plans to continue his mission to give food to the hungry as he prepares to head back to court for a second round on trial.

“Pray for us,” he urged. “Help us win this trial. Amen!”

CBS News Miami reached out to the city of Oakland Park. They said they cannot comment because of pending litigation.