It’s “Bob’s Your Uncle” Time

Many years ago, when I was new to the Catholic Worker movement and its House of Hospitably in Milwaukee I was concerned about the day to day existence of the house and its works of mercy to the poor. Michael Cullen, co-founder with his wife Nettie, told me not to worry, that God will provide what we needed in the house. We just had to do what we could do and God would do the rest. It worked.

Last Sunday our pastor passed on some words of wisdom he had received from an elderly priest when he was young. The priest had told him just to do the right thing and all would be well. Again God will provide.

This morning one of the members of our faith sharing group asked me about the phrase “Bob’s Your Uncle”. I told him it was a British slang word meaning “No problem”, “the solution is simple”, “there you have it”, “you have what you want, “all will be well”; I have heard some say the slang phrase has a meaning similar to English slang of “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” I used it as my email handle, bobsyouruncle, and many persons, besides nephews and nieces, call me “Uncle Bob”. I like to think I have the attitude of ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’.

I needed all the “Bob’s your uncle” spirit I could muster tonight. I was writing an open letter to the Executive Director of the St. Vincent De Paul Society (SVDP) tonight to try to begin a dialog about the mission of the Society and the mission of our SVDP stores. I got a phone call from a person who was present at the City of Greenfield City Council meeting tonight saying the Council had reversed itself since a vote after the public hearing last week and was now granting a special use permit allowing the Executive Director and Real Estate developer to go ahead for the 3. 2 million dollar investment in a store in this suburb. (You can read about this store and dissension it caused in last Sunday’s newspaper at In quest for dollars, St. Vincent de Paul Society faces identity crisis.

I do not know what kind of secret behind the scenes was made to get the City Council to reverse its decision without any more public input but the news was devastating to hear. In my opinion it will be a real setback to the SVDP in Milwaukee, especially to the poor on the North side.

I will finish my letter about mission of the Society but it took all the “Bob’s your uncle” spirit I could muster to keep home alive that the society in Milwaukee can survive to serve those in need. Maybe we need to say “God’s Your Uncle”.

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