The following report came from a member of the Boise, ID, team:
Woot! We had a rollicking evangelization session downtown today. Started off with a woman who kept walking up to shout “the Rosary is not in the Bible” and then leaving. She didn’t want an explanation but was “trying to teach you something for your own good.” After about 3–4 passes, she gave up. LOTS of families out, who received Rosaries as well as brochures about it.
Then a retired Anglican priest came by (after watching from a distance for quite a while). He does a weekly service at the state prison and took a Rosary and brochure “for an inmate there.” At the same time, another man came to ask, “What is the difference between Catholics and Christians?” I began to answer, but the clergyman jumped in with an explanation of the Eucharist, from John 6.
Then the second man got angry, said we hadn’t answered his question, and began to walk off. I caught his attention to try again, and the minister wandered away. The other man and I took it slower. He asked why the Church was called “Catholic” and I explained. He asked when we were founded and I explained. It was news to him that Jesus Himself had founded a Church that still exists. The man finally said, “I need to talk to my pastor” and left.
The team continued to receive several people/groups at once until closing time, including one man who accepted our last copy of the weighty NAB Catholic Study Bible and who then came back to ask prayers for a medical problem.
“All in all, a good day. And, hopefully, fruitful. Thank you, everyone, so much for your prayers!”
And thank you, Team Boise, for your continued witness. Catholic street evangelization really IS fun and exciting. Negative encounters can usually be turned around with a quiet word and a respectful attitude. If you have a love for Jesus Christ and for people, you can do this! Are you already a member of SPSE? If not, please prayerfully consider becoming one. Then you’ll have access to all the wonderful tools we’ve developed to help you “take the Faith to the streets” and see the Holy Spirit at work!
wonderful witness