Detroit, MI. Many of us have heard of the dire fact that one of the largest “denominations” in the United States is fallen away Catholics. These are many of the people our teams talk to on the streets, and we strive to help them return to the way of salvation. But we also talk to a lot of practicing Catholics. We often try to help these brothers and sisters in Christ to make progress in their practice of the faith, making more use of the various means of salvation and holiness, which we are given in the Catholic Church. The Sacrament of Reconciliation (aka “Confession”) is one of the most important of these means, for not only does it restore back onto the way of salvation those who have wandered off, but it also speeds along those on the way of salvation, and protects them from wandering off.
On a recent outing to the airport, our Detroit team found all the airport personnel polite and helpful, and were even able to share the good news with some of them. In this picture, for example, we see evangelist John talk to a baggage handler. “Salvacion,” a Catholic Filipino woman and ticket clerk at the McNamara airport terminal, was also one of these, except she is a practicing Catholic. She goes to church every Sunday, but at that time had not been to the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a very long time. Evangelists John and Mick talked to her about the importance of going to confession regularly. John gave her “one good reason” to go … her salvation may depend on it.
That is when she told the evangelists that her name actually means “Salvation.” Her parents gave her that name because she was frequently very sick as a child and her parents constantly prayed that God would save her.
John and Mick then gave Salvacion a rosary and a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary. She thanked them for being there and returned to work. A seed was planted.
Praised be Jesus Christ! Being the Church which was founded by Christ, the Catholic Church possesses all the means of salvation which he wished to entrust to the human race. It is through these means, beginning with baptism, that God saves from eternal death those who have faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. Will you join us in our mission to bring this salvation to all people? Why not join or start a team? To get involved, see one of the links below.