Pendergrass, GA. Team coordinator Pablo from the Prince of Peace team in Atlanta reported in on their outing to the Flea Market. They met a lot of people, including “Jane,” who owns a clothing store:
“Jane was very happy to get a rosary and promised to pray with it. She also called a couple of teenagers to get rosaries, but they did not know how to pray it, so we gave them a couple of pamphlets with the instructions. When we asked Jane which parish she went to, she said she believed in God, but she did not go to any parish. We invited her to return to the church, and gave her the tract ‘Reasons to Return to the Catholic Church.’ She lives [in a different city]. I promised to find out which parish is the closest and tell her, but Don looked up parishes and their Mass schedules using his phone. Since we know some people there, we will try to contact one of them, so that she gets a personal invitation, and someone who will be willing to be a friendly face and who will welcome her as she returns to the Church.”
Praised be Jesus Christ! And thank you Pablo and Don! Let’s continue reaching out to those who have wandered from the flock, imitating the shepherd in Our Lord’s parable of the lost sheep.
It is great that you set up a person who will give Jane a personal welcome call and probably be there to go to Mass when she might attend. This is such an important part of getting the Catholic to return home! I was gone 34 years and the parish priest who “brought the lost one” knew I wouldn’t know anyone so he was there to give me a welcome after Mass and introduced me to a couple other ladies my age and I have seldom missed Mass thereafter, It would be so good if those at Mass be aware as possible to strange faces and warmly welcome or at least give a smiling “hello!” I pray for you street evangelists…God bless you each!
Yes, most times people do not want to go alone, so an invite is a must.