Atlanta, GA. Over the next few days, we’ll be featuring stories from some of our evangelists and team leaders talking about their experiences calling their fellow parishioners on the phone to provide support and prayer. The need for connection during the lock down has been great, and we can only hope that our evangelists have provided some comfort and a reminder of God’s love for them.
Click here to read more stories from our team in Atlanta, GA
The following report comes to us from SPSE Director of Teams Brian in Atlanta, GA:
When my parish asked me to reach out to parishioners, I gladly accepted. At the time I’d been only calling friends and family, but wanted to reach out to more Catholics and serve the Church in the best way I could. After accepting the invitation, the leader replied with about 50 families for me to contact. I had no idea what to expect, but the response I received was wonderful. Calling parishioners during this time was a great ministry. I spoke with several parishioners who were registered but had moved, others who were eager to receive the Eucharist again, and some who had experienced death in the family due to COVID-19.
No matter what the circumstance, I ended each call with an invitation to pray. The response was beautiful and I was grateful to invite the Lord and Our Lady into the circumstances of each family’s life. If someone had died I prayed for the repose of their soul. If someone was full of anxiety I asked our blessed mother to give them courage like she did in her yes to the angel Gabriel. Those who had moved or stopped going to Church I let them know God loves them and desires for them to return. All in all it was a blessing.
Praised be Jesus Christ! If you have a positive story with calling your fellow parishioners to minister to or pray for them, please send us your experiences at stories@stpaulse.com. Also, know that it’s not too late to do this in your parish. We even have all the material available at the Calling for Prayer Webinar link (https://evangelizationschool.com/calling-for-prayers/?spei_source=callingMN) and enter your name, email, and zip (there is no cost to view the materials, it is just only open to those that have the link).