Belton, SC
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The following report comes to us from team leader Caleb with our team in Greenville, SC:
Despite the heat, Ernesto and I had another great day of evangelizing at the Anderson Jockey Lot! I got the canopy fixed and we had plenty of cold water. More importantly we had the zeal of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the three intentions of our Lord’s Most Sacred Heart: The salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians.
Here is a run down of who we encountered today:
Brian, an army vet, said he enjoyed going to that chapel on Sundays while he was in the military to get away. He was born Baptist and is now non-denominational. He seemed a bit drunk or hung over. He said because of his positive interaction with a Catholic army chaplain he was always interested in Catholics. He didn’t stay long to talk, but took a Rosary and the pamphlets “How to Pray the Rosary” and “Why Be Catholic”.
A Hispanic man named Jose spoke with Ernesto for quite some time and was very passionate. He carried some small tracts that looked like invitations to a church service. While he was trying to debate with Ernesto, a Hispanic man took a Rosary and the pamphlet “How to Pray the Rosary”. Also, Gloria from Gainesville, GA who is Catholic stopped and took a Rosary, a “My Daily Prayer” booklet, and a “Divine Mercy Chaplet” pamphlet. Ernesto had to relate his conversation with Jose to me after it was done: “At about 9:15 am, Jose approached our table with a loud voice and without questions or interest in what we were doing. He said we were wrong in having images in our pamphlets. He refused to stay on subject for any length of time but kept bringing up apparently infinite accusations against the Catholic Church. To him the Holy Mass is wrong because everyone who goes to Mass commits sins. I asked him if Jesus ordered us to attend Mass? He said no and was hard to pin down, but when I talked about Jesus saying eat my body, do it in my memory, he grudgingly accepted but continued his shot gun evangelization. I asked if he believed in confession, after unwillingly reading John 20:21-23, he still did not accept that ordained priests could forgive. I told him he was against the Bible if he was dividing and separating from God’s Church as Jesus gave us one Church and insisted we stay united. Eventually we all prayed together in the middle of the encounter. Then after about 1/2 hour Jose had to go. We never know, just as today’s Gospel reading recounts, whether the seed fell on good soil.”
Praised be Jesus Christ!