Boise, ID
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The following story comes to us from team leader Lucy with our team in Boise, ID:
In the lull between holidays, the message of Jesus Christ still resounds. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort. One evangelist was available.
Two men stopped. One was Catholic, attended a nearby parish, and picked out a Rosary. The other man declined, saying he was a non-Catholic Christian. So, the evangelist showed him that the focus of the prayer is on Jesus. But he still didn’t want a Rosary. As they walked away, however, they were in conversation about the Rosary. Praise God! Pray that the Holy Spirit fills these friends so the first may lead the other to the fullness of the Faith.
A young couple named “Doug” and “Faith” stopped. The man asked Chuck if he was saved. He also wanted to hear the evangelist’s faith story. So, Chuck shared his story and asked about Doug’s journey. Doug had been “saved” while in prison. He then asked about praying to Mary, so the evangelist explained about the Communion of Saints and the wonder of being part of the Church whose members stretched all the way to heaven. Doug liked the explanation and lamented that people his age were being dragged down by a lack of faith, depression, and self-harm. In fact, Doug’s girlfriend had attempted that at some point. They did not take a Rosary, but thanked us for taking Christ into the public square. Pray that their eyes remain focused on Christ and that they trust only Him.
As a couple (possibly homeless?) passed by, the man said he had plenty of Rosaries. Then he paused to encourage his girlfriend to get one. She did not approach the table, so he picked one out for her and took the pamphlet that goes with it. He assured the evangelist that he had been raised Catholic, knew the prayer, and would teach it to her. On top of that, she had only recently been baptized! As they were walking away, the evangelist overheard him tell her not to wear the Rosary as it was for prayer only. Pray that they persevere in faith, have the courage to remain hopeful, and abound in charity.
“Floyd”, a Catholic father of four, along with his wife, passed the table saying they had plenty of Rosaries. Then Floyd stopped and challenged the evangelist about Vatican II and the Latin Mass. The evangelist emphasized unity and obedience, while Floyd kept telling him to look up critiques of Vatican II and to attend a Latin Mass. Pray that Floyd’s personal preferences do not lead him into breaking with the Catholic Church.
It started out rainy and dark with little foot traffic. But the sun almost worked its way through the clouds by the end of the session. And our intrepid evangelist gave away 8 to 12 Rosaries and the pamphlet on how to pray it.
Praised be Jesus Christ!