Detroit, MI
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This report comes from team leader Mark with the Eastern Market SPSE team in Detroit, MI:
Two newer evangelists joined me last Saturday at Eastern Market. Silvia came once last year as an observer and prayer warrior—she has since taken some evangelization classes, and is now willing to evangelize and do outreach. Immediately after our opening prayer, before we finished setting up, two men approached our table asking for prayer. I led a prayer for both of the men, for their families, for an increase in virtues of strength and wisdom, for an increase and grace, and ultimately for salvation. Afterwards, we talked about belonging to a church community, specifically a Catholic parish, the grace of the sacraments, and early Christianity. Both men accepted Rosaries, Miraculous Medals, pamphlets on Why Be Catholic, and Salvation.
Leonard, who has been passionate about evangelization for the last several months, joined us for the second half of the outing. We quickly realized each other’s strengths and weaknesses as evangelists. Leonard was very comfortable and successful with starting interactions, while Silvia and I were more comfortable continuing conversations, answering questions, asking follow-up questions, praying out loud with people, etc. Leonard offered a Rosary to one man and, without breaking stride, the man responded saying, “I’m strongly anti-religion.” Immediately after he left, I stopped and said a prayer for that man.
I have often noticed that parents want their children to take a Rosar,y but the adults rarely want one of their own. This definitely was the case again, as several families wanted Rosaries for the children and none for the adults. Three girls, ages 8-12, approached our table for Rosaries. I told them that we don’t normally talk to children or give anything to children without parents’ approval. The oldest girl said they had approva,l and their father walked over. I offered him a Rosary too, which he declined, and I told him that we don’t give anything to children without adult approval, to which he agreed and thanked me.
Another family came up, two children at the table while the father stood at a distance. I told him, “The Rosary is not just for children”, then I light-heartedly challenged him in his responsibility as a father to lead his family in their faith life and repeated, “the family that prays together, stays together.” While it’s great to witness to children, it’s more important to minister to their parents and guardians who are tasked with that child’s formation. Overall, it was another great morning of evangelization at Eastern Market.