Riverside, CA
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The following comes to us from team leader Phil with our team in downton Riverside, California:
Here’s just a few of the many encounters we had outside the historic Mission Inn Hotel in downtown Riverside at the Festival of Lights. We set up a table for four consecutive Saturdays, and probably interacted with more than 1,000+ people. The festival draws thousands of visitors each night. We could hardly ask for a better opportunity for outreach. The first memorable encounter was with a young man attending the University of San Diego and his mom. He was surprised and impressed to see Catholics street evangelizing. His mother was interested in learning more about the Shroud of Turin and some of the many amazing facts. I shared information with her about the exhibit at Christ Cathedral and encouraged them to go. We also discussed Purgatory, and the young man mentioned a close friend who’d recently suffered greatly and died from cancer. He described him as one of the holiest people he’d ever known. I shared with him the reality that some individuals may experience their “Purgatory” on earth through profound suffering, such as the tremendous struggles and even death caused by cancer. It was a beautiful and heartfelt conversation, and both mother and son expressed how grateful they were to see our small team present on the streets.
We also spoke with a man who’d worked as a financial planner for over 50 years. He was very impressed by our presence. In a low voice I told my friend Robert to pose one of our now-regular questions: “Why are you Catholic?” I wish I’d written down his response because it was quite insightful. Paraphrasing, he said that in his experience there are two kinds of people in the world: those who are Catholic and those who wish they were Catholic. He said he keeps a crucifix on his office wall as a form of evangelizing and occasionally receives complaints from clients who say they’re offended by it. His response to them, he said, is that they should be offended, because that crucifix represents the price our Lord paid for our redemption.
We had many more solid conversations, and God willing, seeds were planted or rekindled for the one, true faith. One final encounter stands out. A woman in her thirties approached our table and took a rosary and other literature and holy medals. When I asked if she was Catholic, she replied that she used to be. I warmly told her that she should come home and she smiled. At that moment, an older woman, possibly her mom, stepped in and physically pulled her away, saying that we were trying to draw her away from where she needed to be. We then engaged in conversation with the older woman, who raised familiar Protestant objections, including claims about Catholics believing they’re the only ones who’ll be saved and misconceptions about baptism and other Catholic teachings. I asked who she believed founded the Catholic Church and which Church compiled the Bible. She responded, “it was the Christian Church.” She also disagreed that a “Christian” could lose their salvation and I explained that it’s possible and gave her scripture references. Although we agreed to disagree, we exchanged Christmas wishes in a spirit of goodwill.