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Waxahachie - St. Joseph

Country: United States
State or province: Texas

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Joseph McGowan
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• Cinco de Mayo

• Bethlehem Revisited

• St. Joseph Waxahachie TX First Outing!

Cinco de Mayo

May 6, 2024

 

 

Every first Saturday in May, the City of Waxahachie allows for the celebration of Cinco de Mayo that is sponsored by a local Hispanic organization.  It usually draws several thousand people, so we naturally planned on evangelizing during the event.

 

I first arrived at the downtown park we used before but realized it would not be a good place to have discussions as food trucks were set up on the street with their generators making a noisy environment.

So I waited for the remainder of the team there and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  We always know that God will send to us those he wants us to interact with for His purpose through the Holy Spirit.  We need to only be obedient and sensitive to the Spirit's guidance.

 

Once the other team members arrived, we moved to a less noisy location around the corner and down the street.  I was a little apprehensive about the new location as I didn't know if there would be enough foot traffic.  I should not have worried as people began approaching us even before we finished setting up our table.  Thankfully, we had enough team members to greet and talk with visitors while still finishing the set up.  I am so thankful for the participation of fellow evangelical Catholics in this ministry.

 

We know that we can offer rosaries or medals to a dozen or more people, but there are always a few we can sense that God has a real purpose for their visiting.  One such person was Natasha and her family, recent converts to Catholicism at the past Easter Vigil.  While it is not always our focus to minister to practicing Catholics, it is fulfilling to have them stop by and answer questions they may have about the True Faith.  We of course encourage and edify each other and we pray the new converts are encouraged by our efforts to represent the truth on the streets (and of course, to start their own team or join ours).

 

We noticed a man coming down the street wearing, shall we say, "cannabis advocacy" apparel.  I offered him a free Rosary and his countenance changed immediately and he readily accepted the offer.  We asked if he was Catholic to which he said "yes" but he no longer attended Mass.  His name is Luis and he said he just stopped going after being raised in the Church.  After some conversation, he pulled out his phone and said,  "Ï want to show you something".  He showed us a picture of a framed, very large printed image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in his house surrounded by flowers and candles.  He said he inherited it from  his grandmother and is probably over 100 years old.  Luis said his abuela was from Mexico City, so another team member told him that the image he had of the tilma could be a relic itself or at the least, blessed, so it is good he still has it in a place of honor.  Luis said he still has a party at his house each December on the anniversary of Our Lady's visitations to Juan Diego.  I emphasized to Luis that it was no coincidence that he met us and slipped him a pamphlet on confession and encouraged him to return to Mass and the Sacraments.  He then invited us all to his house in December for the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

 

Another encounter involved a man named David.  David was alone and stopped when offered a rosary.  There seemed to be pall of sadness about him when he spoke.   We asked if he went to church, and he said he went to a local Protestant, non-denominational church.  I asked if there was anything he needed prayer for. He told us that his family had been riven by his daughter's experience of abuse by another family member.  This tragedy caused a rift between him and his daughter and stress within his marriage.  This as well as his son being addicted to drugs.  We all prayed for David, that God will sustain him during this time and the grace to endure.  He also accepted a Miraculous Medal and allowed me to place it on his neck.  We continue to pray for David and his family that they may come through this terrible time and be made whole again.

 

It is a privilege to be allowed to pray with others, helping them shoulder their burdens and embrace the truth.  Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.