Boise

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State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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Meeting Christ through the Rosary - 2023-02-26

March 12, 2023

The Rosary devotion leads people to Christ. So thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort. (Check our PS note below for why there was no report for 3/5.)

Damp and cool weather featured pouring rain as we made our way to the business park. But, when our little red wagon arrived at the Grove, the rain slacked almost immediately, and the last 3/4 of the session was dry. Once the rain stopped, the foot traffic picked up noticeably, though still much lighter than normal.

A down-and-out-seeming couple stopped for Rosaries. They were our first “customers”, after an unusually long initial stretch of “no thank you”. The man and woman were both familiar with the Rosary, they said. The man showed us a cross on a string of beads that hung from his backpack. He called that a “rosary”, so e. Chuck explained the actual prayer to him. The man talked to e. Chuck about his non-Catholic Christian church but seemed excited about the gifts of the Rosary prayer. Meanwhile, e. Lucy talked with the woman and soon picked up on the fact that she didn’t actually seem to know the devotion. The evangelist gave her a brief explanation and showed where in the pamphlet the prayers were. We encouraged both of them to pray it together every day. May the Rosary help them persevere in living the joy of salvation.

Two teenage boys came to the table at the word “free”. They had no idea what the Rosary was and were not Christians. We encouraged them to read the short bio of Christ to be discovered in the Mysteries found in the Rosary pamphlet, and to reflect on the God who was willing to die to save them. They were polite and thanked us. E. Lucy gave one of the boys a Good News pamphlet as they were walking away. Pray for these boys and for the world of people who do not know that Jesus is their Savior. May God lead them to Himself and salvation!

A mom with 4 boys, ages about 3-11, stopped on their way out of the sports arena because the 2nd youngest wanted a Rosary. The mom said she already had several and was familiar with the prayer. The three younger boys each chose one for himself. May God grant Faith and Salvation to that whole family!

A man, perhaps in his mid-20s, stopped for a Rosary. He flashed us a grin that we found puzzling, hinted that he had stopped for a Rosary only a few weeks before, but didn’t give us any clues to help us remember him. He chose a bright teal Rosary with pink Our Father beads. Please pray for him? God knows his story.

A woman came to the table and said she had talked to us two weeks before but hadn’t taken a Rosary. She had taken a Rosary pamphlet at that time, and now wanted a Rosary. We apologized for not remembering the encounter while she made her selection, took another pamphlet, and moved on. Pray she continues to be drawn closer to Christ through His, and our, Blessed Mother.

A passing couple declined a Rosary, the woman explaining they were not Catholic, and we responding that it was a Christian prayer. Suddenly she came rushing back to the table, saying she had changed her mind, that her church was “almost Catholic”. Pray that she continues to respond to the urging of the Holy Spirit and finds her way home to the fullness of the Faith in the Catholic Church.

A mother with three small children at first declined our offer. Then she came back and had her children each select a Rosary to show to their grandpa who was, evidently, a devout Catholic. This would, she assured us, make their grandpa very happy. We encouraged her to pray it with her kids but she said that she would let the grandpa do that. Pray that this family, and all families, would grow in Faith.

“John”, the retired parking lot attendant, came striding up just as we were finishing packing everything away. His back didn’t seem to be bothering him and he was happy to report that he was again able to walk for miles every day.

Despite the rather unpleasant weather and sparse foot traffic, the evangelists still gave away 10-15 Rosaries and its pamphlet, as well as 1 Good News/kerygma pamphlet.

Please pray for us again today? Ask God to send people to us with heats prepared to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

We introduce the Rosary as a tool to help people meditate on the life of Christ and develop a relationship with Him. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate. In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).

P.S. This report is from the session two weeks ago. We weren’t able to set up last week, 3/5. There was an event in the sports arena and the entire business park was reserved. E. Chuck was asked to leave, and e. Lucy was home sick. But a big thank you, especially to Fr. Tom, who sent prayers up for us several days beforehand, almost as if he’d been given a spiritual heads-up that difficulty was on the horizon.