Boise

Country: United States
State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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Never a Dull Moment - 2025-Aug-31

September 7, 2025

Interest in the Rosary continues. So, thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

The non-Christian sect had their pamphlet rack in “our corner” again, for the 3rd week out of the last 4. It seemed, though, to be a smaller meeting this time. Also, a comic convention was going on in the main convention center, with lots of people in costume heading that way. So, we ended up setting up near the north spoke in an area of temporary shade. The temperature was in or near triple digits again.

A year or so ago, during the heat of the elections, a 35ish man had stopped at the table to yell at us. At that time, it came out that the man hated his father and, since his father was a Christian and held certain political beliefs, the man therefore hated Christians and certain politics. Though we had nothing political on display, the man conflated the political and the religious. During last week’s session, he showed up again. And once again, spittle flying, he shouted and cursed, jabbing his finger at us and threatening to flip over the table of Rosaries. He told us he had been thrilled by the tragedy at the Mass in Minnesota the previous week, and said he hoped the same thing would happen to all of us. Screaming and raving, he naturally attracted a lot of attention in the plaza. While we waited for him to wind down, a tall teenage boy walked up to engage with the man. However, this resulted only in the man’s redirecting his rage from us to the boy, keeping the man wound up. We thanked the now-trembling teen, but encouraged him to move on and not get caught up in the man’s craziness. When the man finally stormed off, several people approached to see if we were okay. One was a man in a costume saying he was “just a humanist helping humans”. Also approaching us was a 25ish couple (who had passed our table earlier and declined a Rosary). They said that, though they didn’t believe in God, we didn’t deserve to be treated that way. We thanked them for their kind words and carried on. Pray that Satan’s grip on the angry man will be broken.

To several groups of young women in fantasy costumes, e. Lucy quickly explained the Rosary devotion, emphasizing the peace and protection that often comes when they use it reverently to take their questions into the Rosary meditations. Most of them then chose a Rosary for herself and accepted the pamphlet on how to pray it.

A pair of young people, who had met just moments before at the comic convention, responded to our offer of a Rosary quite differently. The young woman declined a Rosary, saying that she was a Christian but that the young man might take one. The young man, sweating profusely in a costume, did indeed want a Rosary, saying he “had always been interested in having one”. He wondered if it was okay to wear the Rosary, and we said it was because it might encourage those who saw it to pray. It seemed, though, that he believed all religions are basically the same. E. Chuck pointed out that Jesus was the only one who died for us. In the meantime and after hearing how Christ-centric the Mysteries were, the young woman decided to select a Rosary, too. Later, we saw the young man crossing the plaza, heading back to the convention on his own. Pray that the young lady remains steadfast in faith and that the young man places all his faith in Our Lord and Savior.

A thin, mustached, very calm and friendly man in his early 20s was wearing a work uniform. Passing us, he stretched out his hand to offer the evangelists a dollar. When we explained that we can’t take donations and that he could have a Rosary for free, he declined and said he was a pagan. E. James tried again, saying the Rosary points to the one true God. But the young man said he worships other gods and went on his way. E. Chuck felt confused by his offer to us of money. But e. James remembered learning that the Romans of yore accepted all the gods of the nations they conquered as a way “to hedge their bets”, so to speak. So, the evangelist thought that maybe this young man was making an offering to what he considered to be just one more god whom he needed to placate. Pray that our visitor will, like the pagan world once did, have his eyes opened to Who the one true God really is.

A father and tween son stopped for a Rosary and revealed that he and his family are in OCIA. When asked what brought him to the Catholic Church, he said that his life is good and complete with a happy marriage, good children and a job he loves, etc., but that recently he had an uneasy feeling that something was still missing. So, he gathered up his family and they went to some different non-Catholic Christian churches. His wife, who was baptized Catholic but had not attended Mass since she was a teen, said those churches they attended just didn’t seem right to her. So, they tried going to a Catholic Mass. Immediately, they felt that this is what they had been looking for! The man and his kids couldn’t wait to be baptized at the Easter Vigil and his wife was excited about getting Confirmed. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Hallelujah!

A grinning young woman in a costume, but holding the fuzzy (and hot!) pony head mask under her arm, enthusiastically agreed to take a Rosary. She was excited because she had just met the artists for the cartoon her costume represented in the convention and they had signed her books. She was familiar with the Rosary and elated to get hold of one. Later, when she was passing with three other young ladies in costume, we encouraged her to bring her friends to the table. But one of them said she had lots of Rosaries at home already. Praise God for her joyful faith and her choice of faithful friends.

Please pray, too, for the following people we encountered last week:

A 25ish guy on a bike, who said “thanks” and selected a brown Rosary for his neck.

Two boys in their early teens selected Rosaries. One said, “I will definitely be using it!”

A large 30ish male grabbed a black Rosary and left in a hurry.

A large, tattooed, 35ish guy selected a large Rosary to go around his neck.

A “furry”-costumed girl in her early teens selected a Rosary and took the pamphlet, “for her dad”.

An orange-and-blue Rosary was selected by a quiet, 25ish, tattooed man, who whispered, “Thanks”.

A big 30ish guy with glasses and long black curly hair said, “Yes, [he’s] familiar with the Rosary.” He took a Rosary and its pamphlet.

Two 22ish, tattooed guys on skateboards selected Rosaries for their necks. One said, “We love Jesus”.

Several passersby responded, “No thanks, [they’ve] got one”, to our Rosary offer.

Two 17ish girls approached. One said, my brother is Catholic. She selected a Rosary and accepted its pamphlet.

Three costumed, 18ish girls listened about the Rosary and smilingly accepted Rosaries and its pamphlet.

A tall, thin, 25ish guy wandered about the business park “in search of water and friends”. He talked briefly with e. Chuck, and accepted a Rosary and its pamphlet.

A 19ish guy had a pretty blue Rosary around his neck. He told us his “grandma gave [him] this”. He selected a Rosary and accepted a pamphlet .

A grade-school-aged boy with a costume sword selected a Rosary and accepted its pamphlet as his mom looked on.

A purple-furry-pony-head-costumed girl with suspenders spoke awhile with e. Chuck before selecting a Rosary.

Two 18ish girls selected Rosaries and exclaimed “beautiful!” They told us they were very grateful .

A 17ish guy stopped just long enough to put a Rosary around his neck and go.

A grade-school-aged boy and his sister happily selected Rosaries as their mom and dad looked on.

Four costumed, early teen kids and a dad picked Rosaries and accepted pamphlets. The dad commented that one daughter “had more beads than she knew what to do with”.

As the table was being folded and the Rosaries put away, a last-minute plea for a Rosary was made by a 25ish, black t-shirted man with dark hair. E. Lucy reopened the case to reveal the assorted bagged Rosaries and he gratefully made his selection.

Altogether, the four evangelists gave away 30-35 Rosaries its pamphlet, 1 “Good News”/kerygma pamphlet, 1 “Do I Need a Savior?” pamphlet, 1-2 Divine Mercy prayer cards, and 1-2 Our Lady Untier of Knots prayer cards.

Please pray for us again today? Ask God to send people to us with hearts 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 never know what we’ll encounter, but trust in God’s love for everyone who sees us. 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).