Main Street - February 1, 2025
February 2, 2025
from our evangelists Michael and Wilber:
It was cold on the streets of Somerville, but thankfully the Holy Spirit was warming the hearts of the people present. We felt the prayers of our two prayer warriors, Edith and Carolyn.
We first met a woman with her young son who goes to Mass and Confession already. However, she asked us to pray for her father who is struggling with alcoholism and the challenges that it presents with their relationship.
We also encountered a young adult who just lost his father. He was open to us praying for his father's soul and his own grief. Also, he had stopped by last year, where we encouraged him to check out the Church's young adult Catholic group, as he was looking for community. We were happy to hear that he had done so and went to the last meeting that they had.
We further encountered a mother with her young daughter. The daughter already knew how to say the Rosary, but Wilbur smoothly provided a pamphlet to the mother who didn't know how to.
We also met Nick, a 35 year old who was vibrant and excited to continue on his journey to know GOD. We spoke with him about the existence of GOD that can be ascertained through faith and reason, as he explained to us his scientific background. He was eager to and wanted to hear about the origin of the Miraculous Medal, as he often goes to Paris.
Wilber and I were thankful for these and the other encounters that GOD permitted yesterday!
Main Street - November 2 2024
November 7, 2024
From our evangelist Michael:
Though it was a bit cold on the streets of Somerville last night, we had several providential encounters.
For example, we had Richard stop, who was formerly homeless and on drugs, but has since found housing and is in recovery. He was a jubilant chap, who was on fire for the LORD and told us how he prayed at one point to be free of his addiction and felt the effects soon after, which told him that GOD is real! He is now a believer. He took a Rosary and a pamphlet on saying it, and we prayed with him for his needs and intentions. His joy for the LORD and his story inspired us too!
We also met Karen and Sarah who were both Catholics and wanted prayers for others, so we prayed with them. However, when asking about attending Confession, Karen took a pamphlet on the Sacrament.
We also encountered Alex, who was with his mother and son. We prayed with and for them, and got to chat with his son, who was in elementary school and is already saying the Rosary! We talked with him about GOD’s love and presence in his life, and he seemed to acknowledge both, which was a blessing!
We hope that those we encountered and those who did not stop at least are reminded of GOD’s presence in their lives!
Main Street - 8/3/24
August 7, 2024
From our evangelists Michael and Carolyn and prayer warrior Edith:
Today was hot and humid on the streets of Somerville, yet the Holy Spirit was absolutely present!
A good-natured man, Bob, who was waiting for the bus told us that he is Protestant and loves GOD. However, he sometimes attends the Catholic Mass. So, after discussing different faith matters with him, he graciously accepted a pamphlet on Reasons for Being Catholic.
We had a mother and her two children ask for prayers for her family, as they have had financial struggles the past month. After reassuring her of GOD’s presence in their lives, we prayed with her and both she and her daughter took Rosaries. Interestingly, she knows the prayers in Spanish, but took a pamphlet in English to learn the prayers that way too.
We also had a young woman, Victoria, who went to Catholic school, seemed like she was still searching for her way with GOD, and wanted to have a rosary and we prayed with her.
Let us give thanks to the LORD for these and the other encounters today, for this ministry, and for our gift of faith. 🙏
Movie Night – July 25, 2024
July 26, 2024
It was a beautiful evening in Somerville for our latest movie night with Ingrid, Albert and me as evangelists at our table, with Mary Ellen as our prayer warrior. Our encounters started off on the slow side, but things quickly picked up. A few notable highlights:
We spoke to a young couple, the man was baptized in the Catholic Church, but did not receive any of his other sacraments. His girlfriend grew up in the Catholic Church and was confirmed, but currently is not attending mass. She said that up until this very last Sunday, she was working Sundays, and sometimes up to 6 days in a row. But now, just as she stopped to us, she realized that she is free on Sundays, and free to attend mass. She kept on thanking us for being out on Main Street and speaking with her. Her boyfriend looked interested, and so we told her that it’s now up to her to start introducing him to the Catholic faith and they both laughed good-naturedly. They each took a rosary and she also took the “Confession” pamphlet.
We spoke to a mom and dad out with their two daughters. They both strongly identified as Catholic, but also did not go to mass. They were eager to take rosaries and also a miraculous medal. The mom then asked me about Sunday school for her daughters, and we spoke about religious education at our parish. I gave her a bulletin with contact information and encouraged her to contact the DRE. We brought up Confession, and spoke about the importance of the grace of the sacrament. She looked a little sheepish, like she knew she ought to go to confession, but that it was challenging. They also thanked us profusely as they left.
We spoke at length to a man who had a “Jesus is calling” t-shirt, with the buttons “Accept” and “Decline”, like the face of an iPhone. He waited respectfully to talk to us as we were speaking with others. And then said he was thrilled that we were out there evangelizing. In talking to him, it turns out that he was raised Catholic, was an altar server and grew up surrounded by priests in his Brooklyn neighborhood. He said that the Catholic church was an immense force for Christianity and the spreading of the Gospel message. He then told us that he is now a non-denominational Protestant pastor and minister. Albert spoke with him for a long time. He didn’t agree with priests and confession and basically what the Catholic Church represented to him. He said he was involved in all types of sin and never knew he was saved until he became a Protestant. We lightly quipped to him “Well, that was a problem with you, not the Catholic Church.” At one point, another person came up to both Albert and him and Albert prayed with both of them. The pastor was completely moved by the “ACTS” prayer that Albert prayed with them and for them, and then he had us take a picture of him holding a rosary in front of our table. It was a lively and good natured conversation.
Two women stopped by and each took rosaries. In speaking with them both, they were both former Catholics who for the last twenty years have attended a Protestant church. We listened to them as they told us their faith journey and basically told them that we were out on the street to share the Good News of Jesus and His church. Both of the woman took a “Why be Catholic” brochure along with the “How to Pray the Rosary” brochure. And after speaking with them briefly, one of the women reached over and took a “Eucharist” brochure on her own and said that her coworker has been “bugging” her to return to the Catholic Church. The other woman then asked us “Why Catholics put Mary above Jesus”, and she asked as if she sincerely wanted to know. The first woman then asked us “Why do you pray to saints instead of just praying directly to Jesus”, also very sincerely and non-argumentatively. We spoke briefly about intercessory prayer and about Mary, how she as a creature is not above the creator, but the reasons why she holds such a high place in the Communion of Saints. They both nodded and listened and said “That makes sense. Thank you.” We felt that they were honestly searching for answers and hope that the Lord continues to lead them back to Him, along with everyone else with whom we spoke. Christ is king, now and forever.
July 18, 2024 - Movie Night
July 21, 2024
A few notable highlights from Michael:
Tonight was an outdoor movie night in downtown Somerville, NJ, so there were many people on the streets. We encountered a couple, Alyssa and Ed, who have been sleeping on a train floor at night and are looking for housing. Alyssa said she is struggling with her relationship with GOD, but still has faith. We encouraged her to continue on this journey and to remember that GOD loves her. She took a Rosary and a guide on how to say it, and we then prayed with and for Alyssa and Ed: for finding housing, for Alyssa’s deceased mother and for their faith.
We also encountered Mary, who had a sad and emotional story. She recently escaped from a domestic abuse situation. While crying, she conveyed how she left another state with her two children and is living with a relative now and feels that GOD helped her through this ordeal, and she wants to reconnect with her Catholic faith. We assured her that GOD wants the best for her and wants her to come home to the Catholic Church. We prayed with her for her healing, and talked with her about her spiritual healing through Confession. She was receptive and was very thankful that we encountered her! The Holy Spirit was certainly on the streets of Somerville tonight! Praise GOD!
A few highlights from me:
A family from Colombia stopped and when we spoke to them, the woman said she was Catholic and went to mass some Sundays. When I asked her why she didn’t go all Sundays, she said due to her work schedule she wasn’t able. I told her about a nearby Spanish mass that starts very late and she gave me her phone and asked me to bring up the website so she would have it. The man also started getting interested and showed us a picture of Our Lady of Carmen that he had carried in his wallet for the past 30 years. We spoke to the young girl (who sometimes aided us as translator) about her sacraments and if she had received her First Holy Communion. At this, Albert brought out our most recent church bulletin detailing our newly assigned priest, who spoke Spanish and who was also from Colombia, which this family really loved. They were happy to take the bulletin and they thanked us many times over.
A woman was with her husband and two children. Her family walked by us, but she stopped to talk about her faith. It turned out she was a very devoted Catholic but her husband, although a practicing Sunday mass going Catholic, did not frequent the sacrament of reconciliation. We said we would pray for him and she took a brochure about the sacrament.
We spoke to a woman who accepted a rosary. When we spoke to her, she told us she was a Baptist, and she was open to God. We prayed together and I asked her if she ever considered the Catholic faith, since she was open. She said she hadn’t. I told her why I was Catholic and gave her a “why be Catholic” brochure.
A young man stopped by to talk with us. It turned out, he was an artist and homeless. We prayed together and he spoke with us about his broken home life as a youngster. He said he really liked the art on some of our holy cards and took the Sacred Heart card. When I showed him the other card with the crucified Jesus and the gospel message, he said he had a very hard time with looking at Jesus suffering on the cross. Albert and I both spoke to him about how Jesus willingly suffers out of love for us, how he longs to be close to us. He thanked us as he walked away.
A mom and son stopped to take a rosary, and we asked about her faith life. She said it had been a while since she had gone to church. When we asked why, she said she was very busy. We spoke about how our relationship with Jesus is based on our love for him, and we go to church to help sustain that relationship. She then asked about faith formation for her son, who had been baptized but was 13 and she was unsure about how to proceed about the rest of his sacraments. We encouraged her to contact her local parish (she was visiting the area), and talk to the receptionist about getting her son in some type of religious education program. We said that the church is always willing to work with families and will certainly guide her on the best way forward, but it was up to her to take that first step in reaching out. She thanked us a few times before leaving us.
Rosary Rally and Main Street – July 6, 2024 and Movie Night – July 11, 2024
July 14, 2024
Our Somerville evangelization team increases its outings in the summer, and we were blessed to have had three such outings this past week.
One of our evangelists, Mary Ann, was given the grace to see the results of her street evangelization: one man Shawn, that she had spoken with last month on the street, happened upon our team again and told her that he is going Holy Mass and confession now!
Albert and I spoke to a couple who accepted a rosary and miraculous medal. She lives in Somerville, but he was from out of town and both were fallen away Catholics. We spoke about our Catholic faith and the importance of a relationship with Jesus. She felt that she was being called to pray or to seek more and we affirmed that this was a calling from the Lord, who never forces himself but continually calls us to him. They both smiled at us and were open to receiving information about Confession and returning to the faith.
We spoke to another young man who recently was discharged from the military. He had started attending Holy Mass and confession while in boot camp, but stopped once he was released. We spoke to him for an extended period and were thankful to the Lord for his willingness to talk with us about his faith. We learned that his grandfather is a driving force of faith in his life. We prayed with him to help him discern where the Lord is calling him at this juncture. He also gave us his phone number and we texted him information about a very active young adult group in the area. We talked to him about our local parish and he gratefully accepted both a bulletin and the confession pamphlet. We asked him to contact us should he want any assistance with anything or if he'd like us to go to mass with him.
From Ingrid (who is bilingual and spoke to the following people in Spanish):
Lord, we pray that these people find their way back to You. Help them to recognize You in the movements of their hearts and in their lives and give them the grace to act upon Your call.
Main Street - June 1 2024
June 2, 2024
We spent three hours on Main Street and had many encounters! We have a few notable highlights:
I spoke to a young woman who took a rosary and who said she and her family sometimes attend Holy Mass. We spoke briefly and then I offered to pray for her and her intentions. She said asked for prayers for herself as she had just enlisted with the Marine Corp and was heading off to bootcamp. We prayed together and before we parted, I gave her the Confession pamphlet and encouraged her to go to Confession before boot camp, as she will need to be strong not only physically and mentally, but also most importantly, spiritually. She thanked me as she left.
Albert spoke to two young women in a lengthy conversation. They both were Catholic but did not regularly attend church. They both shared that they were feeling like they were called by the Lord to do something, but they weren’t sure what. One spoke about how she just noticed this morning that her rosary was broken and how she had to get another one, and here we were on Main Street, giving out rosaries. They said they actually were headed in the wrong direction before turning around and encountering us and they felt like it wasn’t an accident that we met and spoke. They looked genuinely happy with the conversation that we had and went away thinking about our encounter.
I spoke to two young ladies, one who was on the cusp of a life change of graduating high school. Although she didn’t go to church, her family was Eastern Orthodox and she happily took a Miraculous Medal with Our Lady. The other girl was a Christian, but not Catholic and also seemed interested in the medal. We spoke about Our Lady. They both said that they had a personal relationship with Jesus and were believers, but not really church goers. We spoke about the Mass, and how as Catholic Christians, that is how we worship. We prayed with them and they were grateful for the prayers, and both took a Why Be Catholic brochure.
We spoke to a couple who asked for prayers for their niece, but they were in a hurry. We said we would pray for their niece, and as we started with the sign of the cross, the woman looked back at us and said “Are you Catholic?” and we said “Yes.” She called back her husband and we all prayed together for the healing of her niece and she thanked us profusely and was grateful for the Catholic presence out on Main Street.
Rosa spoke to three Spanish speakers and their families, we prayed together and gave them bulletins to our church as well as rosaries. All were very happy with Rosa and being able to communicate freely in Spanish and not having a language barrier.
We spoke to a trio of walkers. One was a practicing Catholic who had just been to an ordination that very morning! His friends however, although they identified as Catholic, went to church only 5 or 6 times a year. When we spoke to one of the young men, he said that although he was a Christian and nothing, nothing could stop him from believing in God, he was lazy in attending Mass. He said he knew once he had children he would have to do it every week, but for now, he was okay with not going. We spoke to him about his soul and how it matters, and how the Lord loves him and wants a relationship with him. We asked him to start by asking the Lord into his life every morning with a short prayer and he was open to that. Albert said that without the Lord, we can't do anything. He said he could never get to Mass every morning if he depended on himself alone, but with God, he can do it. This surprised the young man, and he said “You go to mass EVERY DAY?” When Albert replied “Yes”, he said “Wow”.
Lord, we know You love your people. We offer them up to You and pray that You continue to move and work in their life so that they come to know You and Your Holy Church!
Main Street - 12/16/2023
December 21, 2023
From station leader Michael:
On Main Street yesterday, there was a good amount of foot traffic. I encountered a gentlemen, Marcus, who wanted a Rosary. When asking if he was Catholic, he said he was, but has fallen away the past few years. He still says little prayers throughout his day, which I affirmed was a good practice, and wants to reconnect again more deeply with his faith. We prayed together for him on the street for the grace to continue to go deeper in his faith.
Mirna had a few encounters with two groups of people who wanted Rosaries. In addition, a younger woman in her 20s stopped to chat with Mirna. She is Catholic, but felt disconnected from her former parish. Recently, through friends, she has been involved with a non denominational church and loves how welcoming it is. However, she did want a Rosary and permitted Mirna to explain to her the different mysteries and why we pray the Rosary.
I want to thank Mirna for pinch hitting on the street in place of Carolyn, but also to Carolyn who became a prayer warrior yesterday for us albeit she had been under the weather.
Main Street - 11/18/23
November 19, 2023
The LORD Rewarded Our Commitment:
Today, we had a few noteworthy encounters. We spoke with and prayed with a woman straddling between Judaism and Christianity, and a man who was spiritual and senses the darkness of this world. They both were interested in Rosaries and took the brochure on how to say it. J also came for Rosary and, after talking with him, he was thankful for our prayers for his mother, who is in the hospital.
Otherwise, it was colder than we anticipated and we didn’t get many takers, though foot traffic was good. It was getting colder and we were tempted to pack up a little before 5 pm. We made it to 4:54 pm, and chilliness was setting in. But, Carolyn and I committed, as we’re supposed to, to staying until exactly 5 pm and not leaving a second sooner. The LORD rewarded that “yes”!
At exactly 5 pm when we were supposed to leave, A came and wanted to pray an Our Father with us and thanked us repeatedly for being out there and for the ministry.
Then, immediately after A left, R and T came and also wanted to pray with us. R struggled with anxiety, so we prayed with and for him and for T. He also said he struggled with Catholics praying to the Saints, so we explained that we pray for their intercessions only and not to them as if they are GOD, similar to how all Christians may ask each other for prayer. Finally, after they left, a mother of 2 who was a fallen away Catholic came back from earlier and wanted more information on the Ministry.
We thank GOD that we persevered until 5 pm and beyond given those last encounters! Praise GOD!
Main Street - 11/18/23
November 19, 2023
The LORD Rewarded Our Commitment:
Today, we had a few noteworthy encounters. We spoke with and prayed with a woman straddling between Judaism and Christianity, and a man who was spiritual and senses the darkness of this world. They both were interested in Rosaries and took the brochure on how to say it. J also came for Rosary and, after talking with him, he was thankful for our prayers for his mother, who is in the hospital.
Otherwise, it was colder than we anticipated and we didn’t get many takers, though foot traffic was good. It was getting colder and we were tempted to pack up a little before 5 pm. We made it to 4:54 pm, and chilliness was setting in. But, Carolyn and I committed, as we’re supposed to, to staying until exactly 5 pm and not leaving a second sooner. The LORD rewarded that “yes”!
At exactly 5 pm when we were supposed to leave, A came and wanted to pray an Our Father with us and thanked us repeatedly for being out there and for the ministry.
Then, immediately after A left, R and T came and also wanted to pray with us. R struggled with anxiety, so we prayed with and for him and for T. He also said he struggled with Catholics praying to the Saints, so we explained that we pray for their intercessions only and not to them as if they are GOD, similar to how all Christians may ask each other for prayer. Finally, after they left, a mother of 2 who was a fallen away Catholic came back from earlier and wanted more information on the Ministry.
We thank GOD that we persevered until 5 pm and beyond given those last encounters! Praise GOD!
Main Street - November 4 2023
November 5, 2023
We had many encounters on Saturday morning as the Men’s Rosary Rally took place simultaneously near our group. One particularly long and ultimately positive encounter took place with a young married couple. The woman stopped to take a rosary, she said she has been having dreams and almost visions of the Blessed Mother and wanted to learn how to pray the rosary. When I asked if she was a practicing Catholic, she said a lot of the cliches that we hear: “I’m spiritual but not religious” and “I don’t go to church because of the many hypocrites that I see there.” She said she does go when the church is empty, she just doesn’t like going to Mass because the homilies are too judgmental. I was able to share the Kerygma with her. And when I kept on probing about what her root dissatisfaction with the church was, it ultimately came down to the sexual issues. She doesn’t agree with the Church’s stance on same sex attracted people. I spoke about the design of the human body, the plan that God has for sexuality, and how it calls for restraint in all types of sexual relationships, not just LGBT issues. We kept on going back and forth, and finally, Michael stepped in, thanked them for being open to talking with us, and asked that if they truly are open, to please read St. Pope John Paul’s Theology of the Body. He then prayed for them, and the couple ultimately left smiling and in a very positive way. Lord, we ask that you continue to work in the life of Rose Ann and Ari and you open their hearts to Your Holy Will.
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Main Street - September 16, 2023
September 20, 2023
Main Street - 6/10/23
June 12, 2023
Today our three newest evangelists met up at our usual spot on Main Street in Somerville for their second taste at putting their SPSE training into practice. It was a beautiful day outside, and there was a lot of foot traffic from those enjoying the weather.
The first positive encounter was with a practicing Catholic family. As they walked by, we offered a rosary, which they initially declined. One of our evangelists enquired about their faith and found they identified as faithful Catholics who were involved in pre-cana at their ministry in Jersey City. They were in town visiting their daughter, and we asked her if she was also Catholic. When asked about her faith life, she responded that she was also Catholic, and did her best to continue practicing. We offered rosaries, or to pray for their intentions, and they agreed to the latter. We finished off a conversation with a group prayer. They were happy to see a Catholic presence on the street, and we were glad of their support and interaction. Lord, keep this family close to your heart.
Next, we spoke to a woman and her special-needs daughter. Initially she refused our offer of a rosary, but she was intrigued by our prayer sign and asked if the image on it was Jesus. She said that she had tried churches of multiple denominations, and while she found peace in Christianity, she couldn’t seem to find the answer to the question: Why do bad things happen to good people? She considered herself a good person, yet she has to watch her daughter struggle with her disability. One of our evangelists had an at-length discussion with her where he served as a witness as to how our suffering brings us closer to God. Lord, help her find peace in your love.
We approached another woman, who also seemed reluctant to accept the rosary at first. Upon further discussion, she revealed that she was concerned with the weaknesses in the Church stemming from the “man-made” nature of the church. We shared with her that the Church is an institution guided by God, and that the Bible is inspired by God. She agreed that as a poet she could see a lot of beauty in the Bible, specifically in the book of Psalms. She felt that she encountered us for a reason, was so intrigued that after her initial conversation she ended up returning and thanked us all for being there, saying that she never sees Catholics or Christians on the street. Lord help her find her way to you.
There was one gentleman who seemed troubled. He was interested in accepting a rosary and said that he grew up Catholic. However, he said that he hadn’t gone to confession in a while, and had lost his way as a young adult. He kept refusing the rosary, on the grounds that he was not “allowed” to have it. Lord, show him your infinite mercy.
We spoke to a man who had been walking with his mother and brother. Though they continued on, he felt compelled to speak with us at our table. He was a practicing Catholic at a local parish, and said it was wonderful to see such a lively group representing our faith. He testified to a period of nonbelief during his years at college, and said a profound experience he had at a protestant church is actually what led him back to Catholicism. He emphasized that he saw the truth in Catholicism and that’s what brought him home. He expressed interested in joining our ministry and lamented the lack of community that he feels at his current parish. We exchanged contact information and prayed that his family return to the Church. Lord, help him act on your call to evangelize.
Finally, we spoke to another Catholic woman and her husband. Despite his initial disinterest in engaging, she returned to speak with us when we beckoned her over. We prayed for someone close to her who is suffering from cancer. She was very touched by our prayer and witness. Lord, we pray for her intentions.
These were the most touching interactions that we had during our hour on the street. Our new evangelists left feeling uplifted and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Crisis Magazine piece on Evangelization/Fr. Mike's CIY podcast on evangelization.
March 1, 2023
Dear friends,
A few of you mentioned to me that the links don't work, so I created a new blog post that hopefully will work.
Two things:
- Please find an article on evangelization from Crisis Magazinehere . What a wonderful experience, I hope all of you can relate to it!
- From Catechism in a Year by Fr. Mike, this podcast really shows us the heart of evangelization, who is Jesus CHrist,here It's a long listen, but well worth it. A few quotes: "From the beginning, the first disciples burned with desire to proclaim Christ, not because they knew him perfectly, not because they understood everything thoroughly, but because they loved him...I will be unafraid of speak of you, Lord..this is the heart of evangelization..."
I hope these links work and that you're having a fruitful Lent.
God bless,
Alpa
Fr. Martins “Special graces for those who evangelize”
February 12, 2023
Short seven minute reflection and blessing from Fr. Carlos Martins. So very beautiful.
https://www.facebook.com/100004979790053/videos/556043609791000/
Main Street - February 11 2023
February 12, 2023
We had a group training session for new evangelists on Saturday afternoon hosted by SPSE. After the training, two newly trained evangelists went out with three more experienced evangelists and hit Main Street in Somerville for a mini street evangelization session, wanting to put into practice all that we learned with Bob and Brian from SPSE.
The weather was mild for February and we had a very fruitful time. As we were setting up our table, signs and medals, a couple was passing by and said that they loved that we were offering prayers. When I spoke to them and asked them about their faith, the young woman said she was a Christian and the young man was a Catholic. She said she would pray for us. Another family also approached us in the midst of the set up and said that they were from a local parish and gave us a thumbs up sign. Then, we were officially ready, having said our protection and evangelist prayers and we had a steady stream of people stopping by.
First, a couple came and took a rosary but did not really want to engage with us. I asked if they were Catholic, and they both said yes. I asked how their faith life and mass attendance was going, and the woman already was walking away, but the man said that, truthfully, they were both on their second marriage with each other and disagreed with the church’s stance on marriage and Holy Communion. While we tried to dialogue with them a little bit more, they walked away saying that they can still pray to GOd on their own. Lord, please help them find their way back to you.
We spoke to a woman who took a rosary and said she was going to give it to her mom, who was 97. We asked if she was Catholic and she said yes. When prompted about her faith, she said she used to be a daily mass goer, but then after Covid, she just stopped attending mass altogether. We spoke to her about different things she could do to protect herself and still assist at Mass. We then offered to pray for her mom, which she gratefully accepted. Afterwards, she said that she was very moved and would remember this encounter always. Please pray that she moves closer to you, Lord.
A man with two kids who was on crutches walked by us twice, and called out to us both times, but did not want to stop to talk. He said he needs prayers, but did not stop long enough for us to talk with him. We called out as he was walking away that we would pray for his knee and he said thank you.
We spoke to a young man whose family was very devoutly Catholic, but he said that he just didn’t believe in the afterlife and God. HE said he had known many church going people who were hypocrites and while he was always respectful of them and their faith, it just wasn’t for him. We talked to him, proclaimed the Kerygma, and told him we would pray for him. He was a very wonderful young man. Lord, please open his heart to your love.
We spoke to another young man who was brought up Southern Baptist. He was very friendly and genuinely searching. We offered to pray for him, and he was willing. When prompted about what he would like us to pray with him about, he said “Openness”. We were very touched with that, and actually felt that was the best thing he could ask from God. We prayed with him, and gave him some information about the Catholic Church. And he thanked us. Lord, please continue to work in this young man’s heart, continue to have him seek your holy will for him in his life.
A young police officer approached our table and said that he used to be Catholic. He asked us to pray for his family, for his two children and his pregnant wife. St. Michael, please protect him and his family and lead them all back to you.
We spoke to a woman who took a rosary and who attends church regularly. Prayers for her to finish the race well.
We also had a man walk by us saying he wasn’t interested. One of our evangelists knew him personally, and had known him for years. So, she was able to attempt to talk to him on a personal level. He still did not want to talk to us, but asked us to pray for him. Lord, you know what is in his heart, please comfort and console him and continue to work in his life.
It was a very fruitful 30 minutes, working for the Lord and trying to bring His love to His people.
Main Street- 1/21/23
January 22, 2023
We set up our table on Main Street and right away, even before we had started to pray our protection and evangelization prayers, someone took a rosary.
We spoke to a mother and daughter who were Catholic. The mom had not attended mass for the last few months because she was sick, and the daughter didn’t feel comfortable attending mass because her job involved working with live viruses. The mom asked for prayers for her daughter because of her lack of faith. We encouraged both of them to go to an early Sunday mass where they could easily have plenty of distance around themselves, and how in church, many people do not exchange the sign of peace and how distribution of the Precious Blood remains suspended. Please pray for their return.
We spoke to a man who took two miraculous medals, one for himself and one for his wife. When we spoke a little bit more, he asked for prayers. He very much appreciated the prayers that we offered for him, and revealed some details about his past involving trauma from sexual abuse and parental alcoholism. We offered him some prayers for the freeing of generational curses as well as pamphlets about Catholicism (he was a Protestant and made lots of jokes about being able to go to God on his own and his personal relationship with Jesus) but he declined them all. In your charity, please pray for this man and all that he has suffered, and that he be healed by the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts.
We spoke to a young woman whose parents were very devout Catholics, and she attends Sunday mass regularly. When we asked her about Confession, she admitted that she doesn’t go regularly. We spoke to her about why we go to Confession regularly, and encouraged her to as well. She listened respectfully. Hopefully, with God’s prompting, she will go soon.
We spoke to a man who appeared indigent. We remembered him from a month or so back, and he opened his shirt to show us that he still wears the miraculous medal and rosary that we gave them those weeks ago. He said that he knows he’s only alive because God wills it for him, otherwise he would be long dead. Please pray for his continued conversion and safety.
We spoke to two men who only spoke Spanish. We were able to figure out that they were new to the country and hadn’t gone to Mass yet here. In our broken Spanish, we were able to communicate that our church was just a short distance away and has a Spanish Sunday mass. We laughed at our mutual fumblings at communication; please pray that they start coming and connecting with our parish community.
We spent time with a father and son who were Catholic but had stopped attending Mass during the pandemic. We asked about their prayer life and prayed with them for their family and had a nice conversation.
We ran into a man who initially said “no” to our offer of a rosary, but stopped when he recognized one of our evangelists who had brought Holy Communion to his mother. Subsequently, his mom had died and he said he was going through a very hard time with his family and house problems. We prayed with him and encouraged him to return to church. He did take a rosary and a booklet on how to pray the rosary. Lord, please have mercy on him and provide him your peace.
All in all, it was a very engaging day. We pray for the continued conversion of all that we encountered today.
Main Street - December 17th
December 19, 2022
Our team set up a table at our usual spot on Main Street, and had our prayer warriors praying for all those that we would meet, that their hearts be open to the Holy Spirit. Although a cold and dark evening, our table had a very steady stream of pedestrians. We spoke to at least 5 or 6 people who only spoke Spanish. One of the men with whom Ingrid spoke had a bad experience with fellow parishioners and no longer attended Mass because of it. She spoke to him and offered alternatives for him to fulfill his Mass obligation, as well as apologized on behalf of the church for his experience. A young man who works in addiction counseling stopped to ask for prayers for his mom who was ill, and for his dad who was his mom’s caretaker. He said that his ex-girlfriend was Catholic and he was feeling more and more that he needs to respond to God’s call to him. We gave him our contact information and information on events at our parish for RCIA. We spoke to a lovely young woman who was a Presbyterian who asked for prayers for her father. We prayed with her, and then we followed up with if she had ever thought about the Catholic Church. We had a very fruitful discussion about her concerns about papal authority and differences between the Holy Eucharist and the communion offered at her church. In the end, she took her leave with a few of our brochures. We spoke to an older gentleman who although was an altar server in his youth, now attends a Protestant church. Since he was very familiar with the Catholic Church, we spoke to him about his faith and offered that he attend our parish’s advent penance service that was just the next Monday, in case he wanted to come back. We spoke to a man from Bolivia who hasn’t been going to church for a year or so, but has been feeling a tug on his heart to come back. We gave him the mass times at our parish, and encouraged going to confession. We spoke to a woman who appeared to have some mental health issues. We also spoke to a few people who were waiting at a bus stop nearby. Please pray for all of these people that they continue to feel and respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit.
Main Street - November 19 2022
November 21, 2022
On a cold and dark Saturday afternoon, we were back on Main Street. With God’s Divine Providence, we were able to expand the Street Evangelization Team from just three of us, to three Prayer Warriors and five evangelists, one of whom is a Spanish speaker, which this team needed so desperately! God is so good!
The three prayer warriors met in the chapel and prayed for the people that we would encounter, that their hearts be opened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. With the expanded team, the evangelists hit the street and were able to set up two tables on opposite sides of the street.
We met up lots of people who took rosaries and with whom we had passing encounters. The following meetings were a bit more in depth in terms of time, prayer, etc. We had a man who asked for prayers for his family. Ingrid, our Spanish speaking evangelist, was kept busy all throughout our time, and she prayed with this man. Jim, another evangelist, so beautifully approached those who are on the margins, and he spoke to one man who was clearly down on his luck. We prayed with him for warmth and for him to experience God’s love through His people. We prayed with another man who asked that we pray for success at rehab/Salvation Army’s program. A large family of three young kids, a mom and dad and grandmother asked to pray for a dear friend’s son who was in the hospital with headaches and a possible tumor/growth. The family was touched and took a picture of the booth to send to the friend. We spoke to a couple, the man didn’t want to speak with us and kept a distance away, but the woman was a lapsed Catholic. We spoke to her about church, why we go, and how she could go to the nearest church to pray. I also spoke to her about Confession and why it’s important to go after being away for a while. We spoke to another man who took many, many of our pamphlets and we prayed together for a good life and future for him. We spoke to a spry elderly woman who frequently goes to a shrine that is about half an hour away from where she lives. When I asked her if she goes to mass every Sunday, she said no, she only goes when she makes the trip to the Shrine. We spoke at length about her family life, her fallen away grandchildren, etc. And she was open to going to our parish on the Sundays when she doesn’t go to the shrine. We spoke to another woman who was new to country and she asked for prayers. We had one group of women and young children initially refuse our offer of a rosary and medals, only to go to the other side of the street and request them because their children wanted them! A woman who had seen us in the past, came out of her apartment in the cold to ask for prayers and a parish bulletin. Mary Ann, an evangelist, led us in a beautiful prayer for the woman.
In closing, in Jim’s words, “Dear Savior, be with [your loved ones on the street] this moment, us, too….how we all need You”. Please keep all of those that we meet on the street in your prayers, especially as the weather gets colder.
+JMJ+
SPSE Training and Mini Evangelization
November 13, 2022
In order to bring more parish involvement and perhaps broaden our outreach, we had a parish information session to give details about St. Paul Street Evangelization: its mission, goals, etc. and to practically detail what street evangelization looks like.
We started with Holy Mass and after our brief information session, we segued directly into a 5 hour training session to review the online lessons with our group. One current evangelist participated and received her training, while six others who were considering street evangelization with our group stayed and watched the training. After each module, we all participated in the suggested group exercises together and learned from each other and from the presented materials. We all stepped out of our comfort zones and practiced saying the Gospel out loud, and praying using the ACTS method. It was an intimate training session with fellow parishioners that felt like family.
After we covered the modules in the one-day training, we took to the streets in two teams for a brief evangelization session. One group stayed out longer than originally planned. They distributed about six rosaries and met with a young man who was feeling God’s call to him and had a conversation about learning more the church. We prayed with him and plan on following up with him individually. We met a fellow parishioner who had recently moved to the parish. Although initially cordial, once we prayed with her together for her health, she was very moved and she visibly softened and thanked us . We met with a visually impaired man and we prayed for his mother who had passed away. We met another parishioner who was a Spanish speaker and one of our new evangelists (who is bilingual, praise the Lord!) prayed with him for his family. The other group met a woman and had a heartfelt conversation with her about her faith. She jokingly called herself “Mary’s girl” because of her devotion to Our Lady. Although not currently attending Sunday mass, she was open to our invitation to attend with us. She also appreciated our presence and we prayed together with her about her job situation and her finances. We spoke to two Spanish men and passed out rosaries and pamphlets but couldn’t communicate much beyond that. We did determine that they are also fellow parishioners who occasionally attend the Spanish Mass.
Our newly trained evangelists did a fabulous job putting aside any concerns and taking to the streets to share God’s goodness and mercy. We were impressed with how they chose to respond to God’s call to them.
+JMJ+
Main Street - November 5 2022
November 7, 2022
We set up at our usual bustling spot on Main Street and had a graced filled time. We were able to give away 20 rosaries and 5 or 6 miraculous medals. We spoke to a young couple who although had fallen away from the Catholic faith, were recently engaged and in the process of getting married in the Church. As part of that process, their pastor required them to go to Sunday mass. They were happy for us to pray for their upcoming marriage. We spoke to a young couple with a newborn who was having trouble nursing. They were practicing Catholics and asked us for prayers for their daughter. They also thanked us for being out on the street and offered to buy us coffee and water! We spoke to Spanish speaking mother and 5 year old daughter. Although we had challenges communicating, we found out that they are fellow parishioners and we prayed with them. We also spoke to Hispanic gentleman and he asked for general prayers, so we prayed with him. We spoke at length to a young woman who was just starting to live independently after being in a group home. We prayed with her and although she was baptized Catholic, she didn’t know much about the faith. We offered her some SPSE pamphlets and gave her our contact information. Three young boys wanted to get a rosary, but their father was reluctant. We said that we can only give it to them if their dad agreed, so after getting the father’s permission, they each took one and we spoke to them about how to pray the rosary and told them if they get stuck, just to say “Jesus, I love you. Mother Mary, I love you.” The father watched from a distance and listened but did not really want to engage with us. He did say thank you as they left. We spoke to a man who asked for prayers for a better relationship with him mother, who lived in Cuba. We had a large family consisting of a teenager, a baby and three adults who were Baptists. They took rosaries and medals and were very receptive to hearing about Mary. We had a mom stop by with two young sons. She was reluctant to talk with us, but encouraged her sons, who both took rosaries. When asked how we can pray for them, again, the mom was reluctant, but one of the little boys asked for prayers since he was running for class president. The mom was very enthusiastic after praying together We spoke to a man from Pennsylvania. He was Catholic and lived near a shrine that he really enjoys. He goes to mass occasionally but was hesitant to go to confession. We spoke with him about why we go to confession regularly and he smiled sheepishly. He and his son both took miraculous medals. A woman who passed us doubled back. She grabbed my hand and very sincerely and movingly thanked us for doing God’s work. We spoke to a man whose mother was Catholic and whose father was not religious. He wasn’t brought up with any religion and was interested in finding out more about Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. Although he didn’t want to share his contact information, we gave him ours and asked that he contact us to talk more.
Come Holy Spirit and fill the hearts of thy faithful!
The Gospel Proclaimed: A Reflection on the God of All Creation by: Mr. Mark J Hornbacher, OP
October 22, 2022
In him we live and move and have our being
Acts 17:28
We naturally desire and seek after love, goodness, truth, and beauty. But sometimes, our desires seem inexhaustible. This is explained by the fact that we were created by the infinite God to find our enjoyment in Him. Ultimately, God alone can fulfill our desires because He is the One who made all the lovable, good, true, and beautiful things we experience in this life, Himself being Love, Goodness, Truth, and Beauty itself.
His name is “I AM” (Exodus 3:14). He is infinite and mysterious, within all things but not identified with them. He is above all, but present to all. He simply IS, whereas all created things are contingent, having existence and various qualities only through participation in His existence and qualities. God is thus not present before us in the same way as created things. He is not one thing among many, but the very ground and condition for all to exist. The love, goodness, truth, and beauty of all things are exemplified in God, and thus all things are meant to be enjoyed in such a way that through them we might come to know, love, and enjoy Him.
At times, many of us can testify, we find that we get an intimation, a taste, of God, through an experience of pure and upright desire that for a moment draws our hearts beyond this world. Or we experience strong emotion or profound peace when we encounter examples or talk of righteousness, Godliness or divine Love, as if we secretly longed for these things (we in fact do!). Or perhaps we experience some diluted approximation of one of these experiences. But whether pure or diluted, even in such experiences we do not really see God, but we, so to speak, ‘touch’ Him by desire. He is hidden from our sight, but is in fact above us, below us, to our left, to our right, all around us, and within us. He is seeking us out, and waiting patiently for us to recognize Him. To this end, He has made Himself known in shadows and images in all times and places.
St. Paul, His Apostle, said this of Him:
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything. And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for “In him we live and move and have our being.”
Acts 17:24-28a RSV
God created us. We each come from God, and, like it or not, will return to Him. Because He is our highest good, we are meant to enjoy Him; and to do so, we must become like Him and share His life. This is the meaning of our lives. This is the high purpose for which we were created.
Our God is a consuming fire
Hebrews 12:29, See Deuteronomy 9:3
Let’s take this reflection a little further. God is good, cares for us, and is actively concerned about our life. Nevertheless, He is not tame. He wants to be found by us, but at the same time He is elusive and does not submit to our attempts to control Him: when we think we have grasped Him, fully understood His ways, in that moment He hides His face from us, challenging us to continue seeking. All good things are gifts from His hand, but He is not an indulgent parent. He is not a candy machine. He showers gifts upon us, and is gentle and kind with us, but He is also terrible and mighty, to be feared, for He will not cater to our whims, and will not spare us the rod of correction and discipline. As the Scriptures say, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29, see Deuteronomy 9:3). In this way, His mysterious, loving plan for us includes the depths of loss and suffering that we experience in life.
God’s goal in everything is always the greater good. Nevertheless, in His inscrutable wisdom He allows evil and suffering. This is often difficult for us to understand, let alone accept. In fact, sometimes it is impossible to accept His will without traveling a hard, steep, and treacherous path, as if climbing a mountain. The vast majority of us do not ever get to understand this clearly; though we still may gain its benefits, because He is the one doing the real work.
In the beginning was the Word … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
John 1:1, 14
Again, let’s take this reflection yet another step further. This God, the hidden, mysterious ground of all that exists, who loves us and draws us toward himself, yet does not hesitate to correct and teach us through suffering – this God has entered into our history and revealed Himself so that we can have the greatest possible intimacy with Him.
How has He done this? First God entered into history by raising up and forming a people to be His own; this is the people of Israel, the Jews. Finally, God revealed Himself fully and definitively in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus Christ is the one Word who exhausts the full meaning of who He is and what His plan is for us. Jesus is the only Son of God, the “spitting-image” of His Father. He shows us the way by His words, actions, way of life, and the gifts He gives us in the Church He founded. Most importantly, he shows us the way through the Cross that He willingly underwent in obedient love to God His Father.
Because God has entered history and become visible in Jesus Christ, we are now capable of knowing Him more deeply than previously possible. The meaning and purpose of our existence — to seek and find the hidden, infinite God — is now given a more clear direction. The difficult way that we must travel to find God — the way of loss and suffering — is clarified and made more bearable. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. May all praise, honor, glory, and blessing be His now and forever and unto the ages of ages! Amen!
Main Street - October 15 2022
October 15, 2022
We set up a booth in our usual spot on a gorgeous fall afternoon. As soon as we began setting up, we ran into a group of fellow parishioners. As we were preparing, we asked them to pray with us and for us and the souls that we would encounter, and they all stayed and prayed the Breastplate of St. Patrick with us, so we were off to a wonderful start!
We were able to give away over 20 rosaries and a handful of miraculous medals. A few people whom we had previously spoken with stopped by to say hello and shook our hands. Our conversations this afternoon were shorter than previous times, but many people enthusiastically spoke to us, and we had many Sunday mass going Catholics stop by.
We had a bridal party come over to our booth; the bride was Protestant and was marrying a Catholic gentleman, and she let us pray over her for the Lord to guide her and keep her close as she begins her married life; she also took a rosary and pamphlet. We had a Spanish speaking woman take a miraculous medal as well as a bulletin to find out about Spanish mass at our parish. We had two men who had just moved to the neighborhood who were looking for a parish take rosaries and bulletins and then return back again for another rosary. We had a group approach us, two practicing Catholics and one non-Catholic; one of the practicing Catholics actually had tools to make rosaries and he said he frequently makes rosaries in his spare time. We had a Catholic who usually went to Sunday mass, but was reluctant to go to Confession. We shared our Confession story with him, and how it has made all the difference in our lives in terms of growing closer to the Lord and receiving His graces. All in all, it was beautiful time.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death.
Preach Christ always – and yes, sometimes words are necessary by Fr. Charles Fox
October 10, 2022
When is the last time you spoke about your Catholic faith outside of Mass? I don’t mean the last time you chit-chatted about what’s going on at the parish, or about Father So-and-So, or about some Church-related news item in the way you might discuss any current event. But when is the last time you talked with someone about what you believe just because your faith is a good thing to talk about, or simply in order to share your faith with someone else?
Can we, who have so often been taught to preach only by example, and that our faith is a strictly private matter, imagine saying what Jeremiah says in Sunday’s first reading?:
“I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).
Jeremiah begins by saying he made a resolution not to speak about God — a bad thing to do, of course. But how many of us would never make such a resolution simply because not mentioning God to others is our default mode? Can you imagine what it would be like to be so filled with God’s word that “it becomes like a fire burning in (your) heart”? Can you imagine God’s word becoming like a prisoner within you, trying to escape, wearing you out as it pushes to get out of you?
Some words do burn within us. For example, I have made silent retreats and led seminarians during such retreats. It’s awkward at first, passing men in the halls without saying “hello;” listening to the clinking of silverware against plates and bowls as you try to avoid significant eye contact at meals. You get over the awkwardness, and enter into the silence which allows God to speak, but most of us have some words burning within us which come out in a hurry once the retreat is over.
Imagine you were on a silent retreat. What words would be burning in you? What would you be dying to talk about by the end of the week?
I know some people whose words about their exercise routines seem to burn within them with the white-hot intensity of 1,000 suns. I know other people — OK, I’m one of them — whose words about food burn just at hot. Sports, weather, politics … everyone seems to be passionate about something, but why aren’t we more passionate about God? Why aren’t we dying to tell others how good God is, when we’re desperate to tell them how good our last cheeseburger was?
This is a complex problem, having a lot to do with cultural pressure, upbringing and education, and personal temperament. Some of the problem, I think, is about the reluctance many people have to talk about any of the more intimate parts of their lives. Another piece of the puzzle is that we don’t want to offend other people, or to put undue pressure on them. Of course, the irony is that I will tell someone “You’ve gotta see this movie!”, but won’t even suggest to the same person that there is a way to overcome sin and death, and to be happy forever.
For several years now, I have been serving as the spiritual director for a Catholic outreach named the St. Paul Street Evangelization. From very humble beginnings in 2012, this apostolate is now active in dozens of cities around the country, and even around the world. Hundreds of Catholics have gone to the streets in places like San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas and even the Las Vegas Strip! There are multiple teams in the Detroit area, going downtown in Detroit, Royal Oak and elsewhere, as well as to parish festivals all over the Archdiocese of Detroit, to share our faith in Jesus Christ.
The approach of St. Paul Street Evangelization is very simple: Two or more Catholics set up in some public place, where there will be a lot of foot traffic. They bring rosaries, literature, and a sign letting people know who they are. As people pass by, these evangelizers simply offer them a free rosary. If they say “no,” the answer is just something kind, maybe “OK, God bless you.” If they say “yes,” the conversation goes a bit deeper: “Are you Catholic?” “Would you like some information about how to pray the rosary?” “What’s your home parish?” And it often goes from there into a deep conversation about the person and the critical importance of faith in Jesus.
The simple witness of these evangelizers is bringing countless people at least a little bit closer to Christ, and some are coming much closer very quickly. I can say this without bragging, because my help has been very little, and mostly in the background. But I admire the work of our street evangelizers so much that I can’t help but do what little I can to support them. If you are interested in learning more about St. Paul Street Evangelization, they have a wonderful website, complete with online training and lots of information about the Catholic faith (www.streetevangelization.com).
St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” I’ve just named one way of preaching the Gospel — street evangelization — but that is only one way. Each of us is called to evangelize, to share our Catholic faith with others, and each of us is called to do so in a particular way. Parents can start by talking about their faith with their spouses and their children. Some Catholics are very good at finding ways to speak about their faith at work. Others are gifted in the use of technology, or art and design, or marketing, and can use those gifts to serve Jesus.
But even so, the point of this article is not to do a kind of membership drive for evangelization. The real point is for all of us to live in such a way that we won’t be able to help but evangelize. I don’t mean to say that we’ll never have to push ourselves. But I do mean that we need to become more filled with God’s Spirit and God’s word than ever, and that when God’s word burns more and more in our hearts, we will find ways to speak, even if it requires creativity and courage for us to begin.
We need to forget about the priorities of the world, as we hear in Sunday’s second reading. In a world that tells us to please our bodies to the point that we easily become numb to God’s word, St. Paul tells us to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship” (Rom 12:1). And we heard St. Paul go further:
“Do not conform yourselves to this age
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).
Ultimately, turning away from what is worldly and toward God always involves the Cross. If we want to be passionate about God, we need not just passion, but the Passion. Jesus makes it clear that avoiding sacrifice is the work of the devil. We need to love the way Jesus did. We need to be willing to suffer for the One we love:
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory,
and then he will repay all according to his conduct” (Matthew 16:24-27).
When we are willing to suffer, when we are willing to strip away everything that holds us back from loving God, then the word of God will burn intensely within us. When we pray for the Holy Spirit, when we receive the Body and Blood of Christ after really making room in ourselves, then we will be filled with God. And God never stops at filling us up. He keeps coming until we overflow, until we need to share Him with others.
Originally posted at Detroit Catholic.
Main Street - October 1st 2022
October 2, 2022
We spoke to many people as the remnants of Hurricane Ian passed over us. We had many brief interactions with pedestrians who took a miraculous medal or rosary. We also had several more in depth conversations.
We spoke to a young woman who was interested in the Catholic Church, she said she was confused about the Mass, when to sit, when to stand, what responses to say. Although she was running late, she did give us her phone number to touch base with her afterwards and said she would welcome a call from us.
We spoke to two young men who were recently released from prison who were interested in walking with the Lord. They both took rosaries and booklets on how to pray the rosary. One of them said that he was sure that he had a relationship with the Lord because of his grandmother. We prayed over both men, who asked for prayers for their families and they were very grateful for our conversation and asked when we’d be on Main Street again.
We encountered a young man who asked that we pray for his recently deceased grandmother, which we promised to do.
We spoke another young man whose grandfather was also recently deceased. We offered to pray for him, which he agreed to, but then asked us to pray for his father and aunt who were getting into a battle over the estate of his grandfather.
We spoke to young man who was on a break from working at one of the stores on main street. He said he was a born again Christian and when we asked him if he ever thought about being Catholic, he said he was open to learning about Catholicism. He took a rosary and a brochure and was grateful for the interaction.
We spoke to a woman, who was also late and running to an appointment, but she did take a rosary, although she was unsure if she should because she wasn’t Catholic. We urged her to take one and offered to pray for her, and she said she could use prayers and when we prompted for an intention, she asked for general prayers.
We spoke to two young women who were from Nicaragua and didn’t speak English. We tried in our very broken Spanish to find out about their faith; it turned out both were baptized, but not Catholic. We prayed over both of them and they each took a rosary and a bulletin.
We spoke to two sets of practicing Catholic families, a husband and wife, and a group of three adults with two kids. Both were Spanish speaking and happy to talk and discuss with us. We invited both groups to join our ministry on the street, especially in prayer and interpretation.
We praise the Lord for letting us have these conversations and humbly ask for hearts of these people to be opened to the Holy Spirit.
+JMJ+