Philadelphia - Lower Bucks County

Country: United States
State or province: Pennsylvania

Team Leader
Nancy Hoyt
Contact

Admin
Login

Team Badges

Recent Blog Posts

• Street Evangelization at Frankford Hospital on Saturday, November 26, 2022

• Ambler Farmer's Market July 30th, 2022

• July 9th 2022, Sister Cities Park sidewalk Philadelphia

• Downtown with the Deacons and more! June 18th 2022

• Campbell Park, Port Richmond, Philadelphia on Saturday, 21 May 2022

St. John Bosco Fall Fest – 9/18 thru 9/23 2018

September 19, 2019

(NH) Deacon Mark, Don, Bernard, and Nancy served in the St. Paul Street Evangelization ministry at the Fall Festival hosted by St. John Bosco parish in Hatboro. We served alongside the Pontifical Mission Society, helping to remind festival-goers of the reason why the Church stands there today – for love of Christ and Church and the call for all of us to spread the good news of Christ!

The atmosphere was wonderful with families, rides, and carnival food everywhere. We gave out lots of rosaries with pamphlets on how to pray the rosary, as well as many blessed medals with prayer cards, easily numbering in the hundreds. We found people open to receiving gifts of sacramentals and several willing to stop and pray. Some also came up on their own accord to request prayer with us, seeking help in their lives.

On Wednesday evening a young couple came up to us and asked us to pray with them. They told us that the young man of the couple, Christian, needed prayer because he had to go to court on Friday and they were very concerned about charges brought against him and that they needed assistance in praying for an outcome that was desirable. We prayed with the couple that Christian’s hearing would go well. On Saturday this young couple came by, telling us that they knew the carnival was done on this day and that they needed to come back and tell us that our prayers with them were answered, that all worked out beautifully for Christian and the young couple could now get on with their plans for making life together. We spoke with them about how sometimes in life it seems as though the commandments from our Father are just a bunch of rules that God gave us. However, thinking on it more, we can come to realize that God was giving us the path to peace and joy on earth with these commandments, and the wonder of how the world be would so charitable, peaceful and hopeful if everyone would follow these gifts from God. Deacon Mark spoke with the couple about how they may be married in the Church, that an annulment may not be difficult to get, and that he would help them do so if they felt they needed help. The couple told us of how they plan to try and do so, to get married in the Church, and that they also hope to have many children someday also 🙂

A teen group of young men came by and asked us to pray for them to meet some nice girls. We happily prayed with them, asking our Lord to bless them with meeting some lovely young women, who love God and would lead these young men to loving Christ more and more in their lives, and would be good friends to the young men.

On Tuesday an encounter with a woman named Michelle left me thinking. Michelle came up to our prayer station. Her mom Margey is dying of cancer and Michelle is beside herself with grief and fear. She reflected on her anger with God, remarking that He is nowhere for her and her mother. Upon asking Michelle for further details on what she is dealing with in life, such as what cancer is your mom battling, and how old is your mom, we came to realize that she was not in any state to speak of her terrible suffering. Poor Michelle lashed out, what does it matter? Michelle told us that she is sick and tired of people asking these questions, she called them questions that she used to ask, as if somehow it is ok for her mom to die because it is this kind of cancer or because she is this old. Michelle exclaimed that her mom is her best friend and that the doctors took months to figure this out and now they finally did and now Margey is going to die from it soon and Michelle cannot bear to lose her. All that I could offer was kindred sorrow. I told Michelle that I was sorry that I had asked her these questions and I was not sure why I did but that I did not mean to make less of how awful her and her mom’s situation is. She came back a little while later explaining that she was sorry for getting angry. I told her that she was right, that I should have listened more and spoke less, and that I am truly sorry for her and her mom’s suffering, and that I had lost my mom to cancer and that it was awful to see a loved one suffer so. I told her that even when she thinks she is completely alone, she never is, that our Savior Jesus, is with her always, loving her and having complete mercy for her sufferings. I asked her to consider taking a “Beautiful Hope” book from Dynamic Catholic, and she did. I gave her our email address and asked her to consider keeping in touch as we are very concerned and would love to keep in touch with her.

On Tuesday we also were blessed to meet a woman who we prayed with last year. She came up to us and asked if we remembered her from last year, and praise be to God, it was Lauren from last year. This young woman had given birth to her child in emergency, after a horrific car accident. The accident left Lauren with many injuries and difficulties in life. There have been many many times over the past year where I have thought of this woman and prayed for her, never knowing how her life was going but certain that God was listening. This fortunate meeting again makes me realize that she continues to need prayer. I gave her my cell number, hopeful that she will consider following up. Last year we recommended that she get to adoration some and start going to Mass. Perhaps she could use a friend to help with this and will call to make more connection. Come Holy Spirit!

On Saturday a woman named Maryann came up to our prayer station and she did not know what she needed but told us she needed something and could we help her? It was apparent in her eyes that she was suffering greatly. Maryann told of her sister Lori who died a couple of weeks ago, and the loss of her mom and grandmom also, all within the past year. We prayed with her and spoke with her. She did not want to take anything. About an hour later Maryann came back again. She said, did you say you have some blessed medals that I may have one? I asked her if she wanted any special saint or a crucifix… she said she did not know. I realized that Maryann must be the one for whom what I was wearing was appropriate. Upon receiving my medals from SPSE a few weeks back, there was a single Holy Spirit one. I did not order any Holy Spirit one, but found it at the same time I was going to my first charismatic prayer experience, and wore it. I had added a little crucifix to it and had been wearing it these weeks. I told Maryann that I thought that this was the medal she should have. She balked that she did not want to take it from my neck. I told her that as she could see there were plenty of new ones and I promised this one wasn’t dirty (i.e., teasing) – I gave it a new chain and voila, this was the medal I thought she needed. Maryann told me that she believed that she met us there for a reason and that she received this medal for a reason and that she was so thankful to us for being there for her, praying with her, and speaking with her. I gave her my cell number and name and email and asked her to keep in touch.

Finally, one last encounter to mention, is Wanda and Sabrina. Wanda (mom) came up with Sabrina (young woman, daughter) and asked us to pray with them. We asked if they had any special intention. They did and relayed that Sabrina suffered from epilepsy. Sabrina went on to describe how she has many seizures a day. Her mom said that she cannot be left alone at all, not even to use the bathroom, for fear of seizures, falling, and getting injured. Oh the suffering and difficulties some live with, dear Lord have mercy! We spoke of how God works miracles in today’s day and age to help us all grow in faith and that we greatly prayed that He would work a miraculous cure for Sabrina. We prayed healing prayer for Sabrina to not be afflicted by epilepsy any more.

Please pray for the following people and their intentions:

Christian and girlfriend – for their lives and good choices

Sabrina – healing from epilepsy

Wanda – for strength

Nick R. – Seminarian – for strength and guidance

Maryann – to come closer to God, to know her sister with Christ, and for her marriage

Zaria – for her birthday blessings and for her family

Hayley, Kyle and mom – for their family

Megan and Ryan – for their family

Melissa – for forgiveness and strength and for her family

Nicole and Gabriel – for Gabriel’s father

Michele – for her mom Margey’s healing from cancer and for Michele’s comfort and faith

Daniel – for kindergarten

Brianne – to get job she is interviewing for

Dominic – for wife Donna’s healing from hip surgery

Jackson – for his family and for him to grow closer to our Blessed Mother

Nathan and Alfredo – to meet nice girls who help them grow in faith to Jesus and to play basketball better

Marybeth – for her family and for her to feel the presence of her deceased daughter Erin whom she misses greatly

Wallace – little boy – for his well being

Juliana – for her well being

Robin and Michelle – for Puerto Rican people suffering

Megan and Ava – (young mother ) for healing from depression

Lesba – for healing and recovery from cancer