June 8, 2024

Yesterday the Lord blessed us with another beautiful day at the Peace Plaza. A group of us met at the Co-Cathedral parking lot, said a prayer for our outing and those we would meet, and headed out to set up our prayer station.

When we first got to the Plaza, a local worker approached us right away and was very excited that we were out on the Plaza praying with people and giving away medals. She told us she was a single mom who had two teenagers and so her life was very busy. She asked us to pray for her life and for her two teenagers, and so we did. One of us got a word about painting while we prayed for her, and she said she used to paint but now her daughter does.

A couple came over to talk to us. The man had been diagnosed with many different kinds of cancer 12 years ago and had been receiving treatment from the Mayo Clinic since then. He was very happy that he had received a clean bill of health that day. He has to come back and get checked every three months, which he's been doing for 12 years. We gave them each a blessed medal and a holy card, and we prayed for his continued health and in thanksgiving for the love that they have for each other.

Another woman saw our Need Prayer sign and came to talk to us. She told us she was at the clinic that day to be treated for her pancreatic cancer. She asked for a miraculous medal and also for prayer. We prayed for her, asking for the grace to persevere through her suffering and for the Lord to comfort her and give her peace. She mentioned that she used to be Catholic, and we talked to her about that. We asked if she would like a rosary to give her comfort while she went through her treatment and to bring her closer to the Lord. She took a rosary from us, and we gave her a How to Pray the Rosary pamphlet. She asked for a purple rosary as that is the color for those battling pancreatic cancer. We were all moved by our encounter with her.

A woman whose full name is Antonia stopped to talk to us and said she worked between the Mayo Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital, so did a lot of traveling. She wanted a St. Anthony medal. She asked if we could pray for her family, and we did. She took a medal for herself and also one to give to somebody she might cross paths with that day as she was working at the clinic and the hospital.

Another woman came up to our prayer station and said she had been dealing with cancer and had undergone many treatments. She was at the clinic for radiation and asked us to pray that everything in her treatment would work. One of us prayed for her and for her health and reminded her how much the Lord loved her. We prayed for her comfort and peace and gave her a blessed miraculous medal.

A man and his sister passed by us slowly while we were praying with another couple. One of us kept an eye on them to see if they would come back. We saw them returning and they sat on a bench a little bit away from our prayer station. Two of us went to talk to them. The man was at the clinic being treated for prostate cancer that had now spread to his bones. His sister was there for support. We prayed for both of them and gave them blessed medals.

Another couple walked by and didn't want to talk to us but then we asked if they would like a blessed medal, and they paused and came back. The man had been treated for cancer for the past six years, so he and his wife had traveled often to Rochester. He was very happy that he had gotten a clean bill of health that day and we prayed in thanksgiving for that. We also prayed that God would continue to bless them and their marriage and thanked God for all the graces bestowed on them. The man mentioned that he had grown up Presbyterian but hadn't been involved in the church at all. His wife was currently doing the Bible in a Year podcast, so we talked about that and how beautiful it was to hear the Bible read and learn about what the passages meant.

Another couple walked past us and thanked us for being out on the Plaza praying for people. They weren't going to stop and talk but then came back to ask if they could give us a donation and to thank us again (we didn’t take the donation but said they could pay it forward to someone else). They were from the Twin Cities area and told us about a local priest who prayed for her husband when he was diagnosed with his medical issues. She also asked if we could pray for her grandson who has special needs and scoliosis. After the grandson's last surgery, he regained a little more movement in his arms and legs and, even though he can't talk yet, he is attempting to talk more since the surgery. We prayed for both of them and gave them miraculous medals. We shared information about St. John the Evangelist Church and the Mass times, and they were grateful.

One woman stopped to talk to us. She said she was from the Syriac church, which she said was the oldest church in the world. She had come to the United States 45 years ago and now lives in Texas. She asked us to pray for her husband who was at the clinic receiving care. We prayed for her and for her husband.

There was a violinist playing music at the other end of the Plaza from the time we started until we left. We didn’t see him take a single break. His music was very beautiful. One of us walked down and asked him if he would play "Amazing Grace," which he did, and it was very beautiful. We put a miraculous medal along with a donation in his “tips” case and prayed for his needs.

Several people walked by and didn't stop for prayer or a medal but just smiled or made a comment and asked us to pray for them, so in general, we prayed for all of them. We also prayed for a woman in her 90s who has been near death and then rallies. Another person asked for prayers for her family and another for her health.

June 8, 2024

We had another beautiful day weather-wise as we got ready to go out and evangelize. As we were waiting for our team to arrive, a couple was walking slowly by where we were setting up. I asked if they would like a free blessed medal and they came over to our wagon and picked two out. They were from Florida and were there for follow-up for the husband’s cancer that had been in remission for 5 years. We told them about the mass at the Co-Cathedral and they said they loved to attend when they were in town for appointments. They shared their story about meeting and how she felt God had put them together. We prayed for them and prayed for clean scans and good outcomes for his appointments.

After we lifted up our outing in prayer, we walked over to the Peace Plaza and set up a prayer station on each side of the plaza. We offered blessed medals and rosaries and began to have people stop to talk and for prayer. One family asked for protection from the devil. When we spoke with them, they mentioned that the parents were from Iceland. One of our team members told them that he had just seen the Bishop from Reykjavík, Iceland at our Bishop’s dinner, and they were very surprised. They now live in Chippewa Falls. The parents are not Catholic, but the mother has a good friend that is 80 years old. Her mother’s next-door neighbor and another woman have been talking to the mother about Jesus, and she is so excited. They pray the Divine Mercy chaplet together and she can't wait to get back to Chippewa Falls to talk to her about our encounter in the Peace Plaza.

We also met and prayed with a man who shared that he was a former alcoholic. He told our team that he had been sober for 18 months and they all praised God for that. He said he knew that meeting our team in the plaza was a divine appointment. One of our team members invited him to the Lumen Christi meeting that was going to be that evening. He was so happy and excited that we were in Peace Plaza to talk to him this morning about God.

A Mayo worker stopped to talk to us. She walked by three times before she stopped and asked for prayers for her children. She said she married a Catholic, but she herself was not really Catholic. We talked to her about the reasons we are Catholic and prayed for her and her family’s needs.

Another mother stopped to talk to us. She and her two children are from Rochester and do not go to church. Her grandmother used to go to the Church of the Resurrection. We talked to her about coming back and she sounded like she was going to stop by and talk with Father or the staff in the office and see about coming back and joining Resurrection.

A man and his wife stopped by for a medal and prayer. We didn’t have a medal for his first name, but his middle name was Anthony, so we were able to give him a blessed St. Anthony medal and holy card. He and his wife have been coming to Rochester after he was diagnosed with cancer 5 years ago. He started with one type of cancer and has been treated and healed from several different cancers over the past 5 years. They are from northern Minnesota, and he had previously been in law enforcement and EMT service. He had just retired, and they had lots of plans for retirement. Unfortunately, within a few months of retiring, he found out he had cancer and has been dealing with it since. The cancer he has now is treatable, but not curable. We prayed for them both.

A worker saw our medals and stopped by to ask for one. He only spoke Spanish, so he had a translator app open on his phone so he could understand what I was saying and then he would speak into the translator and show me what he said in English. We were able to communicate that way and I prayed for him and gave him a medal and rosary. Shortly after that, he brought over his co-worker, who also spoke little English. Luckily, one of our team members could speak a little and we offered prayers for thanksgiving for his job and his family. He told us that he attended St. Francis in Rochester. He took medals and two rosaries for his children.

Another Mayo worker stopped by. She was from Pine Island and shared with us about her interest in Sister Clare Crockett, a missionary nun from Ireland who died in an earthquake in Ecuador. She asked for prayers for her family and for her husband’s conversion. We encouraged her to share the Word on Fire site and Bishop Barron’s talks and homilies with her husband.

Our team talked to another woman who stopped for a medal and for prayers. She wanted us to pray for her family and her return to the church. She told us that COVID was her excuse to stop going to church. She said she needed to stop making excuses, and during the prayer, she asked for the Holy Spirit to bring her back home to the Church.

One of our team members spoke for a while with a rancher who wanted prayers for heart and lung recovery so that he would be able to work at his ranch. He had gone in for surgery and the doctors accidentally hit an artery, which caused him to be hospitalized for 45 days. He has had ongoing treatment but is still very weak and gets out of breath quickly, which makes it very hard for him to even saddle his horse, much less do all the other work he needs to do to keep his ranch going. He was grateful for our prayer.

A woman and her son stopped by for a medal and prayer. She was originally from Oklahoma but now lives in Austin. We talked with her for a while and prayed for her needs and the needs of her son. One person stopped and asked for prayers for good test results. Another person asked for prayers for someone who was in the hospital and also for her family. One woman asked for prayers for her day and for her appointments. Another asked for prayers for her family and friends and for anxiety and depression. Another person wanted prayers for her left knee.

One lady saw our "Need Prayer" sign and asked if we could pray for her. Before we prayed, she looked over our medals and picked out a miraculous medal. When she told us her name, I showed her the St. Therese of Lisieux medal and she said she loved St. Therese, so she took that one also. She asked for prayers for healing in her brain and we were able to pray for that and for the gift that she is.

An elderly woman came over to talk with us. We talked about her needs and while we were talking, one of our team members was explaining the story of the miraculous medal to someone else. She asked if she could have one of the miraculous medals, too, and then we ended up giving her one for each of her daughters and also a rosary with a pamphlet on how to pray it. We were able to pray for her needs and those of her family.

A Mayo worker strolled past us but didn’t want to stop. One of our team members started talking to him and although he was hesitant, he took a Sacred Heart of Jesus medal and card for his children. He was friendly but didn’t really want to talk much. A little later he came back and said he had to tell me something. He told me the story of his grandpa, who he loved very much and who was known for paying it forward. Right after his grandpa died, 3 years ago, an opportunity to pay it forward randomly came across his path and he was sure that it was a connection to his grandpa. Right after he took the medal from us, he got another opportunity to pay it forward, which hadn’t happened since that first time, and he just had to come back and share. He told me he was originally from Detroit but had moved to Rochester for work. His deceased grandpa was the only grandparent that had visited him in Rochester and every time he looked over at the picnic area outside the clinic, he remembered that day. I told him our apostolate was based out of Warren, Michigan and he was shocked as he had family members that lived there. We talked about divine appointments and how the Lord had put us both there that day for a reason. Divine appointments are real!

We also encountered others separately who asked for prayer cards and blessed medals, but they were in a hurry, so we didn’t get a chance to pray with them directly, but the Lord, of course, knows who they are and what they need. We also had other people thank us for being out in the Peace Plaza and ministering to people in need.

June 8, 2024

What a beautiful day it was on Monday to spend in the service of the Lord. Our team met at the Co-Cathedral and before we even went out, we were able to pray for a couple in the parking lot for blessings for their upcoming wedding.

We set up our Prayer Station sign in the middle of the Peace Plaza, and there weren’t many people out and about when we first got there. The first one to stop by was a woman we had actually talked to last summer, and she stopped again for prayer. We prayed for her family and especially for peace in the world and in the community. Another woman stopped by asking for prayers for healing for her husband. He was in the Clinic for appointments and treatment all day, so he wasn’t able to join us for prayer, but we prayed for his healing and for his family - they have a 6-year-old daughter. A young worker from the nearby hospital stopped by to talk to us and receive prayer. She was on her way to have lunch with her husband, who worked for Word on Fire.

One of the maintenance workers on the plaza came by to talk to us and ask for prayer. He wanted a blessed crucifix and prayers for his family and his job. We prayed for his needs. Another woman stopped by with her sister to ask for prayers for her health issues, and we gave them both miraculous medals before we prayed for their needs. Another woman stopped by to ask for prayers for her son, who was going through many difficulties and was filled with stress and anxiety, which was affecting not only him but his family. We gave her a St. Michael medal for her son and a miraculous medal for herself. We prayed for both of their needs and asked for Mary’s special intercession for this mother who so loved her son. Two women stopped by and asked for prayers for their friend. They didn’t have time to stop, but we prayed for their friend.

A young woman came up and asked for prayers for her health. She told us she was a convert to the Catholic Church and her husband was a cradle Catholic. We talked with her about her faith and where she went to church in town and prayed for her health. A mom and a young boy came by, and we asked if they would like a free blessed medal. The mom said sure and took a St. Michael medal for her son (who didn’t really want to talk to us). Her son was born with a condition where his esophagus wasn’t attached to his stomach, so he’s had 37 surgeries since he was a baby. He didn’t want us to pray for him out loud, so we wrote his information down and prayed for him afterward and will took his name (along with all the other requests) to the Adoration Chapel at one of the local churches.

A couple whose parents had been members at this same church stopped by to talk. Both the husband and wife worked at the nearby hospital. We chatted for a while and found out that her dad had recently passed away and she was now caring for her mother in addition to everything else in her life. We prayed for her husband, who needed hip surgery. He had his other side done in the past, and it didn’t go well, so he was anxious about the upcoming surgery. We prayed for both of them. We also talked to a woman who worked in the dental surgery department. We gave her some blessed medals to give to patients that she worked with who she felt could use them. We also prayed for a woman, who was getting ready for knee surgery in the next few days. She and her husband stopped for prayers and encouragement for the upcoming surgery.

A teenager stopped by to talk with us and for prayer. She told us about her journey with a rare salivary gland cancer. Her dentist had seen an unusual lump in her mouth and told her to check it out, which was a blessing as she hadn’t had any symptoms. She had surgery to remove the cancer and her wisdom teeth as well as some reconstructive work and is now back for radiation treatment. We gave her several blessed medals and prayed for her restoration to full health and for peace and comfort for her and her family. She shared with us her blog site where she’s been documenting her journey.

As we were getting ready to wrap up for the day, a woman and her husband stopped by. They were from Guatemala and had come to the Mayo Clinic last year when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Not much hope was given for a full remission, but she had surgery and chemotherapy. Both she and her husband were devoted Catholics and stormed heaven with prayers during her sickness. She told us she had been miraculously healed from the cancer. She told us she was back at Mayo for a recheck because Mayo doesn’t believe in miracles. She took a miraculous medal and told us about a group of Catholic women in Texas that made corded rosaries with a corded cross. The women would give them out at the MD Anderson Cancer Center because people could take the rosaries into treatment or scans because they didn’t have any metal on them. I thought that was a beautiful idea. Her husband took an Our Lady of Guadalupe medal and said Our Lady had saved him. He told us about visiting the Shrine in Mexico City and how he could feel her presence there. We prayed with them in thanksgiving to God for the blessings He had bestowed on them and also to thank Our Lady for her intercession in both of their lives. We were blessed to meet them and take a picture with them!

September 23, 2023

We were blessed to have Bishop Barron join our evangelization outing on the Peace Plaza outside the Mayo Clinic. Below is the story that was sent to SPSE and included in our diocesan Courier. Peace--Deb

Going Out Through the Door into the Sweltering Heat

When I talk to groups about evangelization, I always share this quote from Pope Francis "We cannot keep ourselves shut up in parishes, in our communities when so many people are waiting for the Gospel!" ... "It's not enough simply to open the door in welcome, but we must go out through that door to seek and meet the people." Each time our teams go out, we are doing just what our Holy Father has urged us to do. We are also following the call of our own Shepherd, Bishop Barron, who reminds us of the urgency of the mission of evangelization. Sometimes we talk to and pray for those who know nothing about God and can talk about why we believe in Him. Sometimes we talk to and pray for those who have a Protestant faith background, and we can share why we are Catholic or just plant a seed for the Lord to nurture. Sometimes we talk to and pray for those who have left the Church and we can invite them to come home. Sometimes we talk to and pray for those who are faithful Catholics, and we can witness to the call we all have to share out faith with others. Oftentimes we encounter all of these in our time on the street. Today was one of those days.

Today when we went out, I think it was the hottest day of the summer so far this year (it got to 97 with a heat index in the triple digits). We went out a little earlier than usual to try to beat the worst of the heat and because Bishop Barron was going to join us on the Peace Plaza in downtown Rochester. As usual, we prayed before we went to the Plaza for those that we would meet and for all of our evangelists. Before the Bishop joined us, we set up our prayer stations and began talking to and praying with people. A man who worked at a nearby restaurant walked by and we asked if he would like a blessed medal or prayer. He stopped to talk and told us he used to be Catholic. I said, “Tell me what happened.” He told us that there were many things, but the tipping point was when he got hollered at during Confession. He said after that, he just left. His mom told him later, that she had a dream that he would have a problem during Confession. I apologized for that happening and we prayed for him. He wanted to pray for the priest, so we also named him and prayed for him. The man had to leave, so we told him that we would continue to pray for him in our adoration chapel.

Our evangelist, Laurie, recognized a young man who was working on filming some people who were part of PossAbilities- a group that works with those with disabilities. Several of the young adults in the group came over to look at our medals and talk to our evangelist. One of the young men with disabilities wanted a medal to keep in his pocket and so we let him pick out the one he liked. He told us he was very depressed, and we asked if we could pray for him. He said yes, but he didn’t want to do it by the others in the group. We moved to a more private spot and prayed. He was very thankful. Another young man in the group also wanted a medal and he asked if he could take a pamphlet about The Existence of God. We were able to talk to him about God and he had a beautiful, childlike innocence in his belief in God. The first man we prayed with came back and asked if we could pray for four miracles. We said sure and asked what they were- and he said the four miracles would be for his father, his mother, his grandmother, and his sister to stop smoking. Another young man asked for prayers for his roommate who had died and that he would be able to find a new roommate.

Several women walked by and didn’t want to stop to talk to us but called over that we could pray for Bill who was going through treatment. A man, John, was walking by and we asked if he would like prayer for anything. He said he didn’t have time to talk, but then stopped and talked to us for quite a while. He asked for prayer for prostate surgery that he was going to be having tomorrow. He told us that it wasn’t cancerous and that two of his brothers had just recently had the same surgery – one was cancerous, and the others wasn’t. He shared that he was Presbyterian but thought well of Catholics. We talked about our beliefs and then prayed for him and his surgery. While we were praying, Bishop Barron joined us and was able to give John a blessing. They talked about how they both enjoyed reading about the history of different faith traditions, including Calvin. Bishop Barron told John that he taught a course on this period when he was teaching at the seminary.

The man who left the church who we had talked to earlier stopped by again to talk and tell us that his life was really good outside the church – we asked some probing questions, and he shared some more – our evangelist Angie followed him as he was leaving and invited him back to church. He said he would come. Praise God!

A woman stopped and asked for prayers for her husband who was at the clinic for problems with his eyes. We prayed for him and gave her a miraculous medal. A young couple stopped by our prayer station and the wife had just had thyroid cancer surgery and now was told that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. She told us she felt that God had put us there for her today. Tom prayed for her comfort and peace and to remember that Jesus is walking with her. He also prayed for healing for her cancer. We shared with them both the story of the miraculous medal and how many people have experienced miracles through Mary’s intercession. Bishop Barron gave both of them his blessing.

Another couple stopped when we asked if they needed prayer. The husband was having surgery for a brain tumor and then for his knee. They were protestant but were interested in what the Catholic Church taught and believed so we talked about that. They recognized the Bishop’s name and asked about him. We shared the Word on Fire site with them, and the wife pulled it up on her phone while we were standing there so she would remember to look it over. Bishop Barron prayed for the man’s health conditions and for his wife and gave them his blessing.

While we were praying for the couple, the women who had passed by earlier came back. They told us they didn’t stop at first because they thought we were from Jehovah’s Witness. They had never seen Catholics out on the street sharing their faith and praying for those in need. The three women were the sisters of Bill, who was being treated for a brain tumor. The tumor was affecting his language and memory and they were hoping for good scans today, Angie, our evangelist, was able to share her experiences of healing from a similar cancer, which was also a blessing to them. We were able to pray for them and also for Bill and gave them some blessed medals to give to Bill and his wife.

Another couple recognized Bishop Barron right away and we talked with her while he was finishing praying with someone else. The young woman’s face just lit up when she saw the Bishop. She told us she had a non-cancerous tumor on her spine that she needed surgery for, and she was very anxious about. When the Bishop came over, she and her husband shared with him how much they love his talks and sermons – she said she had just finished listening to him on Hallow before they walked outside and just couldn’t believe he was there in person. We prayed for her, and the Bishop blessed her. She turned and gave me a big hug and said, “you just don’t even know how much this means to me.” She also shared that it was her birthday. What a blessing it was to pray for her.

Just a note that our evangelists Tom and Angie were celebrating their anniversary today (what a gift to give back to the Lord for all their blessings). Bishop Barron blessed them on their special day. He also blessed our evangelist Jenny, who is leaving for a year – we will miss her very much!

As we were packing up to leave, we asked a very nice man walking by if he would take a picture of our team. He kindly agreed! Before we split up to head our separate ways, we praised the Lord for his goodness in bringing so many people to us so we could share God’s love and mercy with them. We were especially thankful for Bishop Barron’s being able to evangelize with us today. God is so good!

Additional prayer requests:

• Woman with breast cancer
• Abbie- prayers for 5 girls
• Repose of Ginny’s soul
• Andrea and Jackie healing
• Christina
• Linda- surgery
• Darla – throat
• Mackenzie- prayers for 3 children
• Gina- guidance with work discernment
• Chuck – lymphoma

June 2, 2023

[This article appeared in the May issue of The Courier- our Diocesan Newsletter]

The two great commandments are Love God and Love Your Neighbor. When our teams go out to evangelize in our communities, we are able to follow those two great commandments. We love God by following his commission to bring Him to the whole world. We love our neighbor by being willing to share God’s love with those we meet on the street or in our daily lives. At St. Paul Street Evangelization we use the model of Listen, Befriend, Proclaim, and Invite. The first step is to always love our neighbor through listening and befriending. So many people never have an opportunity to experience the love of Jesus, except through someone willing to step out in faith and bring him to another. As St. Theresa of Calcutta put it very simply“ To evangelize means that you have Jesus in your heart, and then you carry him to the hearts of others“. Recently, I was doing the Easter Challenge in Hallow reading Acts and this line came up after Chapter 24 “We should look for a divine opportunity to share the Gospel to those that might not hear it except for us.”  What exactly does that look like? For our teams in the region that go out jointly in Rochester, we meet together before walking to the Peace Plaza. We bring blessed medals, holy cards, rosaries, and a “Need Prayer?” sign. If we are blessed to have a priest with us, we also bring an “Ask a Priest” sign. We pray that the Lord would send us those that need for us to be his hands and heart that day. Those are divine appointments. Each time we go out, there is always at least one divine appointment, but often there are many.

On our first outing of the year last month, we talked to many people who were hurting spiritually or physically and were able to pray for all of them. We prayed for peace and healing for people with heart problems, abdominal disease, issues with pain, hope for clear cancer scans, and listened to stories of anxiety and fear. One Catholic couple in town for a follow up visit at Mayo from a southern state was shocked (and delighted) to see other Catholics out on the street sharing their faith. After talking for a while, we learned of a deep need for healing of someone in their family who had suffered severely. We were able to pray for that family member and for the couple’s needs in caring for this person. Having the common connection of being Catholic made it feel like we were talking to old friends. We all felt so graced to have met each other and being able to lift their needs in a special way up to the Lord.

Sometimes the Lord sends a divine appointment when you least expect it. I was getting a checkup recently and the nurse working with me happened to mention that her husband had severely injured his eyes in a farming accident. I had a blessed St. Michael medal and holy card with me and asked if she would like it. She started to cry, and I prayed for her husband’s healing. I found out that she was a fallen away Catholic, so we talked for a bit about that, and I invited her to check out Word on Fire and also the Bible in a Year podcast. I shared with her how easy it was to come back home to the church.

While we are blessed in our diocese to be able to evangelize at a place like the Mayo Clinic, where the needs are so great, each of our communities have people living in them who have deep wounds they are carrying. How can we reach them? We can start by having hearts open to those Jesus sends across our paths. Does this sound scary? I was scared the first time, too, but now I find it an amazing blessing to be on mission for the Lord. If you are looking for practical ways to get started, contact Susan or me and we can meet with you to help. Our evangelists are at Farmer’s Markets, in parks, outside of Walmart’s, at parishes for drive-through prayer, and more. Anywhere there are people, there is an opportunity to share about Jesus and his Church in a loving and non-confrontational way. Who needs to meet Jesus through you today? The Lord is calling us all to be missionary disciples. Will you answer the call?

Deb McManimon
Regional Missionary/Team Leader

May 11, 2020