Watertown

Country: United States
State or province: New York

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Scott Lowry
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Summary for Outing Saturday 28 October 2023

December 2, 2023

Summary for Outing Saturday 28 October 2023

It was a good day (and windy) in the square in downtown Watertown, New York. Although it was supposed to rain for the most part, there was slight drizzle for the first hour or so. For the rest of the time, the rain stopped and the sun came out during the last 30 minutes of the outing. While out there, I met John, Matthew, Nathaniel, Anne, Shawn, Roger, Caleb and Mason, along with Jason (left in the picture), Vickie (right in the picture) and Claud (on the wheelchair in the picture), Stan and finally Coleman.

Only two people I did not come across was Mark and Luke (that was a joke).

Evangelization Encounter -

EE#1.) John is an older gentleman on an assisted scooter. He came across my table and was interested in red and purple rosaries. He wanted one for himself and his daughter. He mentioned to me that he is Catholic after a brief discussion. He was also interested in the miraculous medal and its story. I put the medal around his neck and connected it for him.

EE#2.) Some time passed where nobody came by. Behind me on the other crosswalk side in the square Kelly who was on an assisted walker came by. I approached her asking her if she wanted a blessed Rosary. She accepted. She told me this would start her day out right and that she was in a rush. I asked her if she needed any prayers for anything specific and she responded by telling me how she lost her phone and to pray to God for her phone to be found. After she left I said a short prayer for her phone to be reunited to her.

EE#3.) Shawn walked by my table and was interested in a blue rosary and miraculous medal. I put the miraculous medal around his neck after a slight conversation. I then asked Shawn if he wanted to pray with me. Shawn said he did not know what to pray for, so I led it. I asked the Lord in prayer with Shawn to make him strong in faith and to give him strength in body and to experience everlasting joy in the Lord. Shawn has a deformity of the arms and legs. However, even with this challenge, Shawn is very independent and highly functional. I have seen him walking around Watertown from my car as I would be passing by for many years but never had the opportunity to speak with him. It was an honor getting to know Shawn better as I could really sense the deep faith he has in his eyes. He also took some Catholic pamphlets on how to pray the rosary, existence of God, salvation, and objections to the faith. Shawn seemed pleased when he departed.

EE#4.) Matthew approached my table and seemed very cautious and quiet. I tried to start some conversation with him but he was not that willing. However, he did accept a red rosary and a miraculous medal with information card on its history. Matthew rejected the tracts about the faith that I offered. In an attempt to get to know him better, I explained to him the importance of the rosary in that it is a meditation on the life of Christ from scripture. I also explained to him what some of the different colors of the rosary represented in the Catholic Church such as red indicating martyrdom, blue suggesting Marian devotion, and purple associating with the season of Lent and royalty. Matthew seemed like he would consider it. As he was leaving, I told him that I would be praying for him and that I would be here every Saturday if he ever had any questions.

EE#5.) Roger was walking across the square on his way to a restaurant across the street from my table when I approached him asking if he wanted a blessed rosary. He informed me that he was not interested in rosaries, but knew many Catholic friends who would want them and that he would tell them about me. We talked a bit while he came over to the table looking around. He explained to me how he is an Army Chaplain on Fort Drum. He served for 8 years active duty but was in the National Guard before that. We talked about our experiences in the service. He explained how sometimes he gets called up for Soldiers in crisis who need pastoral care. He also mentioned that he was not aware of Catholic evangelization. I informed Roger that there are many teams of St. Paul Street Evangelization all over the country. I also explained how the program is endorsed by many Bishops across the country as well and that I was standing up a new team in this area without parish affiliation as an individual independent team. Roger is very friendly and has many experiences. I thanked him for his time and told him that he would be in my prayer before he left to get his breakfast across the street.

EE#6.) I met two younger gentleman named Caleb and Mason who were riding across the square on their bicycles. Both young men were interested in the rosaries and miraculous medals and were wondering why I wasn't selling them and offering it for free. I explained to them that these sacramentals are blessed by a Priest and that I am out here because of charity. Both took a rosary and a miraculous medal, but were not interested in more information about the Catholic faith or the informational tracts I were offering. They were polite and thanked me before I took off on their bikes. As they were leaving I told them that I would be praying for them.

EE#7.) Vickie and Claud are husband and wife. They are protestants. When they approached they seemed very interested in what was being offered. I explained to them some information about the rosary and the miraculous medals. Vickie put the rosary and miraculous medal around her neck while I helped Claud put the miraculous medal around his neck. We had a short discussion about faith when Claud explained to me his medical trials with arthritis and the problems with his legs. He explained to me that he has been in a wheelchair for four years and would soon be moving to West Virginia for better medical treatment. The couple allowed me to pray over them for healing of Claud's legs and for strength and body and faith. Vickie was very enthusiastic about the rosaries, medals, and tracts. Once we were done praying, Jason came walking past us and I offered him a rosary and miraculous medal. He told us that he definitely needed it because he was badly beaten and just got out of the hospital because of it. He had a cast on him and some visible fight marks on his hand and face. Me, Claud, and Vickie also prayed with him for healing and strength. Jason seemed very enthusiastic that God would heal him of his wounds and help him through recovery. All three agreed to a picture to be posted online. As they departed, I reminded them that God was in their heart and would never abandon them.

EE#8.) Nathaniel came up to the table and was looking at the rosaries. He explained to me that he is a Catholic and that his mother taught him how to pray the rosary. After a brief discussion, I gave him a rosary and a miraculous medal. Before Nathaniel left, he said "now I am all graced up." He took off in a hurry and forgot his phone charger on my table. I had to chase him down and give it back to him. I reminded him that God was with him and that I would be praying for him.

EE#9.) An older gentleman who looked very angry with me was staring at me from across the street as he walked the sidewalk past the storefronts. When he passed, he turned around and was about to cross the street towards my table, when he suddenly shook his head and turned around in the opposite direction. The few times he was looking at me I waved but he did not wave back. He seemed very perplexed, and I am not sure if he actually wanted to come over and talk to me or if he was angry that I was there. While he was walking away I prayed for the Lord to help him draw closer to Him.

EE#10.) Suddenly the clouds went away and the sun was shining down bright upon the square. That was when I snapped a first person picture from the table before Stan who is an older gentleman on a mobilized scooter approached the table. He approached my table and told me he was Catholic and that he often purchases religious items from St. Paul Street Evangelization's website. When I asked him what Church he went to in the local area, Stan explained to me how he doesn't go to Church anymore and how he felt that a personal relationship with Christ is all that is needed and could be performed on his own. While he was talking, an older lady named Coleman walked up to us and was checking out the table. I acknowledged what Stan said after offering Coleman a rosary and miraculous medal to which she accepted, but also reminded him that the Lord calls us for more profound worship through assembly in Church as the body of Christ in the presence of the sacraments and tabernacle where Christ is present. Stan explained to me how he was sick of the people in Church and how many of them turned out to be hypocrites. I agreed with Stan that this can happen and is sad that lukewarm Christianity can cause us not to assemble sometimes because of how it challenges our faith. I also added that we should not turn on Christ because of Judas or many Judases because the mass and Church is about the Lord and not other people. I offered some different options such as online/televised mass, along with different Churches in the area he might consider. I also provided him an informational tract on Catholics returning to Church and the faith to which he accepted. Stan said he would consider it.

Coleman and Stan on consensus agreed that they thought I was a monk because of the black hoodie I was wearing. I told them it was just a simple sweatshirt and that I was covering my head because of the cold. They then explained to me that when I removed the hoodie my shaved head also reminded them of a monk. In the spirit of humor, I explained to them that the only reason why I shaved my head is because of my sleep apnea causing me to wear a breathing mask every night when I go to sleep and assured them I was not a monk but am part of a religious order for laity (Third Order Dominican/Order of Preachers). As I began talking more to Coleman so as to get to know her a little bit better, Stan thanked me for the conversation and began to take off. I reminded him that I would be praying with him and that the Lord was with him. As I got to know Coleman a little better, she seem very interested in the intercessory prayer informational tract regarding the Saints. Coleman explained to me how she was very drawn to St. Francis of Assisi because of his relationship with animals and her love of animals. I agreed that it is good to love and value all of the Lord's creatures. She also explained to me how she wishes world peace would come about because of all the wars and suffering in the world. We prayed together in the square for world peace.

After the prayer, Coleman detailed some of her personal trials in life, including her speech impediment/stutter and how people are always rude and mean to her because of it. Some even go as far as to actively make fun of her. I explained to Coleman how I too was a stutterer my entire life since I was a child and went on to explain my story of how as an atheist I cursed God and put him to the test. In my belief, my speech was crooked because of it. Until coming to faith recently as a convert, my speech impediment went away and I no longer have trouble talking. I asked if I could pray over her with my hand on her should petitioning the Lord for healing to her speech. She accepted and we prayed together for her speech to be straight. When she left, I reassured her through speech and expression that God was with her and can do anything he so pleases and to have much faith that he will give her what she desires in prayer. She thanked me as we parted ways.

In conclusion, this was a very good day and fruitful in its own way. Although I did not come off as aggressive as I would like to have in boldly proclaiming what I was thinking, I feel that the subtlety approach worked just fine in planting the proper seeds which needed to be planted at the present time while going solo on evangelization outings. After all, it is God who causes the growth after one plants and another one waters!

Please join me in praying for the people I encountered today so as to grant the intentions of their hearts and to draw them closer to the Lord in more ways than one!