Ithaca, NY

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This report comes to us from team leader Darren with our Immaculate Conception parish team in Ithaca, NY:

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 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.

Praised be Jesus Christ!