Eastervangelizing

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I’ve done the door-welcoming thing at my church a lot over the last 10 Easters or so. This year if I can get permission, I want to wear a little sign that says something like “Ask me anything after Mass.” Seems like a prime evangelization opportunity to me.
 
Sounds like an interesting thought. Let us know if you get permission.

Mary.
 
Excellent Idea. I suggest you have some help with you just in case more than one person has a question. Praying for a successful Eastervangelizing!

God Bless You.
 
Read Divine Renovation by Fr. James Mallon. He has all sorts of ‘outside the box’ practices for welcoming others!
 
I am on for Sunday: “I like the Easter door greeter idea. Run with it.”

For this year I will probably do it by myself since it’s my vision, and then use that experience as a springboard to get others involved starting next Christmas.
 
kkollwitz said:
I am on for Sunday: “I like the Easter door greeter idea. Run with it.”

For this year I will probably do it by myself since it’s my vision, and then use that experience as a springboard to get others involved starting next Christmas.
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Awesome! What a wonderful idea. I hope it goes exceedingly well and catches on as a new concept in the Church.

God bless,
Mary.
 
Well, I had some questions from visitors, but they were all practicing Catholics. I had hoped to get questions from non-Catholics who were attending Easter Mass for their own reasons. But everyone who entered the door where I was greeting seemed Catholic anyway; maybe everyone at Mass was Catholic. But this never seems to be the case e.g. at 12/24 Midnight Mass: there always are visitors who seem to be non-Catholic. But after Midnight Mass, nobody hangs around in the dark and cold to chat. Maybe I’ll try it on Christmas Day Masses, see how that works out.
 
Good try! Don’t be too discouraged, there may be many reasons you did not get too many questions this year, it’s an awesome idea and Christmas may have more results. 👍
 
Thanks! I don’t discourage easily and this is the first shot at it. I may need to adjust my message as well. This year it was apparently understood by visiting Catholics as “I’ll tell you about my parish’s history;” but I was aiming it at non-Cats as “I’ll answer your questions about Catholicism whether they’re pleasant questions or not.”
 
kkollwitz said:
Thanks! I don’t discourage easily and this is the first shot at it. I may need to adjust my message as well. This year it was apparently understood by visiting Catholics as “I’ll tell you about my parish’s history;” but I was aiming it at non-Cats as “I’ll answer your questions about Catholicism whether they’re pleasant questions or not.”
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Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t get a lot of non-practicing Catholics that come primarily on Christmas and Easter. A lot of Protestant denominations have their own services (generally “Son”-rise services) at parks, stadiums, etc. for Easter.
 
Hi kkollwitz,

Have you heard about St. Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE)? The website is:

www.streetevangelization.com

The Founder and National Director was in my town last week, and it’s an amazing organization. I wish you were in my town with the desire that you have to evangelize, as I’m forming a team right now in Florida. There are 170 teams across the US right now.

For those of you who may not have heard about it, SPSE is a grassroots, non-profit organization, dedicated to responding to the mandate of Jesus to preach the Gospel to all nations by taking the Catholic Faith to the streets. Founded in May 2012, SPSe provides the tools and resources for Catholics to engage the culture in a simple, non-confrontational method of evangelization which involves making themselves available to the public to answer questions about the faith and to pray with those who request it.

We are forming a team right now, with plans to set out on our first street evangelization on 4/25. Please pray for us. We are really excited and think this is a wonderful thing! Just think…if we had 8-12 teams in each city, how many fallen away Catholics, and protestants hearts could be touched. We can plant the seed, and Our Lord will nurture and grow this tremendous blessing of faith.

Last week, I must tell you, the Founder took the South Florida group out by the ocean pier to evangelize with them. One of the gentleman in the group decided to walk the beach a little ways, and hand out free rosaries with the prayer instructions. He came across a young woman, crying on the sand. Her relationship with her boyfriend turned ugly, and she was almost 4 months pregnant. She said she was there, contemplating having an abortion. The hair on the gentleman’s arms raised and he was worried he wouldn’t be able to say the right thing, and stopped to pray a moment, asking the Holy Spirit to help him with this young woman. The words flowed from his mouth, a beautiful ending to this story is that she took a rosary, (she said she was Catholic, non practicing) and promised to pray it everyday, in thanks to our Blessed Mother for meeting this stranger on the beach, and said she would have the baby.

We shouldn’t keep our faith to ourselves, especially if we have the determination and fire inside of us to tell the world. Pray about this, and you might be called to join a team or start a new one in your area.

God Bless.
Mary
 
Yes, I know SPSE! Small world, I donated money to them when they were just getting started a few years ago!

“you might be called to join a team or start a new one in your area.” Yes that’s one of an assortment of ideas I’m batting around now. For one, I’m planning to have a coffee-donut reception after the “Creaster” Masses. Oddly enough the 9am Mass has that for regular Masses- but not Easter or Christmas. Go figure. But I will propose it to my parish. I could get the usual 9am donut/coffee suspects fired-up and possibly have them do their hospitality shtik at both the 9 and 11. Midnight Mass might be a reach. I’m not worried about $, the parish will pay for a good idea in a heartbeat. Plus I have time between now and Christmas to refine & get others on board.
 
Glad you had a chance to kick off your program. Congrats:clapping: Perhaps at Christmas Masses you could make a sign “Why do Catholics Believe…” It could be about the Virgin Mary or her Immaculate Conception. Just an idea. Keep up the good work.

God Bless you.
 
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