For Catholic Evangelization team in Boise, Idaho - SPSE

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God used a cell-phone app to bless Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort last week! So, thank you for your prayers!

Last weekend marked the nationwide launch of a free app, which combines tourism with a virtual-reality battle game. Since our street evangelization table is in an area with many historic landmarks, lots of young people (between the ages of 15-25) were walking around, despite the cold and wet weather that typcially keeps Boiseans inside.

One evangelist was available. It was raining as I arrived, and since the plywood construction-overhang has now been removed, I set up under an awning along the side wall of a cafe on the northern edge of “our park”. The park itself is pretty much closed due to the major construction project in its center.

As soon as my table was set up, the rain stopped! And it stayed stopped for the entire session, long enough for the sidewalks to completely dry off. Then, at closing time, the rain restarted.

Meanwhile, people seemed to be in a good mood – especially those who were playing the new game. God also granted us a higher-than-average acceptance rate, considering that actual numbers of passersby was still down, due to the construction. I ended up giving away, altogether, about a dozen Rosaries and booklet, 1 Bible, and 1 map to area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times listed.

Please pray for us again today? I plan to head downtown in just a couple of hours. Please ask God to bless our efforts: that He will send lots of people to us with their hearts and eyes open to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded, that He will grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each of these irreplaceable souls for Him, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come from our work today.

Thank you so much! May God, in turn, bless you and yours!​

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers (2 Cor 1:11).
 
Joy came to at least one praying Mom last week, so thank you ever so much for your prayers! I am specifically grateful for the prayers, encouragement, and messages of support from Michael, Val, Isaac, and Libby. And a big “thank you”, too, to all of you who have been quietly sending prayer requests “Upstairs” for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. We rely on your support, and remain painfully aware that we accomplish nothing without God.

Here are some highlights from our last session:

One evangelist was available. As I was setting up, a man walked by, happily recognizing the work as “Catholic apologetics”. He agreed to say a prayer for us.

One man accepted a Rosary, booklet, and map to area parishes. He didn’t claim a religion, though he said he was attracted to the Eastern meditation-based ones. Told him to check out the Catholic Church, since it had several rich traditions of meditation. He gladly accepted the map of area parishes and said he hoped to run into me in church some day.

Late in the session, a man and little girl came by. She was playing a game on a cell phone or small tablet. Her dad looked like he would decline my offer of a free Rosary, but his little girl wanted one. So they both accepted. Asked if they were playing the new game, he told me the server was down – which could explain the air of general frustration among that (much smaller) number of people who seemed to be playing, most of whom passed me on the opposite side of the street

One group of 3 tattoo-covered “toughs” each took a Rosary. One of them was overheard saying, as they walked off, “My mom will be so happy…”

Altogether, despite the off-putting construction obstacles everywhere, I gave away 12-15 Rosaries & booklets. I also taught one man in detail how to pray it. Gave away, too, a 2nd map of area parishes, with Mass and Reconciliation times listed.

Please pray for us again this week? I plan to head downtown again in just over an hour from now. Please send up a prayer that God will send people to the evangelist(s) with their hearts and eyes open to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also pray that He grant the love, wisdom, and words necessary to reach each irreplaceable soul for Him, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of our efforts today.

Besides our usual location, I am also planning a second session elsewhere. But we will probably need permission from authorities to set up our table there. So, if it’s not too much to ask, would you please ask God to smooth the way for that to happen for us today?

Thank you so much! May God, in turn, greatly bless you and yours!​

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers (2 Cor 1:11).
 
When Our Lady meets black magic, what happens? Thank you SO much for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization efforts last week. It was eventful.

Two evangelists were available. Our plan was to have back-to-back sessions – first at our usual spot, and then at the city library. Our first session went amazingly well. We ended up giving away about 25 Rosaries and its booklet, as well as one Bible. What was unusual about the session, other than the increased amount of interest, was that, on 4 or 5 separate occurrences, a person was walking past without even glancing at us but, when we called out our offer of a free Rosary anyway, he or she suddenly seem to “wake up” and then with great joy and excitement accepted our offer. Surprised us each time.

After our downtown session ended, we went to the library. But we were told “not today” and to call back during regular business hours to try to get permission to set up there.

Then we noticed that a group of booths had been set up in the park across the street, for what looked like perhaps a small art fair. So, we decided to “go mobile”, carrying our Rosaries and pamphlets in a shoulder bag instead of trying to set up our table. As we were nearing the event, we asked people coming out of the park what was going on. The first few simply shrugged and said they had no idea. Then a man informed us what it was – at which point, I wanted to run the other way.

It was the annual gathering to celebrate “other paths to spirituality”, but in truth a gathering of those who serve the enemy of mankind and who were using the opportunity to sell their accursed items. But, by the time we found this out, we were only about 100 ft (30 m) from the entrance. And, perhaps because I’ve now had a lot of practice ignoring fear when it comes time to evangelize, we headed in, pausing only long enough to get some Rosaries out of our bags and hang them from our fingers for easy access.

The first person we encountered within the “fest” was a woman sitting by herself. She was dangling a cigarette from one hand, and had a cup of beverage sitting near the other. When offered a free Rosary, she had that same sudden waking up/delighted surprise experience that we had already encountered several times downtown.

To cut a long story short, we ended up giving away all 60 of our Rosaries within only 20-30 minutes. Most of the people receiving one also seemed to experience that moment of surprise and delight when they saw the Rosaries. Please keep each one of these souls in your prayers? The enemy doesn’t relinquish souls easily – but, then, neither does Our Lady.

Please pray for us again today? As far as I know, only one evangelist is available. I plan to head downtown in just a little more than an hour from now. There are so many souls out there who have gotten tangled in confusion and are heading for destruction. Please pray that God will send some of them to us with their hearts and eyes open to see their need for their Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the Church that He founded. Please also beg Our Blessed Lord that He will grant the evangelist(s) whatever words, wisdom, and manner we need to reach each priceless souls for Him.

Thank you so much! In return, may God grant you and yours abundant blessing.​

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers (2 Cor 1:11).
 
One physical life was definitely saved, and how many souls received the grace to begin their return to their Savior? Another hearty expression of gratitude to you for your intercession and for your sacrifices for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort.

First, an update from our sister team in the nearby mountain resort community east of here (whose members came to Boise a few months ago for some hands-on training before their startup). They’ve gone out now on three official outings. Their team leader reported the following encouraging episode on their very first excursion.

The first time I think we saved a man’s life. It was really hot and he is 95 years old. he was stumbling and did not have the sense to get out of the sun. I think he had dementia. Anyway he said he did not know where his house was. He could not remember the street. Anyway we gave him water and found the sheriff who knew where he lived and took him home. so I think God had us there for that man.

Please keep the team and their community in your prayers? A lot of grace is needed to reach all of the lost souls there.

The Boise team also had a good session last week. Although only one local evangelist was available, a second one from a town about an hour north of here made the trip into town to join her!

We ended up giving away only about 10 Rosaries, but that was because of the 3 extended conversations we were able to engage in.

The first was with a non-Catholic Christian who happened to be in town for the wedding of a friend. Although he belongs to a denomination that is often actively anti-Catholic, he had just had a positive experience at the wedding, which was held in the Catholic cathedral. He accepted a copy of the Catechism, after it was explained that it showed just how solid the Christian Faith is – and that it’s time we Christians begin standing shoulder to shoulder with each other.

The second man was an inactive Catholic. He had attended World Youth Day in Paris and had actually seen St. John Paul II, but since then had drifted away from practicing his Faith. Our visiting evangelist got him talking about all the wonderful spiritual impressions he received during the experience, and helped him recall his spiritual life back then. He seems to suffer from an anxiety disorder that makes being around a lot of people very uncomfortable – and that has kept him away from Mass. He accepted, though, besides a Rosary, some pamphlets for returning Catholics as well as a map of area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times. I let him know that each parish has a slightly different “personality” and encouraged him to perhaps visit a different one each week until he found one where he could pray with less anxiety.

Our last extended conversation was with a combat veteran of every war from Viet Nam through Desert Storm, where he received a disabling injury. He seemed to be a lifelong Catholic, and declined our offer of a brightly colored, plastic mission Rosary because he had a 115-year-old Rosary at home. He agreed to pray it for our street evangelization effort. At the end of the conversation, he did accept a blessed Miraculous Medal from us.​

Please pray for us again today? Three (!) evangelists are available. We plan to meet downtown in about an hour from now. So please ask God to grant us effectiveness? May He send lots of people to us, with their hearts and eyes open to perceive their need for their Savior and the Church that He founded for them. May He also grant each evangelist the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each of these irreplaceable souls for Christ, and to help make a lasting positive change in each one’s spiritual life.

Thank you so much! In turn, may God grant you and yours many abundant blessings!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Thank you, Larry, and all of you who keep the Boise area’s Catholic street evangelization efforts in your prayers! We depend on your intercession.

Last week, two evangelists joined me. We gave away perhaps 12-15 Rosaries total.

A group of four Catholic students, active at the local university’s Newman Center, stopped by to encourage us again.

A Catholic family, dad and 4-5 children, also paused to encourage our efforts. They had received Rosaries from us before.

A pale-faced couple each accepted a Rosary.

Please pray for us again today? As far as I know, only one evangelist is available. Please ask God to bless the effort today: that He send lots of people to us with hearts and eyes open to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded, that He will grant the evangelist(s) the wisdom and manner needed to reach each priceless so for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will result from the effort today.

Thank you, again, ever so much for your prayers! May God greatly bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Helping fellow Catholics evangelize, the Boise team thanks you again for your prayers for our Catholic street evangelization team’s efforts.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of manning a Legion of Mary table at our parish for one Mass. They provided the free (of course) Rosaries, each nicely packaged with the booklet on how to pray it. I provided pamphlets that help explain Catholic devotion to Mary and the (other) Saints. I also had available pamphlets on how to present the kerygma to unbelievers, as well as one that addresses the mystery of evil and suffering.

In the few minutes before and after that Mass, we ended up giving away about 50 Rosaries – and 200 pamphlets!

Meanwhile, here are a few highlights from our previous session of street evangelization.

One evangelist was available. I gave away a total of perhaps 15 Rosaries and 1 or 2 Miraculous Medals.

One man, whose personal preference in spirituality was Eastern non-Christian in style, stopped to ask a question on behalf of a friend: was it, indeed, “bad luck” to die while wearing a Rosary around one’s neck? I let him know that I had never heard of such a thing (thinking especially of the many blessings associated with dying while wearing a brown scapular). I also explained to him what the Rosary is and, therefore, the reverence due it. He accepted a Rosary for himself and its booklet. He also accepted a Miraculous Medal.

One woman and, later, a man each said they’d stop to get a Rosary on their “way back.” Neither arrived before the session ended.

There was a rush of visitors at the end of the session. Group after group lined up to claim a Rosary. I gave away as many Rosaries during that time as I did during the entire preceding part of the session.

Please pray for us again today? As far as I’ve heard, only one evangelist is available. But please pray that God sends lots of people to us with their eyes and hearts open to see their need for our Savior and the Church that He founded. Please ask God to grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner necessary to reach each of these irreplaceable souls for Jesus Christ.

Thank you so much! I depend on your prayers for any effectiveness at all. In return, may God richly bless you and yours!​

Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, set our hearts on fire with love of You.
 
“Former” Catholics are drawn to the Rosary in answer to your prayers. So thank you again for keeping Boise’s Catholic street evangelization efforts before Our Lord’s eyes! You make a difference.

During our last session, a man stopped in response to my offer of a free Rosary. He said he “used to be Catholic” but was now a “plain Christian.” He said he prayed directly to Jesus. When I asked him if he ever asked other people to pray for him, he replied, “Of course!” So I assured him it was the same thing as when we ask Saints to pray for us. Besides the Rosary and its booklet, he agreed to take a copy of our brochure on “Praying to the Saints”.

A Catholic woman stopped by later in the session and asked about area parishes. I gave her a copy of the map with thumbnail pictures of the churches and a list of Mass and Reconciliation times.

In all, a lot more people were out than has been typical recently, many of them evidently playing the virtual battle/sight-seeing game. Your lone evangelist gave away a total of perhaps 25 Rosaries and booklets, as well as the above map and brochure.

Please pray for us again today? Again, as far as I know, only one evangelist is available. I plan to head downtown in about an hour. Please, please pray that God will send people to us with their eyes and hearts open to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and His Church? Please also pray that He grant the evangelist(s) the words, the manner, and the wisdom necessary to reach each priceless soul for Christ. Please pray that much fruit is borne for His Kingdom from our efforts today?

Thank you again so much! In turn, may God greatly bless you and yours!​

Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love for us, set our hearts on fire with love of You.
 
Old lies are still circulating against the Church, so your prayers are still greatly needed. And thank you so much for praying for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort last week. Here are some highlights.

One of the first people to pass by my table said, “The Catholic Church has killed millions of my people. But keep right on pushing that, if that’s how you want to be.” He didn’t slow down enough to explain what he meant, so all I could do was try to tell him he’d been misinformed. May God bless him with the grace of finding the truth and of conversion – clear to Catholic Sainthood.

“Molly” responded to my offer of a free Rosary with, “I always wanted to be Catholic!” But she accepted only the brochure describing how to pray the Rosary and a map of area parishes. Then, about 1/2 hour later, she returned with many questions. Her first was, “What is ‘The Sign of the Cross’?” I taught her. Then she asked, “But, am I allowed to do that if I’m not yet Catholic?’” I assured her she was. Then I also answered a few of her questions about the Bible: how the Old Testament fits in with Christianity, and how the Early Church Fathers interpreted the violent passages as a metaphor for how to deal with sin and why it is important to absolutely reject even the first thoughts that lead in that direction. She accepted a Rosary at the end of the second conversation, as well as about 5 pamphlets on the topics of Confession, the Eucharist, Mary, and Praying to the Saints in general. I also invited her to join RCIA. Please pray for her?

Altogether, I gave away maybe 15 Rosaries with their booklets, 2 maps, and 5 additional pamphlets.

Please pray for us again today? As far as I know at this point, only one evangelist is available. Please pray that God will send people to us with their hearts and eyes open to see their real need for the Savior and His Church. Please also pray that God grants the evangelist(s) the wisdom, manner, and ability to reach each of these souls for Jesus Christ.

Thank you! May God, in turn, bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Regular effort adds up, so a special thank you for all your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort over the past four years, and especially for the prayers and words of encouragement I received this last week, in particular from Val, Alice, Shero23, Michael, and Susie. I know many more of you have also been faithfully praying for this work. May God bless each one of you! [And would you please also send up a special prayer for consolation for Val and her family? They are grieving a recent, unexpected, and very great loss.]

This week, I thought you might first like to see a summary of the team’s activity for the last nine months. It was part of a report delivered to the Legion of Mary:

During the report period, [the Boise team] spoke with about 7,000 people total, gave away about 850 Rosaries and booklets explaining the devotion, about 250 other pamphlets covering frequently asked questions, about 30 maps of area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times listed, as well as Miraculous Medals, Bibles to nonbelievers, *Catechisms *to those interested in learning about Catholicism, and other Catholic materials. They also helped train and launch a team for [a mountain resort community].

Meanwhile, our efforts on the street continued. Things were much less stressful last week, thanks to your prayers, and our effectiveness seemed to be greater. Here are some highlights, in no particular order.

A housing-challenged man, “Richard”, stopped to converse. He was wearing a T-shirt that declared him an active member of a Catholic apostolate that serves physical needs, especially of the chronically homeless and addiction-challenged population. Richard, though, bragged about being a pagan instead of a Catholic. He held a confused idea that worshiping “all the gods” wouldn’t offend any of them. sigh I tried to present the kerygma, and at least got him to agree to read our one-page “Good News” pamphlet. He also took a Rosary for himself. The woman with him acted as if she were perhaps serving as a social-worker. She never accepted a Rosary for herself, but she asked for a “Praying to the Saints” pamphlet, and also for a Catechism.

A family – father and two younger teens – each accepted a Rosary and its booklet. They belong to a non-Catholic, liturgical, Christian denomination.

A woman on a bicycle stopped. She accepted a Rosary, a Catechism, a Divine Mercy prayer card, and a Miraculous Medal. She told me she’d been having a really bad day before she stopped at my table. “See? God loves you!” As she walked away, I noticed that one of her legs was a prosthetic one, made of metal and pulleys.

When I arrived, I began to set up my table at “my spot” on the northern edge of the plaza, which looks like it will continue to be closed for construction for at least another month. But, after I had the Bibles and pamphlets laid out, it began to sprinkle rain. So I moved the table down the sidewalk a bit so it and my signs were under an awning. But the rain stopped and there was no further sign of inclement weather. There was a relatively big rush of interest in the Rosaries after I set up and just before “starting hour” (close to 10 Rosaries given), and then another rush right at “closing hour” (another nearly 10 Rosaries given), in between, a few other people accepted Rosaries and talked (maybe 5).

So, altogether, I gave away 20-25 Rosaries, 2 Catechisms, 1 *kerygma *pamphlet, 1 Praying to the Saints pamphlet, 1 Miraculous Medal, and 1 Divine Mercy prayer card

Please pray for us again today? Again, as far as I know, only one evangelist is available. I plan to head downtown in about an hour. So please pray that God sends people to us with their hearts and minds open to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please pray that God will grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each soul for Him. Please pray that great good for His Kingdom will come from the effort today?

Thank you, again, so much! May God, in turn, greatly bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
A high school transformed, thanks to God’s answers to our prayers and the intercession of Our Lady! I hope you, too, take encouragement from the report I received from my high school correspondent this week. Here’s the story.

You may remember my asking your prayers off and on for this young man and his efforts to evangelize his school. I “met” him via social media about four years ago when he was an incoming freshman, and we started corresponding by email.

He had been deeply shocked at his school’s secular atmosphere, despite its being nominally “Catholic”. Often, he felt he was the only person there (student or staff) who still had any faith. Painfully shy, he tried anyway to reach out and evangelize some of his classmates – and was met with mostly ridicule and rejection, although he did succeed in finding a few like-minded friends. Beginning to realize just how “impossible” his goal was, he intensified his prayer and sacramental life, consecrated himself to Jesus through Mary, and joined the Militia of the Immaculata.

As time passed, he became more socially confident and, because he was visibly “the religious one” and continued to speak up in class, fellow students began to approach him privately with questions about the Faith. Progress, though there, still seemed impossibly slow.

Then God stepped in and, by His grace, new administrators were appointed.

Now, at the beginning of his senior year, he sends this update:
  • “The school dress code,” he reports, “has been reformed to be FAR more modest, especially in Mass, which went from a sea of miniskirts to ALL ankle length skirts.”
  • The artwork in the school hallways, instead of promoting secular “values”, now features beautiful Catholic paintings, including one of St. Michael crushing the devil. (“When I saw St. Michael”, he says, “I thought back to freshman year when I put up a picture of St. Michael on my locker to make me feel more spiritually secure. Now Admin is putting it up.”)
  • “Way more people are coming into the chapel. Freshman year it was always locked. Sophomore year, a friend and I got it unlocked to use it. And this year there are ALWAYS students in there during lunch, break, etc. When I asked people who call themselves ‘atheists’ why they use the chapel, they tell me their theology teachers are actually leading them to believe in God more this year.”
  • “My circle of youth group friends who are all on fire for their Faith, the ‘religious clique’ as we have been called, are now mostly seniors and in campus ministry. This means they have IMMENSE influence over school events. I can see the prayers over the announcements, liturgy, and retreats becoming more orthodox accordingly. And youth groups are being advertised more.”
  • The school’s Right to Life club is “WAY more active than it ever has been with a LOT of staff support and a LOT of student excitement. FIFTY-THREE students signed up as interested in it at the club fair.”
So, I am reminded, and I hope you are too, to never give up! Even though I often feel powerless as a “little person” and the spiritual problems around us seem unsurmountable, God has again reminded me that He does notice persistent prayer and sacrifice, and when He does – He conquers! Praise be to God!!!

Meanwhile, back here at home, Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort continues. So, please continue to pray for us, too? Only God changes hearts.

Last week, one evangelist was available. There seemed to be a much higher than typical “rejection rate”, but two encounters during the session made it all seem worthwhile.

A young couple stopped by. They each accepted a Rosary, plus one for her mom. Then they mentioned that their baby, “Jeremiah”, was in the hospital. They said his life was now out of danger, but they asked for your prayers for him. (Please?) His parents also accepted a Miraculous Medal to take to him.

Then, just at closing time, a non-Catholic Christian woman stopped by. She wanted a Rosary and had this story to tell. Her grandmother is Italian and devoted to Mary and the Rosary. Many years ago, my visitor’s mother’s sister’s little girl drowned. Though she was pulled out of the water, she remained in the hospital in a coma. The doctors didn’t think she’d even live, much less have any functional life again. The grandmother, though, “prayed the Rosary over her” every day. That “girl” is now 28 years old and perfectly normal! (Thank you, God!!)

Altogether, I ended up giving away 10-12 Rosaries and booklets for it, 2 Miraculous Medals, and 4 other pamphlets answering questions about the Catholic Faith.

Please pray for us again today? I plan to head downtown in about an hour. Please pray that God sends the evangelist(s) lots of people who have their eyes and hearts open to perceive their need for Our Savior. Please pray that God grants us the words, the wisdom, and whatever else we need to reach each of these souls for Him. Please pray that much fruit for His Kingdom will grow because of our efforts today?

Thank you so much! In turn, may God bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Warnings from “scary trio” aside, Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort continued last week, thanks to God’s answer to your prayers! Here are a couple of highlights from that session. Again, only one evangelist was available.

“Mark”, an evidently brain-injured adult, stopped by again. So far, he hasn’t had much success in learning how to pray the Rosary. Plus, he said he’d misplaced the one I’d given him previously. So, I let him take another. I also tried to explain the devotion a little differently than I had before, and encouraged him to re-watch the internet video he’d found on how to pray it. I suggested he play the video several times and to keep trying because, although learning the prayer may be a challenge for him, the peace and spiritual growth it’ll bring him will be very much worth his time and effort.

Later, a group of three scary-looking street “toughs”, two young men and a young woman, each accepted a Rosary and showed a genuine interest in learning how to pray it. They also asked for one additional Rosary for a friend of theirs, who communicated her choice of Rosary color to the girl via cell phone. As they were leaving, the young woman said to me, “Be safe out here.” Coming from them, I wondered what she meant, but remembered that “God alone brings security to my dwelling” (Ps 4:9).

Altogether, I gave away perhaps 10-15 Rosaries and booklets. Please send up a prayer that God visibly moves in each of these lives?

And please pray for us again today? I plan to head downtown again in about an hour from now. It is God Who changes hearts and there are so many people who are lost and don’t even know it. So, please pray that God sends people to us with their hearts and eyes open to perceive their need for Our Savior. Please also ask Him to grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner to reach each of these irreplaceable souls for Jesus Christ and for the Church that He founded.

Thank you so much! As always, I pray that God greatly blesses you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
With a gun to your head, how do you pray? The question came up last week, so thank you so much for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. This is no trivial work, and your prayers make a hugely positive difference!

Last week, before I had the table set up, a woman stopped by to ask for a Rosary and a Miraculous Medal. She said they were for a woman she knew from a shelter. I gave her the materials and encouraged her to take the time to pray the Rosary with the other woman. She seemed surprised, as if she had never thought of that, and agreed to do so.

A pair of young teens on skateboards stopped, and seemed actually interested in the Rosary. As they were getting ready to leave, one of them confessed that he used to worship the founder of an Eastern-style religion. I pointed out that the operative word was “used to.” He agreed. I then encouraged him to repent, and assured him that the real King, Jesus Christ, would take him back. Please pray for him?

A couple in their mid- to late-twenties stopped and wanted to understand the Rosary devotion. When I explained that repeating the prayers builds “muscle memory” and, since they would be meditating on life-or-death events in the Mysteries, they would then have words of prayer “on their lips” should they ever face such a situation themselves; they wouldn’t freeze, not knowing how to pray. “Life or death?” the man asked, “You mean, like someone has a gun to my head?” “Well, yes,” I responded, “Or, maybe someone close to you is in the hospital and you’re waiting for the surgeon to come and say how things went.” He got it.

During the evangelization session, about four or five pairs/groups of women (and one man) went by. There was a sameness about them – each was dressed fashionably in black, a lot of heavy black eye make-up in evidence, and usually one person in the group was wearing a very wide-brimmed black hat with pointed crown. About half the groups stopped in response to my offer of a free Rosary. Of the last group of three that stopped, two accepted a Rosary. As one was choosing a black Rosary for herself, I quipped, “Our most popular color!” She replied, “probably because it matches our souls.” “I WASN’T going to say that!” I said, to which they responded with a shriek and shrill giggling. I wish I had thought fast enough to add, “It’s my favorite color, too, because we ALL need a Savior.” Please ask God’s mercy on these, who currently seem the farthest from Him?

I ended up giving away perhaps 10-15 Rosaries altogether, and the one Miraculous Medal. Construction is wrapping up in “our park,” at last. Last week, I still set up on the sidewalk where I’ve been for the last month or so. But this time, I noticed that most of the foot traffic continued straight into the park, instead of being diverting my way. So after the session, I went to see. And it looks like the new part of the park is open.

So, please pray that I find an effective spot to set up today? As it is whenever I try anything new, my anxiety level is almost unbearably high. But, as you can see from this report from last week, there are still a lot of misled souls out there, souls who desperately need Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. So, please pray for us again today: that God will bring people to us with their eyes and hearts open to see their need for Jesus, that God will grant the evangelist(s) the words, the manner, and the wisdom to touch the hearts of each one and draw them closer to Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of our efforts today.

Thank you so much! May God bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Warned against Christianity, a man nevertheless came with his questions – undoubtedly because God is hearing your prayers for the effectiveness of Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. Thanks be to God! And thank you, again, for your prayers and sacrifices: we can accomplish nothing without Him.

Construction is (finally) wrapping up on “our park”, so I was able to set up our table at a new location, within the north-south corridor of the park itself. I still wasn’t able to catch most of the foot traffic, so please send up a prayer for me for wisdom about where to set up this week?

One man, “Caleb”, stopped for a long conversation with me. Recently transplanted to Boise from “down-under”, he had no background in Christianity. In fact, he’d been warned away from Christians because of his challenge with same-sex attraction. He was quite open about his fear of rejection and of the wrath of God. What he’d read in the Old Testament hadn’t been reassuring, especially the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. He declined accepting a Rosary for himself (although his friend and a man who stopped to talk with her each took one). He did, though, take a map of local parishes with Mass times listed, and he seemed to hear my invitation to get connected with an RCIA class. He also, notably, accepted a copy of our “Good News” pamphlet, which presents the basic kerygma… He expressed a real interest in attending Mass that very evening, although his doing so would depend on what his friends would be doing. Please pray for Caleb and his friends? There’s a real hunger for God out here.

At the end of the session, after I’d packed up all the Rosaries, a man and his daughter told me they’d like to have one. He had been raised Catholic and attended a parochial school on the east coast – he even spelled the patron saint’s name for me. Unfortunately, he had since left the Faith and even accepted “baptism” in a pseudo-Christian cult with origins in the 1800s. However, he admitted that he still like to attend Mass now and them. After he and his daughter had each chosen a Rosary for themselves, the father also gladly accepted a copy of the map of area parishes, which also lists Reconciliation times. Please pray that he returns to the true Faith, and brings his daughter with him?

Altogether, I ended up giving away 10-15 Rosaries, 3 Miraculous Medals, and 3 maps.

Please pray for us again today, especially for protection for our team? Earlier this week, it looked like FOUR evangelists would be available today. But then they started getting picked off, one by one. As of now, there might still be two of us, including a first-time evangelist. So please pray that God’s will is done, that He send lots of people to us who have their hearts and eyes open to see their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and for the Church that He founded, that He will grant the evangelists the wisdom, the words, and the manner needed to reach each of these irreplaceable souls for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of our efforts today.

As always, thank you very much! May God, in turn, greatly bless you and yours!​

The “Golden Arrow” Prayer, for torrents of graces for the conversion of sinners: May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most incomprehensible and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in Heaven, on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God and by the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Amen.

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Experienced evangelist “Mark” joined our team! So, thank you for your continued prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. Here are some highlights from our session last week.

A couple, “Amanda” and “Eugene”, asked for prayer for expediting their reception of disability benefits. She is at least a second-generation recipient. Would you please also pray that God heals them from whatever is keeping each of them from honest labor? They each accepted a Rosary and its brochure.

About half-way through the session a “Mr. Sord” approached our table. He “joked” that he was carrying some illegal pharmaceutical in his pocket. He also seemed to be an anti-Catholic Christian who had been taught a lot of common misconceptions about the Catholic Faith. However, although he exchanged words with our new evangelist for at least half an hour, he avoided ever actually entering into a dialog. It was almost as if he were afraid of hearing anything Mark was trying to say about what the Catholic Church really teaches. Please pray for him?

During Mark’s exchange with “Mr Sord”, my efforts to enter the discussion had gone unwelcomed, So I began offering Rosaries to other people. And many accepted. Among those who stopped to talk with me were a pair of heavily tattooed young men. One of them is already a catechumen at the local cathedral parish. He hadn’t received a copy of the *Catechism *yet, but he seemed very interested in it. He gladly accepted a copy from me.

The construction in “our” park is wrapping up, and the north-south corridor was visibly more open. Consequently, we had a good amount of foot traffic passing our table. In all, we gave away 15-20 Rosaries and their booklets, 1 Miraculous Medal, 1 Catechism, and 1 Divine Mercy prayer card.

Please pray for us again today? We plan to head downtown in about an hour from now. Please pray that God will send lots of people to us with their eyes and hearts open to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded, that God will grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each irreplaceable soul for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come from our efforts today.

Thank you so much! May God also bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Rained out how often? Only twice in four years, thanks be to God – especially for answering your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization efforts again last week. Two evangelists were available.

I know I talk about weather often in these posts, but that’s because I often consider it miraculous. Last week, our local meteorologists had predicted non-stop rain from Friday through Tuesday. So, since Boiseans tend to be so sensitive to inclement weather, I wondered if we’d see much foot traffic. But on Sunday, during our evangelization session, we had beautiful, clear blue skies, warm temperatures, and only the slightest of breezes. Therefore, plenty of people were outside and our table had a steady supply of visitors.

“Alyss” stopped for a long talk with us. She said she already had one of our booklets describing the Rosary. While she was trying to choose a Rosary to go with the booklet, she told us part of her story – which includes coming to terms with past actions that led to the deaths of three people. But Alyss feels really drawn to Mary (though she still sees Jesus and Mary as merely some of many “healing beings”). Yet, she told us she has a statue of Mary next to her phone at home to remind herself to seek peace with everyone who calls. In the end, she declined both the offer of a Rosary and of a map of area parishes. She did, however, accept a blessed Miraculous Medal. Then she asked us for prayers for her for freedom from unnecessary anxiety and from the need to keep checking and re-checking safety precautions. Lord, please grant Alyss knowledge of You, salvation, healing from her past, and the peace that can only come from You.

A group of four young men looked as if they were planning to pass us by, until one of them said, “Why yes, I DO want a Rosary!” Then each of the four accepted one, as well as its brochure. Their leader then expressed an interest in the Catholic Church and also accepted one of our maps of area parishes, with its list of Mass and Reconciliation times.

A couple, who were perhaps 18-20 years old, stopped. He was sporting many facial piercings. Surprisingly, they (especially he) seemed genuinely interested in the Rosary. He also accepted the map of area parishes.

Another pair of young men, perhaps in their late teens, stopped to receive their free Rosary. One of them admitted he was an inactive Catholic. But, after I asked him if he didn’t miss the Eucharist, he willingly accepted our “Reasons to Return” packet, which features a pamphlet on the Eucharist. He also accepted a copy of the map.

“Serge” was our last visitor of the day. He had reached Boise from Rwanda via Bosnia. When he accepted the map, he immediately noticed the one Mass in the area that is in Kiswahili. He and evangelist Mark also found they had seminary studies in common.

Altogether, we gave away 20-25 Rosaries and accompanying booklets, 1 Miraculous Medal, 5-6 maps of area parishes, and 1 “Reasons to Return” packet.

Please pray for us again today? As far as I know, only one evangelist is available this time. I plan to head downtown in just over an hour from now. Please pray that God will send lots of people to us with their hearts and minds open to see their need for Jesus Christ our Savior and for the Church that He founded, that He will grant the evangelist(s) the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each priceless soul for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come from today’s efforts.

Thank you so much! In turn, may God greatly bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
“Why do you ask?” sometimes moves a conversation quickly to common ground. As always, thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort last week.

My longest conversation was with “Rex”, a non-Catholic Christian. He approached with a question on the Catholic view of same-sex “marriage” and accepted our pamphlet that charitably presents our teaching on same-sex attraction. It turns out that he agrees with the Catholic understanding on both that and the issue of women’s “ordination.” Rex was mainly concerned about the son of one of his co-religionists (his denomination doesn’t call them “members”). The young teen had just revealed to his parents that he considers himself a homosexual. I tried to reassure Rex about the power of prayer in that situation, telling him the story of another non-Catholic Christian with a similar concern, whom I had met early on in this apostolate. That man saw the situation completely turned around within only a few months. Please pray for Rex? He’d make a good Catholic. Please pray also for the family that he’s concerned about, and especially for the teen who has been led so far astray?

Two different couples called out to me that they already had Rosaries from Italy. One woman added, “blessed by the Pope!” I asked each of them to please pray it once for “us, out here.”

I had made the mistake of setting up in the center of the park too soon. Although a number of people did pass my table, it looked like most of the foot traffic was still concentrated in the north spoke, which has become “restaurant row.” Still, I gave away 12-15 Rosaries and booklets on it, as well as the pamphlet with the Catholic teaching on homosexuality.

Please pray for us again today? It looks like at least two evangelists are available, but we could use another break in the weather again today, so people feel encouraged to be outside. Please pray that God sends lots of people to us with their eyes and hearts open to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also pray that God will grant each evangelist the wisdom, the words, and the manner needed to reach each irreplaceable soul for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of our efforts today.

Thank you so much! We depend on your prayer support. In turn, may God greatly bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Rain didn’t stop the work, thanks to God’s answer to your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. Here are some highlights.

Although inclement weather often drives Boiseans indoors, setting up in a sheltered alcove along “restaurant row” provided us with a steady amount of foot traffic during the drizzle. Three (!) evangelists were available during our last session.

One man came over at our offer of a free Rosary and then proceeded to talk non-stop about his take on truth, which was a confused syncretism of many anti-Christian lies. During his monologue, he automatically reached out to accept a Miraculous Medal that was offered to him, and, when he reached at a stopping place, a Rosary and its booklet. Please pray for him?

A group of four women stopped for a brief visit after one of them expressed an interest in receiving the free Rosary we offered. I explained the devotion briefly to one of them and encouraged her to spend 15-20 minutes a day meditating of the things Jesus did for us. Evangelist Val, meanwhile, struck up a conversation with the one slightly older member of the group. The woman admitted that she had been deeply hurt by someone in “organized religion” and so has turned her back on it. Three out of the four women accepted a Rosary. Please pray for all of them?

Our last visitor of the day was “Chrissy”. Her fiancé is Catholic and she has been attending Mass at his parish, although she hadn’t yet signed up for RCIA classes. Val encouraged her to do so. She also gave her a copy of the Catechism.

Altogether, the three of us gave away at least 15 Rosaries & booklets, 1 Miraculous Medal, 4 maps of area parishes, 1 Catechism, and 2 Good News/kerygma pamphlets.

Please pray for us again today? We plan to head downtown again in just a few hours. Please pray that God sends us lots of people who have their eyes and hearts open to recognize their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also ask God to grant each evangelist the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each of these priceless souls for Christ.

Thank you so much! In turn, may God bless each of you!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
True power’s in the Name! So thank you for your prayers last week for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. One evangelist was available.

For the 3rd out of 4 sessions, a man (a different one each time, I’m pretty sure) stopped by early on with absurd talk. This particular man declined the offer of a Rosary, but asked for a Miraculous Medal. Then he returned a short time later, saying he couldn’t read the card to which it was attached. So I told him the story of Catherine Labouré and Our Lady’s request.

But I’m not sure he understood, because he mixed it up with that of the three children of Fatima. Then he started making a lot of wild statements about a recently canonized Saint. By the grace of God, I found myself a bit more alert than typical. So I was able to avoid inadvertently confirming any of the lies, but instead could answer (during pauses) with statements like, “I’ve never heard anything like that,” and “Miracles are performed by the power of God,” and “The Saint did everything for the love of Jesus Christ.”

After a few mentions of Jesus Christ and the Truth, the man wandered off. So, thank you so much for your on-going prayers for protection for our team. Please also pray for these men: for their deliverance from all evil, for their conversion to the Catholic Faith, and for their salvation.

The *Catechism *went to a man who had accepted a Rosary “for his mother”, and also a map of area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times listed. Please pray for both of them?

Altogether, I gave away maybe 10 Rosaries, 1 Miraculous Medal, my next-to-last Catechism, and 2 maps.

Please pray for us again today? I plan to head downtown again in just a few hours from now. Please pray that God sends lots of people to us with their hearts and eyes open to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and for the Church that He founded, that God will grant the evangelist(s) the wisdom, the words, and the manner needed to reach each of these incalculably valuable souls for Christ, and that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of today’s efforts.

Thank you so much! We depend on your prayer support! May God, in turn, bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
Did you miss me? A sudden illness took me out of commission last week, so thank you for your continued prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. It looks like we’re “good to go” today, just in time to be there for people heading toward the popular annual event in “our park”.

Here are some highlights from our last evangelization session, two weeks ago.

The construction in the middle of “our park” is finally concluded. So, there was lots of foot traffic through its center, and lots of people lingering to study the ground in search of the special brick they had commissioned. Overall, moods were positive.

Several groups of young people, perhaps 12-14 years old, stopped for a free Rosary. Many of them didn’t have any faith and didn’t have a Bible. I tried to encourage these “nones” (religious affiliation: none) to actually attempt to pray their new Rosary, promising them that it was a powerful prayer for peace.

One man who stopped for a visit wanted to make very sure that it wasn’t for himself that he requested my pamphlet on the Church’s view of homosexuality. It turns out that he recently discovered that his counselor, whom he found an attractive woman, is entangled in that lifestyle. Please pray for them?

A couple of Catholic families stopped so their children could choose Rosaries for themselves. I encouraged them to pray it together as a family.

Altogether, I ended up giving away maybe 25 Rosaries, 2 Miraculous Medals, 3 Good News/kerygma pamphlets, 1 pamphlet on homosexuality, and 1 that answered common objections to Catholicism, plus maybe 2 maps of area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times listed.

Please pray for us again today? As I said above, a major holiday festival is going on in the convention center and so there should be lots of foot traffic. Please pray that God will send people to us with their eyes and hearts open to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also pray that he grant each of us evangelists the words, the wisdom, and the manner needed to reach each of these priceless souls for Christ. Please pray that much fruit for His Kingdom will come of today’s efforts.

Thank you so much! In turn, may God abundantly bless you and yours!​

“Go with the strength you have” (Judg 6:14).
 
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