For Catholic Evangelization team in Boise, Idaho - SPSE

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Give the glory to God! Both the tattoo fair in the sports arena and the drizzling rain tend to reduce interest in Christianity and Our Blessed Mother. But some people did stop. Three evangelists were working.
  • A group of three people stopped: two men and a woman. Each accepted a Rosary, a quick explanation of the devotion, and the encouragement to pray it. The woman was not a Christian, so she also accepted a copy of our one-page presentation of the kerygma.
  • A mother and two boys, maybe 8 and 10 years old, stopped. Already Catholic, the mom had Rosaries at home, but she allowed her sons to each choose one. We encouraged her to start praying it together as a family, especially for the protection it provides. The mention of “protection” brought a sober look to her face.
  • A Catholic man was visiting Boise. He accepted both a Rosary and a map to area parishes, as well as the invitation to attend Mass that very night.
  • A woman stopped for a Rosary. She identified as a member of a mainstream non-Catholic Christian denomination, but accepted the Rosary when we let her know that many non-Catholic Christians are beginning to pray it.
  • A man coming out of the sports arena, where the “skin art” show was going on, had his whole, now-brightly-colored shoulder covered with clear wound tape He chose a Rosary. Asked how much he had paid for the inking of his shoulder, he told evangelist Mike that he didn’t know because he was only taking a break before going back in for further tattooing.
  • One of our visitors was working the fair as a tattoo artist. He chose a Rosary that was large enough to fit over his head. May those who see it remember Our Savior and pray!
  • A group of young people in their late teens stopped by. One of them was wearing a T-shirt asking that a certain volition-sapping recreational drug not be legalized in our state The teens were non-Catholic Christians, but accepted Rosaries after hearing a brief explanation of the devotion.
  • Two men in their late 20s stopped. One was smoking and evangelist Mike kidded him about getting the smoking done on this side of the sod. Both got a Rosary and its pamphlet.
  • A green rosary went to a mom who was wearing a bright green sweater. She was accompanied by three others: her two teenage daughters and one of their friends. They each also accepted a Rosary and its pamphlet.
  • Altogether, we gave away about 25 Rosaries, 1 copy of the kerygma, and 1 map to area parishes.
Please pray for us again today? The annual convention of a certain style of cartoon art is scheduled to be going on around us. In previous years, many of the attendees wore elaborate costumes sporting horns and tails, and many of the young people seemed to flirting with their most deadly enemy in exchange for power. Still, the Lord has granted us some success in reaching some of these hearts! May He grant that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of our efforts today!

May God be glorified in everything we do! Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support! We rely on them! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and your loved ones!​

“ Go with the strength you have ” (Judg 6:14).
 
Thank you, @Katie777 and all my prayer supporters! Your prayers and encouragement are a real help. This is hopefully a rare occurrence, but I have decided not to try to do Catholic street evangelization today. Due to either a very bad cold or bronchitis, I can barely stand. I don’t think I should be driving today. So sorry. Prayers, please?

Last week went well. Hope to get you the full report next week!
 
Another near-record day. So thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort!

*“Memorial Day” brought the annual convention of a certain cartoon style. Most attendees came in costume. This year, greater numbers of people were cross-dressing, or engaged in same-sex hand holding. But there was also significantly more interest in the Rosary. Our Lady will win the victory!
  • A woman in her 20s, sporting bright blue hair, had a serious question. What is the difference between Catholicism and the religion in which she was raised? She had enough doubt that she no longer practiced that faith. Evangelist Chuck told her the roots of Catholicism vastly differed from those of her childhood religion: Catholicism is rooted in the Gospels, while her former religion was rooted in an American movement skeptical of centuries of Christian thought. That skepticism implies Christ abandoned his Church, allowing it to fall into grave error. But God is truthful, and said, “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” His care is evident: the Church has survived not only attacks inside and out, but also times of gross corruption, staying true to God’s revelation. That starkly contrasts with the ever-changing doctrines of her former religion. We gave her a Catechism, to better understand who God is, and who she is in relation to Him. May the Holy Spirit lead her to Christ and his true Church!
  • A group of people refused a Rosary, one woman proclaiming she served the enemy of her own soul. Asked why, she said she loved nature and tapping into its power. When evangelist Chuck offered that the One who made nature had considerably more power than His creation, she shrugged and said she didn’t believe in God, then moved on. Pray for her?
  • A Catholic woman asked for four Rosaries. Content with receiving only one, she planned to teach it to her kids. Evangelist Lucy encouraged her to pray it regularly with them!
  • Evangelist Mike gave Rosary and pamphlet to two girls, one in college and the other 14. They came back to ask if the Rosaries were blessed. Yes. Mike asked if they were Catholic. Yes, they’d just come from Mass.
  • So many came; so many accepted Rosaries. We estimate the 3 of us gave away about 50 Rosaries, 3-4 copies of the kerygma, and 2 copies of the Catechism.
Please pray for us again today? Please ask God to send people to us prepared to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

No matter what tempts people to stray, the Rosary (and Our Blessed Mother) draws them back to Her Son! So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate. In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and your loved ones!​

“Place Mary’s Rosary around a sinner’s neck, and he will not escape her Son!” (C. Roberts, based on St. Louis Marie de Montfort).

P.S. There was room for only half the stories here. For a full report, please visit our blog.

P.P.S. Thank you so much for your prayers. The mysterious illness has seemed to let up. (Allergies? Pollen counts in Boise are at an historic high.) So, back to it!
 
Commending your great work!
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Amen!
 
Hardened hearts respond to the Rosary and the hope it offers. So thank you again for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort!
  • Taking the Rosary from evangelist Chuck’s hand, a man said he needed it. Not Catholic, he said he was “terminal” but that wasn’t why he wanted the Rosary. His terminal condition has been going on for a couple of years, and he was beginning to think more deeply about things. He chose a Rosary, and accepted its pamphlet as well as a copy of our “Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell” leaflet .
  • A man with many tattoos and pointed silver fingernails chose a Rosary. He also accepted its pamphlet, a brief explanation of the devotion, and the encouragement to sit down and try it. He nodded. The two men with him didn’t take Rosaries.
  • A mother with three young sons (ages 2 to 10) each took a Rosary.
  • A man stopped to ask what kind of spirits Rosaries protected against. Evangelist Lucy replied, “evil ones”. He already felt protected there, but took a Rosary and its pamphlet anyway. Later, I recalled that sometimes protection is also needed against human spirits acting illicitly, in “astral travel” and such.
  • A non-Catholic single mom accepted Rosary and pamphlet. She had received help from a local parish and sometimes attended Mass there.
  • A man on a bicycle had ridden past us weekly. without stopping. This time, he suddenly felt urged to stop. His father was Catholic and his Irish Catholic grandmother prayed for him for years. He gladly took a Rosary, saying, “if only you knew what was going on in my life,” though without giving detail. Encouraged to connect with the Church, he revealed he believed that all religions lead to God, so he didn’t need to be part of any particular one.
  • A man in his 20s took a Rosary. Having become a believer the year before, he was still looking for a church community. We gave him a map of area of parishes, and a copy of the kerygma, “the basic Christian message from a Catholic point of view”.
  • A married couple (Catholic? I think so) shared that their son was struggling with PTSD after serving in an active military situation, and that he needed our prayers.
  • Altogether, we two evangelists gave away 15-20 rosaries, 4-5 maps, 1 copy of the kerygma, and 1 “Last Things” pamphlet.
Please pray for us again today? We plan to set up downtown in just a couple of hours from now. Please ask God to send people to us prepared to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

Our Lord uses the Rosary to appeal to people, perhaps even causing a chink in the armor that they’ve set around their hearts against the Catholic Faith. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate (including your encouraging messages, as well as the visit and onsite encouragement last week from prayer warrior Sandra)! May God protect and greatly bless you and your loved ones!​

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

P.S. Space is limited here. For many more notes from the session, as well as photos, please visit our SPSE journal/blog page.
 
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. x10

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
 
Last week was the US holiday, “Father’s Day”. More families were out and about, than in the past. So thank you again for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort.
  • I forgot our table, so evangelist Chuck’s used his ten fingers to display Rosaries, while I tried to keep up with handing out the how-to brochure from our bag. Not ideal, but we made it work.
  • A noticeable change this year from Father’s Day in the past: This year, we saw significantly more intact family groups. And many more of the fathers were actively leading their family. It made me think that the last few years of the emphasis within Christian circles on fatherhood and on men resuming their natural leadership role is already making a visible impact in society!
  • One man was accompanied by his two children (6 and under). When his children expressed a desire for a Rosary, he allowed them to come over. While they were choosing their preferred color from evangelist Chuck, Lucy took the leaflet describing the devotion over to the father to explain the Rosary. When she mentioned the protection granted to those who pray it together as a family, the dad himself went over to Chuck to choose one for himself.
  • Several other people responded positively to the Rosary as protection. Two of them were men heading to work as window washers on a tall building close by. They each took a Rosary!
  • Sometimes we had a line of children waiting for a Rosary. They evidently belonged to different family groups, since some were soaking wet from playing in the fountain, while others were still neatly dressed in their Sunday best.
  • People didn’t stop for an extended conversation, but many Rosaries were selected and its pamphlet accepted. Altogether, the two evangelists found homes for 25-30 Rosaries.
Please pray for us again today? I’m so excited! Our bishop will be leading a Corpus Christi procession from the historic cathedral to the business park where we’ve been setting up every week for nearly seven years now! When they arrive, there will be a brief period of adoration, followed by benediction, before they return to the cathedral. As far as I know, this is the first local Eucharistic procession in many decades that has actually left church property. It feels like Jesus is coming to visit us, which of course, He is. Please pray for the safety of everyone involved, and that much good fruit for God’s Kingdom comes of our efforts today.

A big shout-out to the Rosary-making groups who have so generously helped us get ready for the event. Our benefactors include a local parish, at least 4 Legion of Mary praesidia, a retreat center, and a private family group. May God bless you all! May He grant that your Rosaries each find an active home.

There’s signs that the pendulum is swinging back and that the Christian family is being restored. So thank you again for your prayers, sacrifices, and other support for this apostolate! We rely on you! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and your loved ones!​

“Persevere in running the race that lies before us” (Hebrews 12:1)

For photos from last week, please check our blog page in a day or two.
 
Our bishop carried the Blessed Sacrament in a Corpus Christi procession. About 150 people accompanied Our Lord for a half mile or more, from the historic cathedral, around several extra blocks due to road construction, and into the center of “our” business park, where the bishop placed the monstrance on the flower-bedecked altar awaiting it. This was the first Eucharistic procession (in my knowledge, anyway) that has actually ventured off church property in decades!
  • Perhaps it was mere coincidence. But the destination for the central prayers, brief adoration, and liturgical dance before the Blessed Sacrament, happened to be where our apostolate has served for nearly seven years now. It felt like Jesus Himself came to visit us!
  • We are very grateful to all the Rosary Makers who donated Rosaries for the event! The atmosphere was solemn and reverent, as if we were inside a church, so only a few people around the back edge of the procession paused at our table to accept a Rosary. But one of those was involved in prison ministry. She snagged a handful of our Rosary brochures, of our Good News/kerygma brochures, and of our Jesus-themed bookmarks, as well our remaining Last Things (Judgment, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory) pamphlets. May God bless all who receive them!
  • A slender woman in her mid-20s stopped, attracted by the offer of a free Rosary. She was dressed stylishly, but in such gender-neutral clothing that another of us evangelists thought she was a teenage boy. Her voice, though, had the rasp that probably made her a target for aggressive recruitment by the same-sex-lifestyle community. (Lord, please defend our children!) Asked if she was Christian, she responded that she used to be, but was now “a pagan”. We gave her a copy of the kerygma pamphlet and encouraged her to pray that Rosary she had chosen.
  • A family of six or seven members, and at least three generations, each took a Rosary and the pamphlet containing pictures for each Mystery. They each also accepted a copy of the Spanish-language version of the prayers. We encouraged them to pray it as a family.
  • Another, partial family group stopped briefly. The group consisted of mother, two teenage daughters, and their friend, . They each accepted a Rosary and the encouragement to begin praying it regularly.
  • Altogether, we five (!) evangelists gave away about 50 Rosaries with its booklet, about 10-15 extra Rosary pamphlets, about 10 Spanish-language copies of the Rosary prayers, about 10 Good News/kerygma pamphlets, 2-3 Last Things pamphlets, 6-8 Jesus-knocking bookmarks, and 2-3 maps of area parishes with Mass and Reconciliation times listed.
Please pray for us again today? We plan to set up downtown in just a couple of hours from now. Please ask God to prepare people to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

God Himself blessed the apostolate, thanks to your ongoing prayers, sacrifices, and other support. We can do nothing without Him! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and your loved ones!​

“Go with the strength you have ” (Judg 6:14).
 
For your good deeds…
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, AMEN!
 
We continue to find people who need the Rosary, thanks to your ongoing prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. One evangelist was available.
  • A group of 3 children (8 and under) came over, while the rest of the family remained at a picnic table. The oldest, a boy, made sure the Rosaries were free. As they were making their selection, I asked if they were Christian. He seemed unsure. I asked if they believed in the Bible. Yes. I gave them a quick explanation on how to pray the Rosary. They thanked me (unprompted!) and returned to their family, who, as they were leaving later, also thanked me.
  • A woman passing by declined the offer of a free Rosary because she identified as belonging to a particular group of non-Catholic Christians. A few moments later, a man stopped in curiosity. Asked if he was familiar with the Rosary, he said no, because he belonged to the same denomination as the previous woman. I told him that members of that particular division of Christianity prayed the Rosary (thinking of a well-known convert). I gave him a brief explanation of the devotion and encouraged him to try it, since people had come back and said that it “helped their walk with Christ.” He chose a black Rosary, and accepted the pamphlet.
  • “Cole”, a housing-challenged man whom we’ve seen often over the years, has yet to accept a Rosary from us. We trust he knows he may have one anytime he changes his mind. During this session, he circled by at least 4 times, carrying his heavy duffel bag. On the 4th round, I remarked on the weather. He mentioned that he was trying to get back in shape after having spent the last month unable to exercise, since he was first in a hotel and then in jail for three weeks. Able to work out again for the last few days, he was pleased with how much strength he has already recovered.
  • A woman with dark red hair received a Rosary from me a couple of weeks ago. Asked if she had learned how to pray it, she said she’d talked to her mom about that, which thrilled her mom!
  • An older man on a bicycle stopped. Catholic, he had been at the Eucharistic procession the week before, but hadn’t had a chance to stop for a Rosary. He did so today. God is good!
  • A man smiled while gesturing a “backwards peace sign”. May God bless those who curse us, and bring them each to salvation!
  • As I was packing up, two men in their early 20s came over to choose a Rosary. They also received its pamphlet and encouragement to pray it.
  • Altogether, the evangelist gave away 15-20 Rosaries and its booklet, as well as 1 Divine Mercy bookmark.
Please pray for us again today? Please ask God to prepare people’s hearts to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

The Rosary remains relevant and people become open to the devotion as soon as they understand it. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and yours!​

“ Go with the strength you have ” (Judg 6:14).
 
Connect or reconnecting people with the Church, our apostolate continues. So thank you again for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. A special shout-out to Barbara, who caused some much-needed Rosary booklets to head our way. Thank you! Two evangelists were available.
  • Dave" and “Stephanie”, inactive Catholics just moving back to town, expressed belief that the Catholic Church was the true Church. Dave asked why evangelist Chuck had become Catholic. He then voiced his need for Confession, joking about having to confess “all those mortal sins.” Chuck encouraged him to go to Reconciliation because of the forgiveness so freely offered there. They each accepted a Rosary and its booklet. They also accepted a map to area parishes and the invitation to get reconnected ta-NIGHT!
  • A man told us his girlfriend is a lifelong Catholic from a country south of here. His first introduction to Catholicism came through an economics book with a Catholic author. He was coming to see that the Catholic Church held so much more, and was even attending Mass when his girlfriend was out of town. He accepted not only a Rosary and its booklet, but also a copy of the Catechism and a map to area parishes.
  • A family group stopped by, consisting of 3 women, 3 children, and a grandmother. Each took a Rosary. One of the moms also accepted the booklet with pictures of the Mysteries. We encouraged them to pray it together.
  • A group of three adults came by, with an older woman in a wheelchair. Asked if they wanted a Rosary, they replied, “Grandmother would!” and wheeled her to where she could choose one. Evidently, they are all active Catholics.
  • A group of three women in their late teens stopped when one wanted a free Rosary. They each took one and its pamphlet. Non-Catholic Christians, they became open to praying the Rosary once they understood it.
  • A man on a scooter braked sharply, then circled back to claim his free Rosary. He hadn’t been a practicing Catholic in many years, so we invited him to get reconnected.
  • A family visiting from another state are thinking about moving to Boise, where it is both friendlier and safer. They are non-Catholic Christians, but the father cheerfully accepted a Rosary.
  • Three teenage boys stopped. Two took Rosaries and accepted an explanation of the devotion. The third was a student at a local Catholic high school, so we encouraged him to explain the Rosary more fully to his friends.
  • Altogether, the two evangelists gave away about 20 Rosaries and its booklet, one copy of the Catechism, and 3-4 maps to area parishes.
Please pray for us again today? Please ask God to send people to us prepared to perceive their need for Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

There’s still plenty of work needed to round up the “lost sheep”. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!​

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

P.S. Space was too limited here for all the stories, so please visit our blog website.
 
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