The Somerville St. Paul Street Evangelization team was invited to the craft fair at St. Francis Cathedral and we were excited for the opportunity! Ingrid, Michael, Albert and Alpa were the evangelists who were at the table, and Carol, Carolyn, Edith and Mary Ellen were the off-site prayer warriors who prayed for the souls that we encountered.  Many people accepted rosaries and took different SPSE pamphlets. It was a fruitful day of prayer and conversation. A few notable interactions:

• We met a lovely woman whose daughter attended the Cathedral grammar school. She spoke about how often her daughter attends mass and how wonderful she thought it was. When we asked “How about you?” she admitted that she doesn’t always get to Sunday mass, and sometimes her daughter wakes her up on Sundays to get to church. We laughed together and then spoke about the importance of Sunday mass and she happily accepted a confession booklet.
• We spoke at length to a fire fighter who grew up in a devoutly Catholic home. He was very involved in his parish and did a lot of volunteer work and supported the parish. Unfortunately, he no longer attends church because he was hurt by some of the actions of his pastor, and had built up a hardness for the institutional church. We apologized for his hurt and urged him to reconsider, and how we can’t let the actions of men keep us from our relationship with God.
• A fair few people with whom we prayed requested prayers for healing for themselves, due to ongoing medical conditions and complications. One was a vendor who was so touched, she thanked us profusely, said she felt much better after the prayers and came back to give us a few of the items she had for sale at her booth.
• We spoke to two women who were faithful Sunday mass goers. When I asked one of them if she’s been to confession recently, she said she hasn’t been in decades because once a priest told her that unless she commits a mortal sin, she has no need for confession. I then told her about an incident I had in my life where I had justified to myself that something I had done wasn’t a mortal sin, but after speaking to two devout Catholics that I respect, both told me that it was indeed a mortal sin. I spoke to her about how not only are sins forgiven, we also get graces from the sacrament to help us from committing more sin. She and her friend both took a confession booklet
• We met Angelina, who confided in us that she is a faithful Catholic, yet is becoming somewhat weary as she has health problems. After some hesitation, she agreed to let us pray with her. As we prayed for her various intentions, one could see some relief come over her burdens. She was so thankful afterward that she walked with her friend, Sophie, over to us. Sophie too was a Catholic, yet shared some of her burdens with us. She has two handicapped children, and it has been hard for them and her. She wanted prayers for her children, yet we also prayed for her and that she knows the LORD’s grace and help to her in light of her great responsibilities as their caretaker. She looked refreshed and was thankful for our prayers.
• We also met Rosa, who is a fallen away Catholic. We spoke with her about her faith. She is still hurting from the tragic loss of her daughter. We talked with her about that and prayed for her and the soul of her daughter. We also reminded her to not forget about GOD’s love in these difficulties, and not to forget about the Catholic Church. On that note, she told us that, for some reason, she still keeps a Rosary in her house, indicating that she hasn’t forgotten.

We had so many other beautiful encounters that glorified God! What a gift it was for us to spend the day at the craft fair.