Street Evangelization – My Start – 2018

Here’s an excerpt from my book that tells about how I got started in street evangelization. For an overview and a few pictures of my street evangelization set-up, check out this link.

I got my start in street evangelization very reluctantly in 2018. 

For a few years prior to that, I mused on the thought, but I didn’t particularly feel an urgent calling. 

That changed when the 800 page Grand Jury Report came out in my home state of Pennsylvania documenting Catholic clergy child abuse. I was serving on my Parish Council at the time, and due to the public nature of the sin, I was convinced that we needed to have a public response. People in our community were angry, hurt, lost, and confused. We owed it to them to be a visible sign of reparation. We couldn’t put it on them to come to us–we needed to go out to them. 

I pitched the idea to my pastor and the council, but folks were rather hesitant, and my idea didn’t seem to be going anywhere. I was frustrated and disappointed, and for a split second, I took those feelings to God, and he spoke very clearly to my heart, “You do it.” Who me?!

I spoke aloud again. “Father, like uhh…would it be okay if I did something? Just me?”

“Well, there’s nothing stopping you, but, if you’re asking for my priestly blessing, then sure, I give you my blessing.”

Great, now what have I gotten myself into!

A few days later I drew up a big sign that read, “Here to listen and to pray for survivors and the dead.” I wanted my presence to be visibly Catholic, so I fastened a large crucifix to a pole and figured I would use bungee cords to fasten the pole to a folding chair that I would sit in. I planned to set up a second folding chair facing towards me to a visible sign of welcome and to encourage people to stop and talk, and I would put the sign behind the chairs in a way that it was visible to passersby walking from either direction. 

I loaded the supplies in the back of my car and headed off to the post office in the middle of the next town over, which was occasionally the site of other demonstrations of various sorts. 

As I drove past the post office, I saw a pretty good parking space just down from it, but drove around the block to see if I could find something better. I didn’t find anything better, but when I drove around the block a second time, the parking space was still there, but I passed it up again. As I drove around the block a third time, I knew I was stalling. A lot of things passed through my mind, including this book. How am I ever going to have the courage to publish my book if I can’t even do this? When the original parking spot was still available, I rolled in. 

I pulled the chairs out first and set them up. People were walking by and ignoring me. OK, Luke, this is no big deal. Nooo big deal. 

I went back and took my sign out of the car and laid it face down in the grass. This is still no big deal. But when I pulled out the processional crucifix, I broke out in a cold sweat. I quickly fastened it to my chair, set my sign up, and pulled a rosary out of my pocket. 

I was just about to sit down in the chair when I felt God speak to my soul again: “kneel.” 

God, how crazy do you want me to look! I traced the sign of the cross over my body and put my knees on the ground, and in that moment, God sent a wave of peace over my soul. I was doing it. I really was, and I knew that God was pleased with me. I looked heavenward and smiled and could have cried. I thanked God for his goodness, and I made a holy hour of prayer right there in the middle of the sidewalk. 

Nobody stopped to talk to me that day but it ended up being the first of many such outings for me. My sign now typically reads: “here to listen, share, and pray.” I’ve made some wonderful friends in the process who often join me, and we sing songs, pass out prayer cards, and engage with those who pass by in other creative and friendly ways. The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”  (Matthew 9:37-38)