On a Saturday morning in November, the seminary went out to Columbia Heights, a neighborhood of DC with a lot of foot traffic, shops, and a farmer's market in the main square. We came for street evangelization, an element of our formation at the seminary each semester. Why do we go out? How are we sent? In any effort of evangelization, we keep in mind the desire of our Lord for the salvation of the world. He wants to form in us this desire for salvation. He desires every soul to be united to Him, intimately and specifically. So really, when we desire the salvation of any soul, we are sharing in our Lord's desire for the union of this particular soul to Himself. What a privilege! The priest is a man given over completely to this desire of the Heart of Christ, offering himself continuously as an oblation to the mercy of God for the salvation of particular souls. The whole day, then, was a response to this call, a petition for the Lord to share this desire of His Heart with us.
On each street corner across from the farmer's market, we set up a table, replete with rosaries, pamphleture, CDs, and the like. Each table had a priest as well! Our Vice-Rector and spiritual director were available to talk with people, give blessings and hear confessions.
The seminary was divided into teams, each under the patronage of a saint. The teams took turns manning the tables, walking the streets, and praying the Rosary, so that none of the activities was ever neglected. As seminarians took turns, we prayed the Rosary continuously for 2 hours to support the evangelization efforts out on the streets. Seminarians on the street were grouped into pairs that encountered people together and started conversations.
The day was rife with encounter, both positive and negative. Many, many people rejected us, either for lack of time or in opposition to the message. Many others received us warmly, happy and often a bit surprised that we were on the streets of Columbia Heights sharing the Good News.
The greatest joy of the day was a young man's confession. He stood and talked at our table for almost an hour, asking questions and sharing his story. Over the course of the conversation, he expressed a desire to return to confession. Our Vice-Rector pulled out his stole, and in minutes an immortal soul was brought back into communion with Christ, right there on the streets of Columbia Heights. And if even one soul is reminded of His transforming love, isn't it worthwhile?
Editor's Note: St. John Paul II Seminary does street evangelization each semester. The story above recounts our experience from Fall 2018. Below are two photos from our Spring 2019 street evangelization on the National Mall!
The seminarian schola (choir) rings out some Lenten hymns and patriotic songs in front of the Washington Memorial |
Seminarians enjoy sunshine and good spirits while evangelizing in front of the United States Capitol. |