Look for ‘evangelizing moments’

By John Boucher | Special to The CFP

July 17 marked the 25th anniversary of TWA Flight 800’s explosion shortly after takeoff. Wreckage plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of East Moriches, New York, on the south shore of Long Island. All 230 people on board died. It was one of the worst aviation disasters in United States history.
In the days that followed, 5,000 victims’ family members, federal investigators, and news reporters descended on this town of 6,000 residents. And today, there are memorials and plaques at the Smith Point and Center Moriches beaches dedicated to those who died in the crash. But there are unseen, spiritual consequences, also, that remain in people’s lives.
St. John the Evangelist Parish in Center Moriches was at the heart of this tragedy. Six members of the parish died on that plane. And the pastor, Father James M. McDonald, opened the parish church and school buildings for any relief services needed. He celebrated Mass every day to comfort workers and victims’ families during this terrible time. Suddenly, his daily homilies were featured each night on national news broadcasts. He spoke about the cross of Jesus as the only way to make sense of such suffering. Parishioners stepped forward in large numbers to serve investigators, media professionals, and families in any way they could.
A few months later, at an evangelistic Ash Wednesday service, parents of a young woman who had died in the crash spoke about the hope they felt in Jesus Christ through Father Jim and the people of St. John’s. Father Jim reflected, “This is the worst of times for our parish! It is one of the most difficult situations I have ever faced. Yet I realized something while praying – that maybe this is one of those ‘evangelizing moments’ we learned about in evangelization training. Maybe this is a moment rich with opportunities to evangelize people to Jesus Christ and him crucified!”
Yes. It was a big “evangelizing moment.” But within the parish’s response were hundreds of small acts of faith and love. Even today, there are still more moments like it presented to all of us in everyday life. We need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit working in, around, and among us. Some opportunities hide in small and large tragedies. Others present themselves as opportunities for small acts of kindness.
For example, a close friend, Norman, headed off for a routine appointment with his neurologist, even though he felt dizzy and was experiencing low blood pressure. During the visit, Norman asked the nurse to check his pressure. She took it a few times and sent him to the emergency department immediately! Half a dozen tests later, Norman was admitted to the hospital with A-fib and heart failure.
During Norman’s echocardiogram, the technician, Sally, asked him what he did for a living. He explained that he is retired and volunteers to help Catholics learn to evangelize inactive Catholics and the unchurched. At the end of the test, Sally explained that she was a convert to Catholicism and had wondered why Catholics weren’t more active in sharing their faith. During their conversation, Sally took notes, especially about the website www.catholicevangelizer.com and the Facebook page, “Holy Spirit Calling.” Norman rejoiced about this small “evangelizing moment” to share his faith and excitement about evangelization.
Later, during Norman’s hospital stay, he asked a nurse about her decision to become a medical professional. She explained that her Catholic upbringing in her home country had led her to give her life to serve as a nurse. “But during the pandemic, I have been so sad that I could not go to Mass,” she said. She asked what parish Norman goes to on Sunday. So, he shared what he liked about his parish and invited her to come to Mass there.  
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops summarize this awareness of “evangelizing moments” in their document, “Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States:” “Each individual Catholic is to look at his or her everyday life from the viewpoint of evangelization. Take note of the many opportunities to support another’s faith, to share faith, and to help build up Jesus’ kingdom in our homes and workplaces, among our neighbors and friends.”

– John J.  Boucher is author of hundreds of articles and many books. He is a member of the Parish Renewal and Evangelization Committee in the Diocese of Worcester.

PHOTO: Former TWA employee Chris Rhoads attends a remembrance ceremony July 17, 2021, at the TWA Flight 800 International Memorial at Smith Point County Park in Shirley, N.Y., marking the 25th anniversary of the TWA Flight 800 disaster. The memorial is located on Long Island's South Shore, close to where a Paris-bound jumbo jet exploded over the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from New York's JFK International Airport July 17, 1996. All 230 people on board the airliner died. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)