Events like a parish festival provide lots of opportunity for ministry. Yesterday those opportunities were flowing at the end of the festival and immediately afterwards, starting at the beer wagon and continuing at the SOKOL club. Several people began talking with me at the beer wagon as things were winding down. Questions related to marriage and comments about needing to "get down to church" quickly entered the conversations. I was then introduced to a young, non-Catholic who wouldn't believe that I was the priest. Apparently he couldn't conceive of anything other than a fat, balding 60 year old in the role! He, and the older gentleman who introduced us, invited me to come up to the SOKOL club. The young man, I'm told, was further shocked that I actually showed up there. Glad that I did. Several more fruitful conversations about annulments and getting back to church ensued.
Go out and meet the people where they are; we cannot sit back and wait for them to come to us.
