More on Street Evangelism from the people at the St. Patrick's school of Evangelisation (where we will hopefully be on Sunday)...

Street Evangelisation

Street evangelisation happens every Friday evening for us and will also be a big part of our Advent Mission next week. It is often one of the most challenging forms of outreach that we are faced with at the school - and for some this form of outreach is even controversial.

Here we wanted to just give you a picture of what a typical Friday evening of street evangelisation is like for us and what does and doesn't happen.

The whole evening is rooted in prayer, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed in St Patrick's throughout. We begin the night in adoration and by praying the Sorrowful Mystery of the Lord's Crucifixion; we end the night in adoration and by praying the Glorious Mystery of the Resurrection. We also take it in turns to stay with the Blessed Sacrament throughout the evening to sustain in prayer those who are out on the streets. It is very much an evening of prayer for the conversion of Soho.

We always go out onto the streets in pairs, and since different people have different gifts the approaches that work best for them differ. Some include:

• Standing on a corner handing out SOS prayerline cards and asking people if they need any prayers said
• Walking around Soho silently praying the Rosary
• Walking about the streets engaging people in conversation and telling them about a Saint (like Blessed Mother Teresa) and offering them a Miraculous medal

A main challenge is to remember that we are there to bring Christ to people, but not ourselves or our own 'angles' on life or faith. Success cannot simply be characterised in worldly terms - by the percentage of arguments won or the number of medals given out this week. Instead, success might be simply to soak up some of the anger or sorrow a person needs to get rid of, to speak a word of encouragement, or simply to say a prayer for a person we meet.

We all find that Street Evangelisation is something that challenges us. It's certainly not what I look forward to most in the school week. It is emotionally and physically tiring, there is rejection and even ridicule to contend with. But there are also moments of grace and remarkable receptivity. We have a lot to receive, as well as give, in encountering Christ in the people we meet on the streets.

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Ella and I (and hopefully Ryan) are really looking forward to going to London to meet the people at SPES. Looking forward to it, and dreading it.

I know what you're thinking. Evangelisation. It's really hard. I mean, how do you do it. I've asked priests, lay people, even Bishops. I'm still at a loss. If only there were, oh I don't know, some kind of, um, school of evangelisation...

What? There is?

St. Patrick's School of Evangelisation in London not only exists but they have a blog!

It all sounds a bit hardcore, I mean...

For the students weekly street evangelisation involves spending an hour or two out on the streets of London, sharing their love and zeal for God with those they encounter.

Large-scale Outreaches, which can take weeks of preparation, are done together with various groups, ranging from a local Gospel Choir to professional evangelisation groups and other local groups.

Most importantly, the students learn that the most effective way to Evangelise is to live a life of love centred around Christ.

So.... what happens now. Unfortunately mother and father types like myself can't take a year out to enroll on a residential course. We could send Leona but you have to be at least twenty and she isn't. We'll just have to sponge off their wisdom as best we can.

As it happens, St Patrick's School of Evangelisation are holding an Advent Mission this, um, Advent. We're going to jump in the car and join them on Sunday 16th December to see some real life Street Evangelisation. This is both exciting and the most frightening thing I have ever contemplated. Prayer will be required.

Fortunately, the good folks at St. Patricks's School of Evangelisation have a prayer for this very task...

Almighty God, we ask for Your blessing on the Advent Mission in Soho and on all the preparation by the students and staff of the Schools of Mission. We pray for all the parishioners of St. Patrick's and all those in London who may be helped by this mission. May your Holy Spirit guide the works and message going out to the busy streets of London and bring the true, Christ-centered Christmas spirit to the heart of the city. We make this our prayer through Jesus Christ, the Word sent to save us, and with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Amen.

You can read a blog entry with more information about the mission here.