We Knocked…and were invited in!
In June, we published the Evangelization toolkit called “Here I Am! I Stand at the Door and Knock…” Sr. Claire Sullivan, who has been leading a parish home visitation group consisting of parishioners and IHM sisters in home visits for the Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, has written this article on the experiences of the group this summer. You can see that toolkit by clicking here: Here I Am! I Stand at the Door and Knock…
Walking the streets of North Camden, conversing with families on their front porch or steps, entering the sanctuary of so many homes and hearts has been a joy for each member of the Cathedral Home Visits Team.
We visited about 200 families blessing their homes, sharing high and low moments of their faith journeys, and hopefully giving encouragement, a kind word, a listening ear…
We met many families that wish their children and/or other family members to receive the sacraments. As we prayed and blessed the homes we discovered the deep faith life of many. At each home we left a beautiful picture of Jesus, the Shepherd and in so doing we discovered that many grandparents recite psalms 23 and 91 every night.
In entering the homes of our parishioners we were able to pinpoint really needy families that we need to be aware of now and at special times during the year.
One highpoint was the hospitality given as we prayed the rosary and sang songs at the corner of 7th and York Sts., a prayer service that was repeated a week later at Front and State Sts. Of course all this was followed by refreshments and good conversation.
To express appreciation of a garden, to ask about the family photos, to laugh with the joyful and cry with the broken-hearted has been indeed a rich spiritual experience and brings to mind the words of St. Francis de Sales : “God has imprinted on all things his traces, trails and footsteps”.
Surely God was walking with us.
It is hoped that our invitations to be aware of God in their lives, to begin or continue to pray for guidance, strength, healing has been helpful. We have sown. We leave the harvesting to our loving providential Father.
