I gotta give the man more credit. I'm still trying to calm down. It was probably the most evangelistic move he can make ... and he did it with enviable grace.

Pentecost. Yesterday was Pentecost. And he welcomed a family of five into the Catholic church. He confirmed the parents. She cried as he anointed her. A good-looking family with three daughters, all dressed up. The parents looked too young to have children in elementary school.

Spontaneous applause erupted more than once.

My initial reaction when he announced the reception was, "You're too late. The Easter Vigil was months ago." Not very welcoming, eh? But, I was wrong to be so by-the-book: a Pentecost confirmation is very appropriate.

But, as always, I'm aghast at anyone joining the Catholic church of their own free will. How does that happen? A mystery, always a mystery. God's mystery. Because nobody in their right mind would ...

I extended a personal welcome afterwards during the coffee hour. They both appeared genuinely happy, especially him. Good, good to see. The firsthand experience of a family of five joining the church more than offsets in our imaginations what we read in the papers and Pew Survey of Catholics leaving in droves.

"That stuff can't be true; we've got the 'real deal' righ'cheer."

This is the liturgical bookend to the baptism he performed last month: another attractive, young family. I gotta hand it to him: the guy knows evangelism.

tags technorati : pentecost confirmation catholic evangelism