Regnum Christi partnered with Hakuna Music group to run a missionary day at the Basilica of St Patrick’s Old Cathedral. More than 20 volunteers hit the streets to bring people back to the church, and Hakuna’s in-house choir held a concert with more than 100 participants.
“We ran out of rosaries so fast that we didn’t know what to do! We proceeded by trying to bring people into the church at all costs” said Ines Hamparzoumian.
The idea was inspired by the missions that Steve Auth, RC member and author of “The Missionary of Wall Street”, has run for close to 15 years.
“I know New York. There’s no way in the world this could ever work” he thought back in 2008 before starting this missionary program. Years later, at the end of a day standing on the street corners of Soho, Steve could say, “Today we estimate that we’ve greeted 10,000 souls, engaged 250 for sidewalk talks and brought 100 to church and 50 to confession” showing the contrasting success from its very beginning days to today.
“Me and Zuzana I would say tried speaking to over 60 people” said Luca Zocche. “10-15 of them were open to our call and either took one of our rosaries or entered the church to pray or confess which was a big sign of hope for us amidst all the denials.”
Fr Jorge Obregon, LC was very impressed by the amount of people who came into church to pray in front of the holy sacrament and to confess. “I was so excited to see that during three hours, three priests were hearing confessions nonstop. It seemed that the people who normally go for a touristic visit of old St. Patrick’s Cathedral were met by the grace and love of the Holy Spirit and had an opportunity to encounter God’s mercy.”
Other volunteers had inspiring moments as well that reaffirmed their faith…
“Catholics and atheist New Yorkers alike caught on to Hakuna’s music” said Francisco Santos
“I couldn’t believe it. I saw people from different faiths enter the church premises to hear the music. I was thinking exactly what Stephen Auth taught at that very moment. That it would be nearly impossible to fathom.”
“It was such a success that we can’t wait for the next one to happen around Christmas” said Lourdes De La vina
“The opportunities are endless.”
Hakuna Music Group, which ranked at one point #1 on Spotify in Spain, holds holy hours with its choir every 1st and 3rd week of the month at Old St Patrick Cathedral at 7:30pm. Regnum Christi will hold the next Young Adult Mission on December 14th. Contact Fr Jorge for more information at jobregon@legionaries.org.
