Holy Week Missions 2026 is more than an event—it is a call to stand firm in a world that constantly shifts beneath our feet. Centered on the theme “Unshaken,” the mission draws from Christ’s own words: “The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew… yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). This powerful image sets the tone for the entire experience, reminding participants that a life rooted in Christ is not spared from storms, but strengthened to endure them. In a culture marked by uncertainty and division, missionaries are invited to become witnesses to something unmovable—truth grounded in the person of Christ.
At its core, the mission is a bold sending forth. Participants are not called to remain comfortable or passive, but to go out as apostles into a world that “desperately needs Christ, the Rock on whom every life must be built.” This call is not timid—it is urgent and courageous. Echoing the challenge of St. John Paul II, the mission resounds with the words: “Be not afraid!” To be “unshaken” means refusing to let fear, doubt, or opposition have the final word. Instead, missionaries step forward with confidence, trusting that it is Christ Himself who calls, forms, and sends them to transform the world.
Day 1 - Palm Sunday
- Jesus sought her out. Jesus arrived at Jacob’s Well at mid day, having dismissed his Apostles first. He knew the Samaritan woman would be there, in the heat of the day, when the other women in town would not be. She was ashamed and was avoiding her peers. So Jesus’ meeting was not accidental; it was intentional; he was seeking out this particular person in need. This week, we too must be intentional, going not where we want to go, or when we want to go, but rather where the souls we seek are at the time they are there. The mission is not convenient. It’s not comfortable. It’s intentional.
- Jesus listened. As the scene at the well unfolds, what is remarkable is that for the first half of the conversation, Jesus is mostly asking questions and listening. As he does so, the woman gradually reveals her sinful story. On the streets this week, let’s remember to listen more and talk less. Ask penetrating questions, and let our new friend do the talking. Let’s get to know them. Let’s remember we are encountering them, not just handing out rosaries or service schedules.
- Jesus offers the living water. Most of the people we meet this week will be thirsty for something bigger, more transcendent than the fancy but banal meal they are heading to or the noisy club they are meeting their friends at. We have what they want, even if they don’t know it and even if we sometimes forget we have it. It’s the “living water” of the sacraments, Reconciliation and Eucharist. Those are our secret weapons, that never fail. Be confident. Be unafraid. Ours’ is the Living Water.
Day 2 - The Line of Joy
Holy Monday
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, SoHo. We’ve had our share of Holy Mondays in SoHo with brutally cold weather, wet weather, and storms. Not today. The Lord sent us warm sun and clear skies, both meteorologically and figuratively. Following a brief talk on the importance of joy and love to the mission’s success, our dozen some odd missionaries swept out of HQ just after 4:30, spreading joy and love through the neighborhood around the church. Before long, joyful conversations were happening everywhere, and soon the confessionals began to fill. By 5:30 the confession line had grown to nearly a dozen penitents, and never seemed to shorten even as our three wonderful priests were dispensing the Lord’s mercy soul by soul. By 7:00, the line was so long we had to cancel Mass, as we could not spare a priest. More on that below.
The stories of these joyful conversations and conversions are so many that I’ve only captured a few samples here. Enough, perhaps, to transport you to this very special evening….
Alysha and Samantha Consider Changing Course
Prince and Mulberry, SoHo.
Out on the very busy corner of Prince and Mulberry, we had a team of new missionaries from Focus who took to the task like fish to water. Within minutes of their arrival on the two corners there, a variety of sidewalk chats began happening simultaneously. Lucy almost immediately brought two young people into the church through the back door for confession. Another missionary stopped two young ladies on their way to work, Alysha and Samantha. Living and working in the neighborhood, they hadn’t been planning on Easter services and confession was a while back in time. When offered, their eyes lit up. “That feels like something I really need to do,” Sam told us. “We will back ahead of work on Friday. Promise. It’s time to change course.”
Mitch Comes Home
Prince and Mott, SoHo. A joyful young 20 something approaches the team on Prince and Mott. “Mr. Auth, it’s me! Mitch!” Mitch is the son of a long ago transferred-away missionary from NJ, Alex. Mitch is known to Mr. Auth as just a kid. He’s now a grown man. And he fondly remembers his days helping his dad at the mission 15 years ago. “Thank you for reminding me, and for being here tonight. It almost feels like coming home. Wait till I tell my Dad!”
A Strange Coincidence
Prince and Mott, SoHo. Christi meets a missionary out on Prince and Mott. She’s a young woman in her mid-20s, on her way to dinner. After a long chat, Christi agrees to visit the church and light a candle. Then she pops the question: “By the way, do you know anything about RCIA? I was baptized Catholic but I never got formed and never had First Holy Communion. I’d really like to do that. I’ve been considering it but didn’t know how to get started.” The missionary immediately connects her with Fr. Daniel, and a meeting is arranged the next day. Later, she tells him, “This is a strange coincidence. Here I was looking to join a church, then I run into you. Do you think the Holy Spirit was involved?”
Alyssha Finds Her Soul
Outside The Little Cupcake Shop, So Ho. One of our new joyful missionaries, Allyssha, was engaged for some time with a young man outside the cupcake shop. Later, near the end of the night, she found me. “Steve, it’s just like you said! A man stopped to talk with me who was Jewish. I didn’t know where this was heading, but we really connected and he began to talk about the fact that Jesus was a Jew. When he finally went off, I felt a strong sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence and that somehow this man was deeply touched by our meeting. I remembered what you said about the woman at the well and the importance of persevering till I found “my soul.” And I thought to myself, ‘Now I know what he meant. I did it. I found my soul.’”
The Line of Joy
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, SoHo. At 7:00, the missionaries start streaming into the church for our traditional Holy Monday missionary Mass. For the first time in nearly 20 years, we decide to cancel it; the confession line is simply too long, nearly 20 people waiting patiently and yes, joyfully, for their chance with one of our last two priests. They are being nurtured and attended to by the little missionary in the back of the church, and the whole crowd, rather than seeming to be worried or embarrassed, are smiling joyfully as they prepare and interact with her. They are clearly on what to them has become a line of joy. Mass cancelled, the missionaries instead pray the Stations of the Cross for priestly vocations, as we know more than ever the impossibility of fulfilling our mission without the Lord’s priests to help us, to “connect the last mile”, to dispense the Lord’s mercy at the end of that line of joy. Around 8:30, with the line down to just six people, the last two missionaries leave the church. We bump into a recently absolved, glowing penitent emerging from the confessional. “Evelyn, thank you for being here tonight. I went to confession because of you. This would not have happened to me without you.”
A missionary
March 31, 2026
Mary Finds Her Soul
Dear Steve,
You asked me to send you a summary of what I discussed yesterday with the young man I was speaking with for so long.
He was from a secular family and is left-wing.
Almost right away I said that there is nothing God can’t forgive, and that He never stops loving us. I let him do a lot of talking about what he didn’t like about the Christian churches and the guntoting Catholics he meets upstate. I told him how Nicholas Kristof, a NYT’s columnist, said that wherever there is terrible suffering in the world, you will find Catholic nuns and priests and evangelicals, as in the Sudan.
I told him about Mother Teresa’s mystical experience on the train, and that she experienced His intense thirst for each of us. Later I talked about miracles and how the saints have direct experience of God. I told him how Jesus spoke to Mother Teresa, asking her to go into the slums of Calcutta. I told him about the Nobel Prize winning scientist who witnessed a miracle at Lourdes; about Edith Stein and the circle of young philosphers around Husserl who converted to Christianity; and about one of the miracles for Edith Stein’s canonization and the doctors who testified that there was no natural explanation for a cure, one of whom was the former chairman of the New England Journal of Medicine.
He did not want to exchange contact information, and said he wanted the conversation to just be a special stand alone event and hugged me goodbye.
“Steve, as he walked away, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I found my soul.'”
Yours,
Mary
Day 3 - Lit Up on the Way of the Cross
Mission Blog Day 3
Holy Wednesday
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Fifth
Avenue, New York City. I rushed to the Cathedral from a late lunch meeting, but I didn’t get there ahead of them. The joyful young seminarians had arrived early, and were waiting, praying, where we’d agreed to meet in the crypt below the main altar. Their faces radiated with, yes, a little anxiety about the task ahead, but of the joyful kind. They were primed and loaded for a “real” experience of the mission in one of the busiest corners of New York. “What should we say if they say ……?”, “or if they say “……..?” Time for a pep talk.
“We’re not here to debate people into confession. We’re here to give them an experience of the two things we have, in Christ, that they don’t: (Agape) Love, and (Confident) Joy. They are wired by God to seek this, but the culture around them is only giving them back “Eros” and “Happy”. This is not the water that quenches their thirst. We have the “Living Water,” Jesus. (John 4:10) When they’ve tasted that water, through your witness of love and joy, the Holy Spirit will handle the rest. Just keep persevering, with love and joy. If you do, the Holy Spirit will bring someone to you whose soul you can uniquely can touch. Go. Find your soul.”
Then, armed with the Living Water, three large crosses and a guitar, the brothers poured out of the Cathedral to Fifth Avenue….
Lit Up on the Way of the Cross
Rockefeller Center, New York.
As soon as they left the Cathedral, two brothers’ teams set up shop right in front of the church, on the south and north corners. The third headed directly across the street to Rockefeller Center. That worked for about two minutes, when a Rockefeller Center security guard arrived.
“We love you guys, we do, but you can’t stand here with that cross. It’s against Rockefeller Center policy.” Perfect.
“At least we tried,” the brothers replied. Then they headed off on a Cross Walk in the neighborhood….
As they proceeded along the sidewalk, they were nearly overwhelmed with the responses. Prayers, prayers, and more prayers. Their cross became filled with them though the long afternoon and early evening. Although we had pre-agreed to re-convene in the crypt for pizza and wrap up by 7:00, this third team was no where to be found. Finally, around 7:45, they streamed in, full of love and joy, their cross covered with dozens of heartfelt prayers.
“At first, we were scared. But as time went on, so many people’s faces lit up with joy at seeing us! They were lit up!”
Veronica Arrives, followed by Grace
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Main Aisle. Almost on cue, a “Veronica” arrived in the church, stirred up by the joyful brothers outside. Following confession, she approached a missionary. “I really needed this tonight. Thank you. And please pray for me. I’m really struggling right now.”
Five minutes later, the same missionary encountered Grace. A sprightly 90 year old out for a visit to the Cathedral with her middle-aged son, she comes by for a white rosary. “Yes, my name is Grace. It’s been a joy all my life to have that name. And thank you for these wonderful missionaries. They are such beautiful witnesses to the Faith that has sustained me over the last 90 years. And so many joyful young ones!”s!”
A Rare Seven Bagger Caught in the Net
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Altar Station. Out at the busy altar station, one of the missionaries encountered a middle-aged man visiting from Mexico. No English. Somehow, in broken Spanish, he helped Guillermo understand that it “es possible confesar en Espanol.” Guillermo asked if he needed to confess in order to get a rosary.
“It would be better, but Guillermo , I believe in you. Take a rosary.”
“Gracias”, he responds. Then, Guillermo heads off to collect his family.
“How many?”
“Nueve.”
Gulp. Did he say “Nine?”
Later, Guillermo returns with seven.
“I thought you said ‘nueve’!”
“Dos no quieres.”
So “just” seven it is.
The missionary escorted them to Fr. Jorge, a Legionary who, like all of our priests, speaks perfect Spanish. Father had only one penitent, but in an instant, had a line of seven people waiting patiently for the next hour.
The missionaries have had a number of multiple-baggers over the years.
Many twosomes
Several threesomes.
A half-dozen four-baggers.
But never a Seven Bagger. Ever.
God bless the brothers of Cheshire!
Joy that Glows in the Dark
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Southern Transept. Missionary veteran Karen is stationed in a dimly lit corner of the northern transept, engaged throughout the night with the passers-by. At one point, two young people, visiting with their Catholic parents from Italy, stop for a chat.
The younger sister accepts one of Karen’s special glow-in-the-dark rosaries. That’s when the older sister steps in.
“No thank you, we’re atheists,” she bravely proclaims. What an entry point!
“OK, I have something else for you.” Karen reaches into her bag and pulls out her package of resources for non-believers. First, a flyer for the The SaintBeluga.org website created by a highly educated former atheist/data scientist who discovered Catholic truth and converted. Then, John Bergsma’s simply written but compelling, book YES, THERE IS A GOD.
“You see, Maria, ‘God became human, so humans might become divine’.”
The young woman’s eyes widened. She said she’d take the sheet with her. Later on, a fellow missionary told her that the young women’s parents were praying hopefully nearby when they saw their daughters engaging about the faith Karen.
They Speak in Tongues
Fifth Avenue, New York City. Amidst the bustle of tourists from all over the world, the brothers quickly understood that the Lord had given them a special advantage: they could speak in tongues, sort of. Amongst each team, there were often 5 or more languages– English, of course, but also Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German.
“Once someone got to us through the crowd, we were never worried. They’d right away start speaking their native tongue, thinking we’d not respond. But just as quickly, we’d bring in the member of our team who spoke their language. Big smiles! It was almost as if we were speaking in tongues! We started to feel like real Apostles!”
Tears of Joy
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Northwestern Transept. The missionary-in-the-back of the church is stationed this time nearer the front, where we have Fr. Paul hearing confessions. With the brothers outside softening up the crowd, she’s more or less raking leaves. But two young women prove more resistant than usual to the idea of confession. One has multiple face piercings, her name is Riley. Eventually, they’re encouraged to try.
“What will we say? We haven’t done this in years.”
The usual confession preparation guide feels a little too formal for these two. The missionary pivots to love.
“Just pray a little before you go in. Think about what you’re sorry for. And tell Father. He’ll help you with the rest.”
Later, Riley s confession, and kneels alone to pray her penance an aisle or two over. She’s crying, but with a big smile on her face. Tears of joy.
“I found my soul!”
Fifth Avenue, New York City. Brother Juan Jose’s team is having an “amazing night”, as person after person pauses to nail a prayer to the cross and then to chat. Brother tells me about a woman from Mexico, who initially declined his suggestion that they chat. Slowly, she warmed up and then, at some point in the conversation, burst out in tears.
“What’s wrong, Maria?” Brother asks.
“Nothing is wrong. These are tears of joy. Joy for you wonderful brothers, and for the Gospel.”
Later, near our 7:00 closing, Brother Felipe finds someone from Costa Rica who seems particularly touched by his story of how he ended up in the seminary. They ended up in a long, heartfelt dialogue about the Faith and about Jesus.
“Mr. Auth, you were right. You told us to persevere joyfully to the end. That the Holy Spirit would bring us our soul. And He did. I found my soul!”
A missionary
April 2, 2026
You're Not Funny. God is Real!
Hi Steve,
Once again a great mission! BJ, Katherine and I left filled with joy and hope as always!!
I wanted to share my encounter with a soul today.
We had just arrived at St Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Good Friday. Before I went out on the street to encounter souls I went to confession myself. Standing in line, I met a young woman who was very friendly.
She introduced herself, asked how long I’d been coming to this church and then asked me my name. We began a conversation as we waited in line for confession. She shared with me an encounter she had with Christ recently and the heaviness she felt in what He was asking of her.
I tried to encourage her by saying, God will not ask more of you than you can give, and He doesn’t expect us to be perfect in serving Him.
She then went on to tell me a story. She said that she was a comedian. And that for a long time she would tell jokes about God, and they weren’t nice jokes! One time someone came up to her and said you shouldn’t make fun of God. He is real!
That night she had a dream where God told her to stop using His name in vain, you’re not funny. He told her to speak of me (positively) through your comedy.
So now she is working on becoming a Christian comedian! She said she is afraid others will now make fun of her but she is willing to stand up for her faith because she knows God is real! We continued talking and I encouraged her to speak truth and have courage in spreading Gods love.
I also shared with her about a young woman’s retreat that is being held at St Pats Old Cathedral in May! I sent her the link and she said “I’m coming! I need more friends who believe!”
Jeannie
Day 4 - Really
Mission Blog Day 4
Holy Thursday
Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral, So Ho. It was a bone-chilling night in SoHo, with temperatures running 20 degrees lower than yesterday and a continuous mist in the air. We have just seven missionaries to support our three wonderful priests. Ten years ago, this would have seemed like Mission impossible.
Not last night. It’s difficult to gauge precisely, but roughly what even five years ago would have been a hit rate of 60 to 1, was averaging something like 10 to 1 through the chilly early evening hours. Even those numbers are in reality probably even more like 5 or 3 to 1, if you were to count all the people who at least responded to us with a big smile and a “Happy Easter to you too!”
For sure, the missionaries and their ever-present “Wing Man”, the Holy Spirit, deserve some credit. The veteran mission crew exuded the confident love and joy that comes with working alongside the Holy Spirit for so long, and our mix of ages probably helped too. Some of us have gone full grey in our hair and somehow the young people on the streets react as if they are having a sit-down with one of their grandparents! And our younger missionaries seemed like a long-forgotten best friend to others.
Still, there was something more. Fr. Jorge hit on it in his inspirational sermon at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper later in the evening. “Salvation” was in the air, and a topic people understood and seemed anxious to talk about. “This is the night that begins our Salvation,” he proclaimed.
“And that, that is really important. Really.”
For missionaries and missioned alike, we could not have agreed more. Here are just three from a very long list….
Completely New
Prince and Mott, So Ho. Two beautiful young women from Providence College stop by the corner. Visiting New York for the day, on their way to dinner. A joyful discussion ensues.
“Oh, yes! We go to Mass regularly at the ‘Last Chance Mass’ on Sunday nights at the College! And of course we’re going on Easter Sunday with our parents!”
“So, you got your confession in already also?”
“What, are saying we are supposed to do a confession?”
“It’s the Church’s strong recommendation, ladies. And you know why? Because when you go to the Easter morning Mass, and hear of Jesus’ resurrection from the empty tomb, you’ll experience it in an entirely new way. You will feel like you are there in the garden with Mary Magdalen. You’ll feel like you are snow white.”
“Hmmm.”
“And guess what. You can go right now.”
“Really? Maybe later.”
“No time like the present!”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Forty minutes later, Gabriela and Sophi come floating back to the corner. Glowing.
“Thank you for stopping us,” Gabriela offers. “I’ve been going to Catholic school all my life and I didn’t know I was supposed to go to Confession before Easter. And now I feel completely new.”
An Orthodox Confession
Prince and Mott, So Ho. Claire, a young woman from the neighborhood, pauses for a rosary. Greek Orthodox.
“Confession?”
“No, I can’t. I’m Greek Orthodox.”
“You know Claire, the Orthodox can receive the Catholic sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. Both faiths hold true to the Creed and the traditions passed on from Jesus and the Apostles. The Roman Church even has a ruling on this. As long as you approach the sacraments with the disposition of Faith.”
“Really?”
There goes that “Really?” again.
“Yes, ‘Really!’”
“Maybe I can do this.”
The missionary walks Claire in to the church. She’s nervous. Hasn’t been to confession in a long while, and never to a Roman Catholic priest.
“What will I say?”
“Say what’s on your heart. I know there’s something there that is bothering you.”
“Yes, there is. I can do this. I’m ready. I can do this.”
He hands her off to the missionary in the back of the church, who gently places Claire in a confession line. Reassures her a few more times.
Later, like many others, she re-appears on the corner.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And please thank your wife. She was amazing.”
Muy Importante
Prince and Mott, So Ho. A large family of tourists comes strolling by. They pass on Andrew’s offer of a rosary, smiling but quiet. Another missionary realizes they don’t speak English and starts in with his broken Spanish.
“Este es el Primer ‘St. Patrick’s Iglesia” en Neuve Yorke. Este.”
“Este?”
They agree to go in for a visit. Eventually, the confession question.
“Santiago [the father], es possible confessio en Espanol…”
“Hmmm.”
“Todos nuestros padres hablas Espanol.”
“Es Verdad?”
There goes that “Really?” question again.
“Verdad. Y, muy importante.”
Santiago’s countenance grows serious. He turns to his wife. The whole family marches in. All five of them.
Later, as they float by the corner while the missionaries there are engaged with another group, they overhear one of the young sisters (who both speak English!) say to the other, in English, “I’m really glad we confessed. That really was important.”
“Really.”
A Missionary
April 3, 2026
Day 5 - The Beautiful Journey
Holy Week Mission Blog Day 5
Good Friday
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, SoHo. By late morning, the mists of Holy Thursday had passed, ushering in beautiful sunny early spring day in New York City. Weather means something to street missionaries. For their own comfort, for sure. But they know from experience when the weather is good, casual passers-by are more inclined to stop for a chat. Or maybe I should say, extremely inclined to stop for a chat. Our hit rates from earlier in the week of 10 to 1, which by historical standards seemed too good to be true, dropped yesterday to close to 3 to 1. The missionaries were overwhelmed with souls. Seeing what was happening, we pulled back everyone to two intersections, so that we’d have sufficient missionaries to handle the flow as their partners became sidelined with a long discussion with a soul about, well, eternity. God. Sacrifice. Confession. Forgiveness. And beauty. Lots of beauty….
Mary’s Fire
St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, noon. Our lead missionary has made an appointment with our lead priest for a quick confession before heading to HQ and greeting the missionaries. This has been his custom for some twenty-odd years, as on Good Friday the forces of light and darkness lock horns, and we encourage all the missionaries, whatever their spiritual state and whenever they’ve last availed themselves of the sacrament (even if earlier in the week), to receive the grace of the sacrament first before heading out.
“You can’t give what you don’t have,” the missionary in the back of the church often advises.
Well, without getting into details, the confession wasn’t long but the penance was—an entire Chaplet of Divine Mercy. The priest, who know the type-A missionary particularly well, knew this was a big penance for him; a 30 minute prayer with a roomful of missionaries waiting. The missionary believes he heard the priest chuckling as he left the confession booth.
As the missionary dutifully sank to his knees and prayed on, he gradually put aside all his “Martha” worries about the time being lost, the souls being missed, the conversations not being had. Somewhere about the third decade he started finding his tiny little inner Mary. By the she was his, and by the 5th he couldn’t peel himself out of the pew.
We don’t know the “opportunity cost” of this little escapade, to use a Wall Street term. But we do know the effect. When the missionaries did finally hit the streets, a little after 1:00, the neighborhood caught fire. Mary’s fire.
Alissa Finds Her Soul
Across from the Cupcake Shop, Prince and Mott, SoHo. We’ve had a lot of missionaries who “Found their soul” this week– that one individual whose unique traits and characteristics and background seemed to be a perfect match for the missionary in question. Across from Prince and Mott, a missionary spied another, Alissa, engaged forever in a long joyful discussion with a young with big Faith issues.
Allissa never gave the missionary many of the details. But she did mention that about 10 minutes into the conversation, the young man brought up something I had predicted to all the missionaries would eventually come up.
“You know Alissa, I wasn’t that interested in talking with grey-haired man across the street. Seems like a nice guy but not my type. But you, you ‘get’ me. Thank you.”
That’s when Alissa remembered the charge. That’s when she found her soul.
Elvis the King
Prince and Mott, So Ho. A joyful young couple coming through Prince and Mott are “not Catholic,” which is a sufficient response for one of the missionaries to ask them their names.
“Skylar.”
“And Elvis.”
“Ah, Elvis the king!.”
A long discussion ensues. Elvis and Skylar are Baptists, and big fans of Jesus. They’re going to Easter services on Sunday at their church in Brooklyn.
“No, we’ve never been inside a Catholic church. Never got asked.”
“Well, there’s no time like the present!
The church is very beautiful inside. And Jesus is in there. In the tabernacle on the side altar. You can visit him and say a prayer.”
In they march, and out they skip… 20 minutes later.
A member the missionary team on the corner, Mary, suggests we gather for a little sidewalk prayer of thanks. Elvis leads us.
“Jesus, thank you bringing us together today, Jesus. Jesus, thank you for the blessing of Easter Jesus. And Jesus, bless these missionaries, and bless Skylar and I, Jesus. And Jesus, thank you for saving us.. Amen.”
Francesca Meets the Virgin Annunciate
“All Journeys Have a Beginning”
Prince and Mulberry, So Ho. A missionary is on his way back from Prince and Mulberry, where the Shore team of RC members, who faithfully arrive to the missions every Good Friday for the last 18 years, are raking in souls through the back of the church. He immediately bumps into Francesca and Fernando, already “softened up” by the joyful missionaries out on Prince and Mulberry.
“Wait a minute, Francesca. You look an awlful lot like someone I know!’
The missionary opens his phone to look for the photo. It’s not the kind of photo Fernando and Francesca are expecting.
It’s a photo of “The Catholic Mona Lisa”, The Virgin Annunciate by Antonello de Messina.
The missionary holds the photo up next to Francesca, and Fernando’s eyes light up. They almost look like identical twins.
A long discussion about art and beauty and faith ensues. Mary preparing for this moment in prayer. Mary protecting her modesty. Mary’s humility before the angel of God. Mary’s cautious exploration of the details of the dangerous mission she is being asked to undertake. The intent focus of Mary’s eyes as she locks in on the angel’s message. And, Mary’s “yes” to the Lord. Those amazing pursed lips, her determined fiat.
The young couple from Italy is just visiting New York, and had no plans to visit a church today. But that all changed right there.
Later, the missionary spied “Mary” with her boyfriend three pews in front of him, in the packed Good Friday service at the Basilica. With the plaintive voices of the choir filling the the space, and the sun streaming through the shimmering stained glass windows that make up its walls, the young couple are enveloped in the beauty, and the sorrow, of the service. Their “yes” was not Mary’s, but it was important all the same. All journeys have a beginning.
A Beautiful Journey
Prince and Mott, So Ho, 6:00. Late in the afternoon, Pedro, a former Regnum Christi missionero from Texas who we met on the streets two years ago and then joined us to help, appears on the corner with three friends from Texas. A missionary is engaged with an Hispanic couple, and is struggling to get them to understand that they can confess in Spanish. Pedro immediately jumps in and cheerfully explains to Luis what the missionary is offering. Off they march to the Basilica.
Pedro then introduces his three friends, all Protestants who are struggling with their faith and, Pedro believes, on a path to becoming Catholics.
“Oh, great! How about joining us for an hour or so! You guys will be great.”
Emma picks up the conversation. She’s a thin, pretty and pensive young woman.
“We can’t. We are on our way to the museum and Pedro just wanted us to say ‘hello’ before we go.”
“What museum?”
“The Met.”
Gulp.
“Really? That’s awesome! Their collection is enormous. You should pick up a book I know of at their book store. It’s called Pilgrimage to the Museum. It will help guide you through from a spiritual angle.”
“Do they have any paintings by Van Gogh?”
Gulp. Gulp.
“Well, actually, they have one of his great masterpieces. Wheatfield with Cypress. It’s spiritual cousin, the other masterpiece here in New York, is Starry, Starry Night. That one is at the MOMA. And both are about Van Gogh’s scary relationship with God. He was also a Protestant, you know.”
“A Protestant minister, actually,” Emma chimes in.
Emma knows Van Gogh.
Things start going deeper. Van Gogh’s faith. His struggle with relationships. With God. The beauty of his paintings. And yes, the fear within them. The fear that eventually devoured him.
Emma is transfixed. Her mind is racing. Something very deep insid her is stirring.
As her friends break in and say they really have to get going, she comes back to the corner for one last word.
“Thank you for being here. I am sure that just as the Holy Spirit brought Paul to the Gentiles, He brought you to me tonight. On Good Friday. I’m on a journey and this was an important fork in the road of that journey. Thank you.”
A beautiful journey, indeed.
A missionary
April 4, 2026
