photo by Hans Moerman
July 17 marked the 25th anniversary of TWA Flight 800’s explosion and crash during takeoff. Wreckage plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Center Moriches, New York, on the south shore of Long Island. All 230 people on board were killed.
In the days that followed, more than 5,000 family members, federal investigators, and news reporters descended on this town of 6,000 residents. And today, there are memorials and plaques at the Smith Point and Center Moriches beaches dedicated to those who died in the crash. But there are unseen, spiritual consequences, also, that remain in people’s lives.
St. John the Evangelist Parish in Center Moriches was at the heart of this tragedy. Six members of the parish were on the plane. The pastor, Fr. Jim, quickly opened the church and school buildings for whatever relief services were needed. He celebrated Mass every day to comfort workers and victims’ families during this terrible time. Parts of Fr. Jim’s daily homilies were featured each night on national news broadcasts. He often spoke about the cross of Jesus as the only way to make sense of such suffering.
Parishioners stepped forward in large numbers to serve investigators, media and families in any way they could. A few months later, at an evangelistic Ash Wednesday service, parents of a young woman who had died in the crash spoke about the hope they felt in Jesus Christ, through Fr. Jim and the people of St. John’s. Fr. Jim also spoke later, “This is the worst of times for our parish! It is one of the most difficult situations I have ever faced. Yet I realized something while I was praying–that maybe this is one of those ‘evangelizing moments’ we learned about. Maybe this is a moment rich with opportunities to evangelize people to Jesus Christ and to him crucified!”
Yes. This was a big “evangelizing moment.” But within the parish’s response were hundreds of small acts of faith and love. And, yes. Even today, there are still more moments presented to all of us in everyday life, if we pay attention to the Holy Spirit working in, around, and among us. Some opportunities are hidden in small and large tragedies, others present themselves as opportunities for small acts of kindness.
For example, a close friend, named Norman, headed off for a routine appointment with his neurologist, even though he felt dizzy and was experiencing low blood pressure. During the visit, Norman asked the nurse to check his pressure again. She took it a few times; then told his wife to take him to the Emergency Department immediately! Half a dozen tests later, he was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of A-fib and heart failure.
During Norman’s echocardiogram, the technician, Sally, asked him what he did for a living. He explained that he was retired, but volunteered to help Catholics learn how to evangelize inactive Catholics and the unchurched. At the end of the test, Sally explained that she was a convert to Catholicism and had wondered why Catholics weren’t more active in sharing their faith. During their conversation Sally took notes, especially about the website www.catholicevangelizer.com and the Facebook page, “Holy Spirit Calling.” Norman left on a gurney, rejoicing over this small “evangelizing moment” and the grace to share faith and his excitement about evangelization.
Later, during Norman’s hospital stay, he asked a nurse about her decision to become a medical professional. She explained that her Catholic upbringing in her home country had led her to give her life to serve as a nurse. “But during the pandemic, I have been so sad that I could not go to Mass.” She asked what parish Norman belonged to. So, he shared what he liked about his parish and invited her to come to Mass there.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops summarize this awareness of “evangelizing moments” in their document, Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, “Each individual Catholic is to look at his or her everyday life from the viewpoint of evangelization. Take note of the many opportunities to support another’s faith, to share faith, and to help build up Jesus’ kingdom in our homes and workplaces, among our neighbors and friends.”