I met Tom Durkee as we were both waiting in the check-out at Lagron-Miller religious book and goods store in Peoria just before Christmas.

Tom is retired, closing his career with 25 years as an RN and home hospice nurse with OSF HealthCare.

Tom’s wife Sharon Flynn Durkee passed away three years ago. Sharon was also a nurse (she trained at Methodist School of Nursing, he at Bradley). They met on a blind date on Valentine’s Day, 1974, and were married at Corpus Christi Church in Galesburg in May, 1975.

HONEYMOON PREGNANCY

Sharon’s nursing career was interrupted, Tom says, by a “honeymoon pregnancy.” They would have seven children in all.

Tom is a member of St. Philomena Parish in Peoria. As he and I chatted, I was struck by his gentle mode of “street” evangelization.

He offered me a couple of miraculous medals. He buys them by the 100’s (from St. Paul Street Evangelization fittingly enough).

One of the Miraculous Medals and cards handed to me by a gently persistent evangelist, whom I met while waiting for my Christmas presents to be wrapped.

As my wife and I were about to leave, Tom asked if I would be interested in something he had written. Entitled, “Alex’s Conversion Story,” the following borrows heavily from that piece.

Since his retirement, Tom had played tennis with other retirees. One man, Bob, joined the group after moving from Colorado with his much younger son, Alex.

Bob told Tom that Alex, a high school senior, was very intelligent, but struggling, friendless, and seeing the school counsellor frequently.

CURIOUS ABOUT THE CATHOLIC MASS

Learning that Tom was Catholic, Bob mentioned that Alex was curious about the Catholic Mass.

“At that moment,” Tom wrote, “The Holy Spirit seemed to whisper in my ear, ‘Why wait? You attend Mass every morning.’”

With Bob’s permission, Tom offered to pick up Alex the next morning. Alex accepted, and it soon became a routine. “I sensed that Alex had a feeling of peace in the church,” Tom wrote.

He prayed about how he could further Alex’s faith life, “And the thought came from the Holy Spirit: C.S. Lewis. So the next Sunday I brought Alex a copy of ‘Mere Christianity.’”

Soon after – at Alex’s request – Tom supplied him with his copy of “The Confessions of St. Augustine.”

(And here is where I have to mention one of those “holy coincidences.” My wife Mary Louise proofread this story for me. She is a teacher, and she said, “I know this young man. He was a student in my math class – and I remember seeing him reading those weighty books during break!)  

FAST-SPROUTING SEEDS

One day, while driving Alex home from Mass, they passed the high school where Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) weekends were held. Tom mentioned that fact “just so as to plant a seed.”

Alex’s response was instant, “I want to do that!”

The weekend after TEC, Tom and Alex attended Mass at the Bradley University Newman Center. Afterwards, Tom introduced Alex to Msgr. Brownsey, who offered Alex a special blessing as he prayed over him – “which was beautiful,” wrote Tom.

Alex is now attending community college, and doing well.

Tom introduced Alex to Father Daniel Dionesotes, parochial vicar at St. Philomena, who spoke at length with Alex, and then asked Tom if he thought Alex was ready to become a Catholic. Tom wrote that he prayed about it “not very long,” and “realized I should invite him to OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults).”

RECIPE FOR GENTLE EVANGELIZATION

Tom suggested OCIA, and Alex said, “I can see no reason to put off the inevitable.”

He is now preparing to be received into the Catholic Church at St. Philomena Church at Easter.

So, what are the ingredients of gentle evangelization?

No. 1 ingredient of gentle evangelization: accompaniment. (Adobe Stock)

1/ Accompany the other person, as Tom accompanied Alex to Church (with the permission of Alex’s parent);

2/ Provide spiritual food (e.g., “Mere Christianity;” “The Confessions of St. Augustine”);

3/ Connect the individual with other resources along the walk of faith (e.g., TEC; OCIA);

4/ Enlist consecrated prayer and guidance (e.g., Msgr. Brownsey; Father Dionesotes).

Above all, pray, listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and then, as Nike might say, “Just do it.”