Bold billboards, cardboard notices stapled to telephone poles and messages painted on the sides of barns promoted evangelism crusades. Tents went up, trucks with sound systems appeared and plowed-down fields turned into parking lots as these crusades went on for repeated evenings. I never attended one; I certainly had the media image of what they entail: sweaty preachers revving up crowds with excitement for the Lord, hand-clapping choirs, plugged-in organs set on vibrato and praise bands; people made decisions to follow Christ and went home saved. We Catholics were typically squeamish about all this.

We’ve been hearing about our call to evangelize since the Second Vatican Council and the papacy of St. Paul VI. Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II called us to a “new evangelization,” and Pope Francis has emphasized the mission of every Catholic, every disciple, to go on mission and spread “the joy of the Gospel.” I’m a vowed religious sister and have been a teacher of religion and a seminary theology associate professor, yet I’m still somewhat mystified. How do we evangelize? What might truly and lastingly win souls to Christ?

I often wonder if much of my teaching about Jesus, sacred Scripture, the Church and the moral-spiritual life has been in vain. Some high school and college students who got As and Bs in my classes subsequently stopped practicing the faith. I’ve realized that teaching right doctrine doesn’t necessarily make it stick. I’ve also seen, thanks to my extended family, friends and colleagues, that growing up in a church-going Catholic milieu doesn’t guarantee that the faith has been internalized. So, I continue to wonder what works and what might be the best practices for evangelists.

We must rely on grace, of course. No one comes to Christ without being convinced that the person of Jesus and the record of his life, death and resurrection are real and true. That doesn’t mean we shrug and expect the Holy Spirit to do all the work. A frequent fallback for me is the widely known admonition attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel always. Use words when necessary.” It’s very similar to what I’ve heard some religious educators say, that “faith is more caught than taught.” This suggests that how we act and interact will be more effective than what we say and teach. We need apologetics for the sake of clarity, consistency and truth, but content alone doesn’t convert.

I had an encounter with a 30-something man several years before I moved south. He approached me after a presentation at an adult faith formation day in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I didn’t recognize him but remembered his name; I taught junior religion in his Catholic high school. He reminded me that he had been a mediocre and sometimes troublesome student; he said that by the grace of God he had somehow turned on to Christ, was set afire for the faith and enrolled in a lay ecclesial ministry formation program. I got the impression that he didn’t recall a blessed thing we had dealt with in religion class. He did say that I seemed amused by some of his antics and took it easy on him. A bit of respect and humor somehow left him with a positive outlook toward faith.

Along with treating people decently and with some lightness of heart, praying for them is vital to evangelization. We sisters have been inculcated with the sense that we ought to pray for our present and former students — and for everyone who has asked for our prayers. We do our best to remember some specifically by name, but we also regularly offer a catch-all intention for the cast of thousands who need prayer.

Another important part of evangelization seems to be the practice of availability and receptivity when topics of faith come up. Churched and unchurched alike, people often seem prompted to ask Catholics questions: Are Catholics Christian? Why do we have to go to Mass? What’s this bit about Mary and saints? Do we believe in the Bible? Why go to confession? Do we worship statues? Are rosaries good luck charms? Why do our crosses still have Jesus on them? These are some of the questions I’ve picked up on in grocery stores and while traveling.

Then there are the deeper ones, ones we regard as moral issues while others consider them simply political: Why do we oppose abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty or same-sex marriage? And it goes on. Responding patiently, clearly and with an appeal to reason as we explain can go a long way. And if we’re not sure how to answer, checking and getting back to the inquirer or referring to a good source can also be evangelization.

In the spring of 2023, a small group of women from the Lowcountry offered “Each One Reach One.” This take on evangelization spoke to opportunities we can all use like St. Francis’ approach: simple hospitality, listening to the problems of friends and neighbors or complete strangers, reaching out to lonely elders, showing kindness and compassion in tense public situations, smiling at a care-worn person. The point was to be mindful each day and moment that people can be touched by our Christlikeness. Invitations to church can follow, but first steps are down-to-earth social interactions.

Evangelization is inclusive of various ways and means. Yes, it is worthwhile to teach the faith and help people deepen theirs — I write, teach and speak about it — but more vital is prayer and living witness. We may be unashamedly Catholic with our crucifixes, rosaries and bumper stickers; we may bless ourselves and say grace in restaurants. But, we must recall that God’s grace and our graciousness are key to winning souls to Christ.

St. Timothy is told to “Be self-possessed in all circumstances … perform the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). So, I hope that I am, and we are, doing that work, even in the most offhand moments.