‘Walking for Jesus’ at St. Gregory the Great
March 10, 2025 at 4:39 p.m.
“Come, let’s walk together this Lent,” read the door hangers by parishioners of St. Gregory the Great March 1.
The Hamilton parish tradition, affectionately called the “Walking for Jesus” project, is an effort prompted by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Family Life, which initially created a version of the door hangers in 2018. The other side of the hangers, which were distributed to homes in nearby neighborhoods, lists all the parish services and events during Lent.
“I’m a person that definitely wants to share my faith, but I don’t want to be overly aggressive. It’s a gentle way to evangelize and set a good example for my kids,” said Rita Petersen, a parishioner of almost 20 years who participated in the event for the third time with her two sons, Barry and Noah.
The event began in the church narthex, where the participants got to know one another over a light lunch. After a blessing from Father Mike Hall, pastor, participants had sandwiches, chips and homemade cookies while discussing their reasons for participating in the event.
Building up community
Jane Latini, who serves as the co-chair of the event, spoke of the value of faith-based community-building: “I think this reception when they first gather, meet each other and share why they’re here is just priceless. They evangelize one another. They’re on holy ground, talking about their love of Christ.”
Jane Latini, co-chair of “Walking for Jesus,” reviews the logistics of the day with participants. Elise Stankus photosAt the close of the reception, participants moved to the chapel for the next segment of the program. Latini walked through the protocol for distributing door hangers, which included instructions to not ring doorbells or knock on doors, and to respect “no solicitation” signs. She also directed participants to answer questions honestly and connect people to the parish office for any questions they were unable to answer.
“This is a labor of total joy, but some people have heavy, heavy issues, and that’s okay,” she said.
Before parishioners received their routes and “teams” for distributing the door hangers, Father Cyril Johnson, parochial vicar, blessed the door hangers and commissioned the participants. “We pray that we may be like the father of the prodigal son to our missing brothers and sisters and embrace them upon their return home,” he said.
Father Johnson said it is a shared tradition with his home in Kumbakonam, India, where the children traditionally distribute the door hangers.
The 52 St. Gregory participants, which included seven families, four members of the clergy, seven couples, and 19 individuals, then dispersed in teams of two to four people to distribute the door hangers to their assigned neighborhoods.
Preparing for Lent
“As a kickoff for Lent, it really gets people in the ‘Lenten mood,’” said Betsy Solan, a parishioner of over 50 years who serves as the head of the parish’s Evangelization Team.
The event traditionally takes place on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and serves as a way to invite the larger community into the Catholic Church. It also provides an opportunity for the young people of the parish to serve the community.
“I liked getting outside and introducing people to God,” said 15-year-old Barry Petersen, who attended the event with his mom, Rita, and brother, Noah.
As the co-chair of the project, Latini reflected on her experience over the past eight years: “It’s a lot of work but so rewarding,” she said. “It’s all about making friends on the journey.”
Shown is the image of the Walking for Jesus door hanger.
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“Come, let’s walk together this Lent,” read the door hangers by parishioners of St. Gregory the Great March 1.
The Hamilton parish tradition, affectionately called the “Walking for Jesus” project, is an effort prompted by the Diocesan Office of Evangelization and Family Life, which initially created a version of the door hangers in 2018. The other side of the hangers, which were distributed to homes in nearby neighborhoods, lists all the parish services and events during Lent.
“I’m a person that definitely wants to share my faith, but I don’t want to be overly aggressive. It’s a gentle way to evangelize and set a good example for my kids,” said Rita Petersen, a parishioner of almost 20 years who participated in the event for the third time with her two sons, Barry and Noah.
The event began in the church narthex, where the participants got to know one another over a light lunch. After a blessing from Father Mike Hall, pastor, participants had sandwiches, chips and homemade cookies while discussing their reasons for participating in the event.
Building up community
Jane Latini, who serves as the co-chair of the event, spoke of the value of faith-based community-building: “I think this reception when they first gather, meet each other and share why they’re here is just priceless. They evangelize one another. They’re on holy ground, talking about their love of Christ.”
Jane Latini, co-chair of “Walking for Jesus,” reviews the logistics of the day with participants. Elise Stankus photosAt the close of the reception, participants moved to the chapel for the next segment of the program. Latini walked through the protocol for distributing door hangers, which included instructions to not ring doorbells or knock on doors, and to respect “no solicitation” signs. She also directed participants to answer questions honestly and connect people to the parish office for any questions they were unable to answer.
“This is a labor of total joy, but some people have heavy, heavy issues, and that’s okay,” she said.
Before parishioners received their routes and “teams” for distributing the door hangers, Father Cyril Johnson, parochial vicar, blessed the door hangers and commissioned the participants. “We pray that we may be like the father of the prodigal son to our missing brothers and sisters and embrace them upon their return home,” he said.
Father Johnson said it is a shared tradition with his home in Kumbakonam, India, where the children traditionally distribute the door hangers.
The 52 St. Gregory participants, which included seven families, four members of the clergy, seven couples, and 19 individuals, then dispersed in teams of two to four people to distribute the door hangers to their assigned neighborhoods.
Preparing for Lent
“As a kickoff for Lent, it really gets people in the ‘Lenten mood,’” said Betsy Solan, a parishioner of over 50 years who serves as the head of the parish’s Evangelization Team.
The event traditionally takes place on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and serves as a way to invite the larger community into the Catholic Church. It also provides an opportunity for the young people of the parish to serve the community.
“I liked getting outside and introducing people to God,” said 15-year-old Barry Petersen, who attended the event with his mom, Rita, and brother, Noah.
As the co-chair of the project, Latini reflected on her experience over the past eight years: “It’s a lot of work but so rewarding,” she said. “It’s all about making friends on the journey.”
Shown is the image of the Walking for Jesus door hanger.