The St. Augustine St. Monica Catholic Church has seen an uptick in participants in its outdoor meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a release issued on the Catholic Foundation of Michigan website reported.

"A lot more people are praying and believing in God right now than did before the pandemic, and I’m one of them. I’m trying to find where I belong," a guest told a parish staff member in the release.

Many are not ready to come back into church because of COVID-19, but they are ready to connect with others and with Jesus through the church's outdoor meetings, which exercise social distancing in small groups. The parish has worked to adapt during the pandemic, both virtually and in person, by focusing on the neighborhood.

"Jesus is the light in the darkness," Genevieve Kocourek, evangelization coordinator for the parish said in the release. "He is shining His light on people suffering during the pandemic, suffering due to minimal access to food and suffering due to lack of community."

As the parish slowly reopened, its efforts toward evangelization needed to continue in a safe manner, Kocourek said. "This is one way St. Augustine St. Monica Parish continues the mission to make disciples of all nations, by meeting people where they are and providing for both bodily and spiritual needs."

The evangelization program helps give participants confidence in God and increases the surrounding community's faith, Kocourek continued. "Some neighbors have encountered Jesus very powerfully when being prayed with or through having conversations with parish evangelists that allow them to reflect more deeply on the mysteries of God."

Prior to the pandemic, the parish held ice cream socials and basketball games during the summer, among other events. They have tried to continue some of those efforts in a different way this year.