Faith Re-soled

I got my dress shoes polished and re-soled at the local cobbler's bench in preparation for the company party this weekend.

The small business is run by a Korean family who frequently have their kids and their dog puttering around the store during business hours -- something that doesn't bother me in the slightest, but actually endears them to me.

I glanced over at the ornaments on the side wall behind the counter and I asked the man:

"Do you go to St. Paul Chung?".

He looked surprised and said, "Yes; how did you know?".

I replied, "Only Catholics have crucifixes on the wall. I'm Catholic and I pass by it every week; I always make a point of patronizing Catholic businesses where possible."

He smiled and told the woman behind the counter, "Take $5 off his order."

Some days it pays to advertise.

Absolution To Go

In a kind of follow-up on my series on "faith-to-go" (yes two posts does make a series), I give you CatholicChapelMall.org.

This mall-based ministry is managed by the Capuchin Franciscans, and promoted by the Diocese of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Knights of Columbus, and the Capuchin Province of Mid-America.

The back story is that I was in Colorado Springs on some business, and had an hour or two to kill before my flight out. I went to the Mall to find a drugstore to buy some aspirin for the perennial headache I get when near the Mile High state, when I stumbled on this storefront.

So I walk in all friendly, "Hey, what is this, exactly?". A 900 year old Cappuchin walks out of his office and says, "Can I help you?" in an equally 900 year old voice. So I find out that they have a whole chapel for prayer (with tabernacle -- yeah!), spiritual guidance, faith inquiry, vocation discernment, parish and catholic charities referrals. Best of all, they have Mass twice a day ... and Confession!

"Er, hey, I have this plane to catch in an hour ... can I get a Confession to go?". The very nice Capuchin very nicely obliges, although I thought he was going to fall asleep while giving me the absolution. LOL!

Not only that, but the secretary gives me two aspirin! Take two and call me the next time you're in town.

How cool is that? Absolution to go at the mall.