The Catholic Information Booth is a tool for, and method of, evangelization. Literally, it involves taking our Catholic faith to the marketplace. It is located in a main aisle kiosk at the St. Charles Towne Center Mall, a regional mall with 120+ stores located in Waldorf, Charles County, MD.

The Booth is staffed one weekend a month by volunteers and is open Friday-Sunday all hours that the shopping Mall is open (33 hours per weekend). The Catholic Information Booth was initiated by Monsignor Andrew J. Cassin, previous Pastor, St. Peter Parish, Waldorf, MD working with the Parish Evangelization Committee. It is now sponsored by all 12 Catholic Churches in Charles County and staffed by volunteers from a number of parishes.

St. Peter's ,Sacred Heart Church (La Plata, MD), Holy Ghost Church (Issue, MD), St. Mary Star of the Sea (Indian Head, MD), and Our Lady Help of Christians (Waldorf, MD) together provide almost 200 volunteers who staff the Booth. The Booth is staffed by 2 adults at a time, typically in 2-hour shifts. Additional volunteers are needed to replace those who move away from the area. All volunteers are briefed in an orientation prior to, or concurrent with, their first shift at the Booth.

There are 250 pamphlets, booklets, flyers, and other items laid out in four 6-tiered display racks for browsing by the public. There is no charge for items at the Booth but a donation box is available for those wishing to help defray the cost of operation.

Volunteers staffing the Booth guide customers to Catholic literature and, to the extent possible, answer questions. Slips are also available for follow-up questions or contacts by Catholic Churches in the local area of persons visiting the Booth.

Start Date: September 25, 1998
Number of Weekends in Operation (September 98 – October 03): 61
(The Catholic Information Booth does not operate during November and December (rent is prohibitive).
Results: Verbal feedback from customers and the public-at-large has been very favorable. ("Wow." "This is great." "We never saw anything like this before." "Keep up the good work.") Although no precise measure of the impact of the Catholic Information Booth exists, we are aware of a people who have begun the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.) after visiting the Booth. Through slips put in the donation box for Father, we are also aware of others who have come back to the Catholic Church.

The following are other results:

Number of Customers To Date: 4,900
(Includes those who browse, take literature, or ask question.)

Items Given Out: 11,500 (booklets, pamphlets, cut sheets, prayer cards and rosaries)

Best "Seller": Pray the Rosary Daily, a 3 1/2 " x 7 1/2 " six-sided flyer published by the Association of Marian Helpers, Stockbridge, MA.

Further Information or to sign up to volunteer at the Booth: Contact Thomas D. Wanner, Chair of the parish Evangelization Team, by leaving a message at St. Peter's Parish Office, (301) 843-8916.