That is what convert and businessman Richard Lane calls himself, and some of his wise words on the faith were published recently in the St. Louis Review:

Lane is known as a Catholic evangelist, a term he said people have trouble with because they associate an evangelist with Protestantism. “We’re all called to evangelize and share God in everything we do,” he said, citing the efforts of St. Paul in the early Church.

As a former Protestant who took a 19-year journey to the Catholic Church, Lane was asked to hand out Bibles outside his parish, St. Alphonsus Liguori (Rock) Church. Becoming an evangelist is something he then felt called to do, yet something he did even when he didn’t feel up to it.

“As Catholics, as children of Christ, we are under orders. And it takes us out of our comfort zone,” he said, noting scriptural passages where Christ asked his followers to make disciples of all nations and commanded people to go forward with his message.

“God wanted me to do this. It truly took me out of my comfort zone,” said Lane, a Detroit native and son of NFL Hall of Famer Dick “Night Train” Lane.

God calls everyone to reach out, as he did to the poor, the needy and the suffering, said Lane, who works for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Louis.

Lane asked people to be “living testimonies” to God, in their married or single life or on their jobs, whether as doctors, lawyers, educators or janitors.

He noted that those who leave their comfort zone can see the face of Christ in the homeless person, for example. They also take a stand for what is right, he added.

He asked people to help their neighbors who may be struggling with challenges in their lives. “See what it means to serve someone. Isn’t that why Christ came for us?”

One of the hallmarks of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is that its members see the face of Christ in others, he said.

Being a Catholic evangelist, he said, simply means sharing one’s love for Jesus, “saying how good God has been in your life.”

Early in 2005, Lane began proclaiming the Gospel as a street-corner evangelist. He now is featured on “Catholic Answers Live,” Ave Maria Radio and Relevant Radio as well as on Protestant radio programs. He also is producer and co-host of “Evangelizing St. Louis.” Lane is co-founder of Catholic Men for Christ.

There’s much more about Lane and his unusual work at the link.