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Prayer Shawl Ministry |
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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY KNITS COMMUNITY
This group meets monthly in the rectory conference room to pray in a very unique fashion – while working yarn into shawls to be presented with a blessing and card to the person for whom they are praying. Shawls have been made for centuries, are culturally universal and physically warming, and, in this case, are symbolic of the nurturing of an unconditionally loving God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, hug, warm, shelter and beautify.
St. Bernadette’s Prayer Shawl Ministry spun off from another group and began with a small circle meeting in members’ homes. Membership grew slowly by word of mouth. In September, the group issued a general invitation in the bulletin and moved to our Rectory Conference Room on the second Tuesday of each month. Membership has blossomed!
Some of the women knit and some crochet. Some are artists with yarn, some are just learning and some are re-learning after many years. All willing hands are welcome! Many of our shawls have been presented to parishioners, family members or friends who are ill or home-bound. Some have gone to nursing homes. Recently we were asked to provide shawls for soldiers who were wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and are recovering in a hospital in Germany. A recent request has been for preemie hats for Children's Hospital.
We begin our meetings with a prayer and maintain a prayerful attitude with a lighted candle and spiritual music. We also have some social time, including informal lessons and sharing of patterns. We usually have light refreshments available as well. Much of our actual needle or hook work is done in our homes between meetings, so often completed shawls are brought in to be blessed by one of our priests before they are presented to the recipient.
There is something quite wonderful about seeing a prayer become physically manifest… and something even more wonderful in being able to make one’s concern a beautiful, colorful gift. If you would like to join this very special ministry, contact Joanne or the Church Office at 649-3090. General information and guidelines about prayers shawl ministries that are growing throughout the nation is available on the internet at: http://www.shawlministry.com/. |
