Prayer Shawl Ministry Provide Recipients with a “Hug From G M
any in our parishes find knitting or crocheting to be a great way to pass the time. We can use that gift — that stewardship talent — for good at our parishes through the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Lap blankets or shawls are made and passed on to parishioners or family members of parishioners experiencing a serious or terminal illness. Kate Connelly, a St. Michael parishioner who leads the Prayer Shawl Ministry, loves the meaning behind this ministry and how it can be a hug from ministry members and from God. She also enjoys making the shawls, as it is a good way to pass the time and wind down in the evening. “The shawl is like a hug from God and a hug from the The shawls or lap blankets are blessed by person who made Fr. Antony before they are distributed, along with it,” Kate says. a prayer card and a letter. The shawls or lap blankets are blessed by Fr. Antony before Kate distributes them, along with a prayer card and a letter. As the card reads, “You hold in your hands a prayer shawl. It was made for you with prayerful hands and a prayer-filled heart to help you feel warm and loved — a heartfelt hug... May God bless you and bring you peace. May His grace and comfort fill in you in your time of need. And may you find the mystery of God in your life.” In the future, Kate hopes to gather the group of volunteers to work together on the shawls or blankets. For now, they are completed from home by volunteers. Kate knows how much a handmade “Consider yourself hugged” — item can mean to someone going through an illness. this message to a prayer shawl “We receive a lot of positive comments,” Kate says. “The recipients recipient extends the warmth, realize that someone really cares. I hope it makes them reconsider fellowship and love that is at the Who is up there and what life is about. God is watching over us.” heart of this wonderful ministry.
“We receive a lot of positive comments. The recipients realize that someone really cares. I hope it makes them reconsider Who is up there and what life is about. God is watching over us.” — Kate Connelly 4
