Prayer shawls: What are they?
A prayer shawl begins with the shawl maker saying prayers for the recipient. The intentions are continued during the creation of the shawl. At the weekly meetings, the members pray together for the recipients and requestors, and a final blessing is obtained from a priest or deacon. When a person wraps oneself in a prayer shawl, the shawl serves as a reminder of the mercy, peace, and compassion that can be found in God’s loving embrace.
History and Mission
The formation of Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer Shawl Ministry was inspired by the national prayer shawl ministry website www.shawlministry.com. The original Prayer Shawl Ministry is a worldwide ecumenical ministry that was developed by Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo in 1998 as an outgrowth of the Women’s Leadership Institute at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut.
The mission of Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer Shawl Ministry is to bring together people of similar interests to share in fellowship and to use our time and talents to produce prayer shawls that will be given away to help spread the message of God’s mercy, love and compassion.
Giving a Prayer Shawl
Do you know someone who is in need of a prayer shawl? Perhaps he or she is undergoing a physical or emotional challenge. Perhaps he or she has experienced a personal loss. Perhaps he or she just needs a tangible reminder that there are people who care, and that God continuously wraps each and every one of us in His awesome love! If so, please contact us.
Requesting a Prayer Shawl
Shawls can be given to people undergoing medical procedures; as a comfort after a loss or in times of stress, prayer and meditation, marriage ceremonies, birth of a baby, during an illness and recovery, ministering to others, to name a few as there are endless possibilities
Prayer shawls are never sold. Special orders are not taken for shawls, but you can select from the ones that we have already made.
Please contact IHM Church at 662-6193 for contact information.
Getting involved in the Ministry
The ministry is open to anyone who has the skills or desire to knit or crochet. Additional hands are always needed! Whether you knit or crochet quickly or slowly, your help is valuable to make our mission succeed. Additionally, if you would like to learn to knit or crochet so you can become a part of the ministry, please join us. There are always hands to teach. Don’t worry if you don’t have any yarn or needles, due to all the wonderful donations that we have received there is enough to get kits put together for you to use.
Meeting Times and Location
Los Alamos: Every Wednesday morning at 10:30 am in Room 1 of
the St. Thomas More Center.
White Rock: Every Tuesday night at 6:30 pm at St. Joseph in Room 1. Enter on the west side of the building.
We start with a prayer and recite the Rosary, followed by fellowship and fun.
Donations
We are always happy to receive any yarn or supplies. So keep us in mind when cleaning out your yarn stash Financial donations – Checks made out to Immaculate Heart of Mary or cash may be turned in to the Church office in an envelope marked “Prayer Shawl Ministry Donations”.