- 618 Fullerton Avenue • Whitehall, PA 18052
- info@sercc.org
- 610-266-0695
"Prayerful Patterns" Prayer Shawl Ministry
Over the centuries, shawls have come to symbolize shelter, peace and spiritual sustenance. Members of the Prayer Shawl ministry lovingly donate their time and talents by creating hand-knit and crocheted shawls for those in need. A simple prayer is said at the beginning of the hand-made creation by the stitcher. Intentions are continued throughout the prayer shawl’s construction for the individual destined to receive it. The finished item is then blessed by our priest or deacon. A member of the Prayer Shawl ministry will bestow the shawl or lap quilt on the recipient with a prayer and the best wishes of the Parish.
Saint Elizabeth Prayer shawl members have created over 1,820 shawls, blankets and lap quilts in the past decade. These hand made items, representing the prayers of our parish, have enfolded a baby in prayer, or comforted the sick, the bereaved, shut-ins, nursing home residents, people experiencing loneliness and emotional or physical distress. Celebratory occasions such as special birthdays and anniversaries, RCIA initiation, and weddings have been wonderful occasions to share the love and prayers of our parish family. The Prayer Shawl ministry has also honored the sacrifice of the military and their families with customized shawls and lap quilts.
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Members of the Prayerful Patterns Shawl Ministry gather quarterly to share patterns, prayers, and light refreshments. Often, recipients of the shawls have sent thank you notes telling how they were touched and fortified by the gift. These notes would be shared at the monthly meetings. The shawl deliverers, themselves, have shared their own personal experiences and explained how they in turn felt uplifted by the simple act of giving and sharing a prayer.
To be part of the Prayerful Patterns Ministry, it is not necessary to attend any meetings. Some of the members prefer to stitch and pray in the sanctity of their own home. It is also not necessary to crochet or knit. These members of the shawl ministry simply bring the items to the recipients in their home, hospital, or convalescent room. They will then share a simple prayer and a word of encouragement. We need both stitchers and deliverers in our ministry. Click here to request more information or to join.
The ministry’s message of caring is simple, universal, and enduring. The creation and presentation of a prayer shawl, like all acts of generosity, enriches the giver as well as the recipient.