Prayer Shawl Ministry

The prayer shawl ministry began in the US in the 1990s. Today, Christian and Jewish women and men are knitting or crocheting shawls throughout the United States. The OLP Prayer Shawl Ministry provides shawls for parishioners, their families, and friends. As ministry members prepare to start each shawl, they light a candle and ask God to guide them through their work, praying constantly for the person who will receive the shawl. Upon completion of the shawl, they pray a specific dedication prayer for whomever receives it. The ministers knit and crochet at home. There are virtually no scheduled meetings because we work at home at our own speed. Completed shawls may be dropped off at the rectory or at my home. The Ministry accepts donations of yarn, we use Michael’s own brand, Loops and Threads “Charisma” yarn, 4 skeins are needed to complete each shawl. We prefer the yarn to be of the same color, multicolored or variegated yearn make a lovely pattern. We also appreciate donations of gift bags, we present the shawls in an attractive bag with tissue paper. Recently we have expanded the ministry to include hand knit/crochet bags that can be attached to walkers for home bound recipients or to those at local nursing/rehab facilities.

To acquire a shawl from OLP, or to join the Ministry, please call the rectory or Gail Seely at 908-464-4109. We are always actively seeking and welcome new ministers to help us in our ministry. We provide simple instructions, needles, prayers, and many times we have donation yarn to share.