Members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Immaculate Conception Church create the beautiful Prayer Shawls designed to give others warmth, comfort and a safe haven for hope. Members of the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Immaculate Conception Church include Yvonne Baldwin, Anita Buskey, Lupe Mitchell, Maria Cantu, Kelly Reed, Maria Cuevas, Abby Cuevas, Tencha Portales, Leah Ashton, Clare Jordon, and many others who give of their time.

Prayer Shawls have been used throughout the generations to provide comfort, warmth and hope, and Prayer Shawl Ministry at Immaculate Conception Church (ICC) keeps that tradition alive and well.

Ancient Israeli ancestors used Prayer Shawls to help them pray and to remind them of God’s constant presence. This tradition continues at Immaculate Conception Church through the commitment and talent of many women who make up the Parish’s Prayer Shawl Ministry.

The group meets once a month in the ICC Parish Office and together they create shawls both of beauty and comfort. The knitter prays for the recipient of the shawl, weaving prayers for God’s love and healing into the shawl to create a vessel for God’s mysterious presence in the life of the future owner.

The prayer said by the group asks for warming and comfort. They pray that the shawl becomes a mantle of joy and a safe haven of hope for those it enwraps.

One important detail to notice about a prayer shawl is that a piece of yarn in threaded within the shawl does not match. As a shawl is finished, that single piece of yarn is passed to another shawl maker and included in the next shawl made. This unifies all crafters and recipients in ongoing prayer for each other.

Prayer Shawls are delivered to those who are homebound, those awaiting medical procedures, to those who grieve, to those awaiting the birth of a baby, or to just about anyone dealing with a life situation that could use a few extra prayers.

Immaculate Conception Church thanks this wonderful team of women for their time and talent as well as all who have donated yarn to create these wonderful gifts of warmth and hope. If anyone is dealing with hardship and a prayer shawl would bring them or someone they love comfort and peace, please contact the Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry at 419-734-4004.