Our Lady of Sorrows Church

Our Prayer Shawl Ministry creates Pocket Prayer Squares and eventually shawls to provide feelings of comfort, support, and closeness to God for the recipient.

• This is a miniature version of a prayer shawl that is small enough to fit inside of a pocket, a purse, a helmet, attached to a backpack, etc. 
• The creator infuses each stitch with a prayer or loving intention to provide love and goodwill to the person who will receive it.
• They can be given to someone ill, someone who has had a recent loss or going through a stressful time, a student taking a test, someone who is traveling, celebrating a bridal or baby shower, celebrating a birthday, graduating from school, etc.

Our pocket prayer squares are made with love by a team of OLS parishioners.

Please feel free to take one. They will be placed inside the Church near the front doors and in the rectory.

Origins

Back in 1998, Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women’s Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, created a new ministry under the direction of Professor Miriam Therese Winter, MMS.  Their love of knitting and crochet, combined with their spiritual practice, led to the creation of the prayer shawl.

Their process begins with saying prayers and blessings for the intended recipient, then continuing those prayers throughout the creation of the shawl. Once they are finished, they offer a final blessing to the recipient before they send the shawl to them. This process may differ for others, but the sentiments should mostly remain the same. 

For more information, CONTACT Maria Nieves, 212-673-0900, ext. 306 or send an email to olsprep@yahoo.com.