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You may have noticed a new banner hanging at the bottom of the stairs at church. This

banner came to us from St. Chad’s. Please read below to learn more about the Prayer

Shawl Ministry and how it came to be. Thank you Audrey for the explanation.

In the spring of 2007 one of our parishioners - Donna Volkar brought to our

House Group a booklet on the Prayer Shawl Ministry which comes from Israel. In it

were patterns, prayers, what the colours represented and ideas how to run this Ministry

in a parish. Copies of this book were made and handed out to those who would like to

knit or crochet a shawl or lap blanket. We decided to make shawls for our shut-ins at

that time and made 21 shawls. These were blessed and then delivered to our shut-ins

and warmly received. Audrey makes a bookmark as to the person the shawl was given

to and a card is prepared to attach to the shawl. A wall hanging was made and blessed

and it provided a place to keep the bookmarks in and this wall hanging was placed in an

area visible for all to see. After the shut-ins received their shawls we started giving

shawls to ladies and lap blankets to men who were in hospital or very sick. Audrey

would be notified and record it on the bookmark, wrap up a prayer shawl and prayer

card and make arrangements for it to be delivered. At one point in our ministry we had

so many prayer shawls and lap blankets that I approached Heritage Lodge and we

donated some of them so that they could be given to someone in need. We have

several people in the parish who knit or crochet the shawls. They are then blessed and

given out. Since the beginning we have prepared 165 Prayer Shawls and Lap Blanket.

Thanks be to God

Audrey Kelly

We will continue in this tradition of recognizing those who have created the shawls and

those who have received a shawl. Thank you to Audrey for creating a St. Andrew’s

bookmark and card. If you have a loved one who you would like to receive a shawl

please let Reverend Liz know. Reverend Liz will also be able to assist you if you wish to

knit shawls for this ministry as well as to bless any shawls that have been made.