Prayer Shawls

Ministry Leader: Linda Dum – 503.642.1168 or shawl@h-t.org

For thousands of years, prayer has been a powerful source of healing. The early Jews called their garment a tallit. Originally the word meant gown or cloak. This was a rectangular mantle that looked like a blanket and was worn by men. After the exile of the Jews from Israel and their dispersion, they came to adopt the fashion of their gentile neighbors more readily. The tallit was discarded as a daily habit and it became a religious garment used for prayer; hence its later meaning of prayer shawl. Each color, twist, knot and decoration had to do with one of the laws of the early Jews and were reminders for them.

In 1998,  Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo were in Hartford, Connecticut where they gave birth to the prayer shawl ministry as a result of their experience in a program on Spirituality. They decided to combine compassion and their love of knitting and crocheting into a powerful ecumenical ministry and spiritual practice that reaches out to those in need of comfort and  solace, as well as in celebration and joy.

The power of the prayer shawl is in its physical properties and source of warmth. It feels like a hug and serves as a reminder that people are praying for you and whatever your concern is. There always seems to be someone in need of a shawl, and in the course of making each one you come to feel closer to the person who will receive it. The gift of a prayer shawl enables the recipient to be surrounded by prayer, and is a tangible reminder of God’s care and love, encouragement and inspiration.

The shawl maker begins the shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is sent on the way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making a shawl or donating yarn to the ministry for a shawl for someone else in need. Thus, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling an unconditional embrace of a sheltering and comforting God!

Shawls can be used for people undergoing medical procedures; as a comfort after a loss or in times of stress, prayer and meditation, marriage ceremonies, birth of a baby, during an illness and recovery, ministering to others, to name a few as there are endless possibilities.

We usually meet the second Saturday of the month, there are a few exceptions because of holiday weekends. We meet in the in the Parish Office Conference Room 3:00 – 5 pm and Fr. Dave comes to bless the prayer shawls.

We start each meeting with a prayer and then visit and work on our prayer shawls with treats to share. Please feel free to drop by and see what we are doing or ask questions.

Meeting Dates for 2013
3:00 – 5 pm in the Parish Office Conference Room

2013 Meeting Dates
January 12^th
February 16^th
March 9^th
April 13^th
May 18^th
|June 15^th
July 13^th
August 10^th
September 14^th
October 12^th
November 9^th
December – We Skip the meeting

Pattern Information (PDF)

Yarn Info

• 3 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yarn 6 ounces each
• Lion Brand Jiffy – 5 skeins, 2.5 ounces
• Jo Ann’s Sensations rainbow Classic – 2 skeins, 11-16 ounces each (3 skeins will make two prayer shawls)
• Bernat Baby Boucle – 5 skeins, 3.5 ounce each
• Bernat Soft Boucle – 3 skeins, 5 ounce each
• Red Heart Baby Cloud – 4 skeins, 6 ounces each
• Red Heart 4 ply – 2 skeins, 7 ounces each or you can also work it with Bernat Baby Coordinates -2 skeins, 5.6 ounces (This yarn has a sparkle to it)
• Red Heart Light and Lofty – 5 skeins, 6 ounces

Fred Meyer, Jo Ann Fabrics, and Michaels all carry these yarns and put them on sale on a fairly regular basis.