Prayer Shawl Ministry at Holy Cross Episcopal Church

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At Holy Cross we believe that extending love and support to the community is essential to our way of practicing our faith. To that end we believe that when someone needs to know that they are loved and cared for even a small gesture like a prayer shawl to wrap them in love can be so powerful. Several members of our congregation put their own love and faith into the creating of the prayer shawls. 

History/Background: Prayer Shawl ministries are an outgrowth of a 1998 woman’s

Spirituality program in Connecticut that has been adopted by many churches and

organizations across the country. Although this ministry was begun by a Christian

organization it is not exclusive to any particular religion or faith. Pocket Prayer

shawls have been made in various parts of the country since 2014/2015.

The Prayer Shawl ministry began at the Church of the Holy Cross in

2007/2008 when Fr Raney introduced this ministry to Judy Tucker who became

our first Prayer Shawl Ministry coordinator. The current coordinator is Susie

Medlin Fordyce.

What is a prayer shawl and pocket prayer shawl: A prayer shawl is love and a

wearable hug crafted with love and prayer with the intent of bringing peace and

love to the recipient as it affirms, comforts, and celebrates. Each shawl is imbued

with words, prayers, songs, verse prior to being blessed.

Cindy Engle: " I just feel that I put a little love and a prayer into each stitch and it gives me such joy to know that that love goes with the shawl when someone gives it to a loved one."

Judy Tucker “It is a blessing for those who get a shawl. The act of creating a

piece of beauty and love knowing will be given to someone who is in need is a

blessing for the creator of the shawl as well. When the ministry first started up I

was amazed by how many were willing to take on this work.”

Images shown do not necessarily reflect current shawls available