Prayer Shawl Ministry

Prayer Shawl Pattern, Knit  (in pdf)
Prayer Shawl Pattern, Crochet  (in pdf)

In 1998, Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women's Leadership Institute at the Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut gave birth to a ministry as a result of their experience in this program of applied feminist spirituality under the direction of Professor Miriam Therese Winter, MMS. Their first shawls were knitted for women with breast cancer. The idea has spread rapidly throughout the country.

The prayer shawl is given as a loving reminder of God's comfort and presence. The knitter prays for the recipient as the busy needles create a prayer shawl that brings physical warmth and spiritual comfort. It is meant to be wrapped around the shoulders as a reminder of God's unending love that can bring healing to the heart. A card accompanies the shawl to explain its meaning.

Some Uses for the Shawls

A gift to those undergoing medical procedures, as a comfort after a loss, during bereavement, during an illness and recovery, marriage ceremonies, birthing, as a bridal shower gift, rites of passage. There are endless possibilities.

Grace Lutheran Church Knitting Ministry

On October 6, 2004 our group met for the first time to share knitting skills and fellowship. Our members, as young as seven years old, both knit and crochet. These shawls are given to those in need of comfort and solace by Grace's parish nurses.

Throughout the years we have knitted prayer shawls, newborn caps for the midwife kits our women's circles assemble, and bandages for Global Health Ministries.

We invite everyone in our community of faith to join us in this prayer ministry. If you cannot gather with us on Wednesday evenings, you can go to the website, www.shawlministry.org, to read about the history of this ministry and print out patterns to either knit or crochet a prayer shawl.

Just this summer our Parish Nurse program was awarded a grant from the Fairview Foundation. A portion of the money was given to our prayer shawl ministry to buy yarn. With some of that money we are going to make several shawls that will be given to Fairview. If you are interested in making a prayer shawl for the Fairview Foundation, please call Kathy Kuehne in the church office.