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A prayer shawl ministry based at St. Rose of Lima Parish in North Wales, Pennsylvania, has been providing comfort worldwide through its handmade creations. Since June 2015, a small group of volunteers has been crafting knitted or crocheted prayer shawls, lap blankets, baby blankets, and mini-shawls.
The group consists of four to five volunteers who meet weekly to make the shawls and another seven who package them. Each month, they produce around a dozen shawls supplemented by donations from local crafters. "Our philosophy is that from the first stitch, we pray for the future recipients and whatever their special intention is," said Ginny Hunter, who co-founded the ministry with her late husband Paul.
The ministry covers costs directly and attaches labels featuring a silhouette drawing of Mary holding Jesus. To date, they have distributed nearly 2,800 prayer shawls across various countries including Canada, Colombia, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, Slovakia and Venezuela.
Hunter acknowledged the unexpected growth of the ministry and credited it to divine guidance: "none of us could ever have imagined" this expansion; she described the Holy Spirit as "the commander in chief" and "CEO of our group."
Recipients include military families and individuals facing challenges such as illness or loneliness. The ministry receives diverse requests for prayers: “College starts in two weeks and my car died” or “My loan didn’t come through,” Hunter shared.
One story highlighted was that of a Florida man undergoing dialysis without family support. The group sent him a custom-fit shawl which he cherished until his passing when it was placed in his casket.
Mini-shawls are particularly comforting during medical treatments like chemotherapy or MRIs. Hunter recounted how these items calmed patients before surgery: “He kept saying ‘My prayer shawl.’ … Somebody brought him the little square... His blood pressure cooperated.”
A young leukemia patient uses his shawl as a cape during treatment; he recently went into remission. Shawls have also reached death row inmates in Texas after a social worker requested them for prisoners with scheduled executions.
Each recipient’s name is recorded in a leather book read annually starting All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1), continuing until Easter due to the volume of entries.
Despite personal challenges including widowhood and multiple sclerosis diagnosis Hunter remains committed: “I bring [messages] to the group... And I say ‘This is why I’m going to keep on keeping on.’”
Gina Christian reports for OSV News; follow her on X @GinaJesseReina.
