Prayer Shawl Ministry 2021
The Christ the King Prayer Shawl Ministry met during the warm weather on the Wethersfield Green. We sat, chatted, ate our lunch, and knitted or crocheted. Now that it is colder outside, we meet in St. Joseph Hall the first and third Thursday of the month at 1:00pm. Anyone interested in joining us is welcome to just stop by.
Following is a breakdown of the donations made by our ministry in 2021. If you or someone you know would benefit from receiving a prayer shawl, please contact Mary Scott at 860-202-7163 or [email protected]
Prayer Shawls - 30
Requested by/for CTK parishioners 16
Corpus Christi School 8th Grade Graduates 14
Baby Blankets
Those Baptized at Christ the King Parish 22
Prayer Cloths—76
Corpus Christi School First Communion 29
Religious Education First Communion 24
Religious Education Confirmation 23
Key Chains
Religious Education Confirmation 23
Hats for Homeless Bags 9
Neck Warmers /Scarves for Homeless Bags
(to be included in bags assembled in January)
Donated Prayer Shawls to Jerome Home in New Britain November 2020
Donated Prayer Shawls to Project Genesis, Willimantic (who distributed to the homeless shelters in Willimantic), December 2020
The Christ the King Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry meets the first and third Thursday at 1:00pm in St. Joseph Hall. We sit and chat, knit, crochet, and swap patterns. New members are always welcome . If you would like to join us, simply show up.
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The Christ the King Parish Prayer Shawl Ministry is a very small group that grows in number all the time. We are comprised of new and established —former Corpus Christi Prayer Shawl Ministry, and Sacred Heart Prayer Shawl Ministry members (St. Luke did not have this ministry). We continue to carry on the traditions of the two previous ministries—Corpus Christi made their shawls for parishioners and others, including Masonicare, prayer cloths for First Communion students, as well as prayer cloths and scarves for the Confirmation students; while Sacred Heart made prayer shawls for parishioners, baby blankets for those newly baptized, and prayer cloths for the Religious Education First Communion class. All these items are knitted or crocheted with our love and prayers and are blessed by our priests before presenting them to recipients.
Our Mission and Goal
To provide prayer shawls and lap blankets to those who are homebound, ill, or in need of comfort during times of loss. They provide a constant warm hug and serve as a reminder that someone cares about them. To present baby blankets to the families of infants newly baptized at Christ the King, as we welcome them as new members of the parish. And to make prayer cloths for Religious Education and Corpus Christi School children making their First Communion and scarves for Confirmation candidates as our way of congratulating them for continuing to strengthen their faith as they make their sacraments.
When and Where Do We Meet?
The Prayer Shawl Ministry meets twice a month—the first and third Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church (in a room off the right side of the sanctuary—just inside the handicapped entrance to the church).
The Ministry does not meet during the month of December. And we are flexible with weather concerns-- we don’t meet if it is too hot in the summer, or too cold or stormy in the winter.
We invite members of our Christ the King family to join our ministry; young and old, men and women. We have opportunities for members to knit, crochet, and create cards to accompany these gifts. Whether you are an accomplished needle worker or would like to learn, please join us.
What Do We Do?
The Prayer Shawl Ministry creates shawls and lap blankets for those who need comfort, solace, and support during times of illness, loss or other difficulty. Items are knitted or crocheted with prayers dedicated to those who will receive them and are blessed by our priests. Cards handmade by a member of our ministry accompany all shawls and lap blankets. We make baby blankets for infants baptized at Christ the King. A special Baptism card is included in the packaged gift. For those making their First Communion—the CCD class and the Corpus Christi School students, we make and donate prayer cloths. These are pocket-sized squares with a cross in the middle. A wooden cross and three beads are sewn on, and a special card is attached. Finally, scarves are knitted and crocheted for distribution to the Confirmation candidates. In each scarf, the number three is somehow incorporated. As we say to the confirmand, in our faith, “three” has great spiritual significance. For example, the Holy Trinity (Father/Son/Holy Spirit), and the Holy Family (Jesus/Mary/Joseph). As members of the Christ the King Prayer Shawl Ministry, we create scarves incorporating this special number (a 3-stitch pattern, 3 colors, or a pattern of stitches divisible of 3).
We are always adding new projects and are open to your suggestions.
At our meetings, we knit or crochet while we discuss what we are working on; what we have completed; and what we plan to work on next. Any completed projects are dropped off and stored in plastic storage bins which are in a closet where we also store supplies. A custom label is sewn on shawls and baby blankets and a Miraculous Heart of Mary medal is attached to all shawls and lap blankets. Once our bins are full, we have one of the priests bless the items.
If you are interested in an opportunity to knit/crochet for a good cause, you might want to consider joining this ministry. Once you knit/crochet one of these beautiful and comforting shawls, both you and the recipient will be connected in a unique and powerful way.
2019 Completed Projects
The Prayer Shawl Ministry was able to make the following donations in 2019:
- 19 prayer shawls/lap blankets to parishioners
- 10 prayer shawls to Masonic Care
- 26 baby blankets to newly baptized
- 100 prayer cloths to Honduras Medical Center la Amistad
- 32 prayer cloths to Corpus Christi School 1st Communion class
- 32 prayer cloths to Religious Education 1st Communion class
- 80 scarves to ImmaCare Outreach
Who to Contact?
Call or stop by the Christ the King Parish Rectory office (860-529-2545) or contact Mary Scott at 860-202-7163 or [email protected] if you know of anyone—a fellow parishioner, friend, family member, co-worker, neighbor, etc. who would benefit from receiving a prayer shawl or lap blanket.
If you are interested in joining this ministry, you are welcome to stop by a meeting or contact Mary with any questions. We have opportunities for members to knit, crochet, and create cards to accompany the shawls. Whether you are an accomplished needle worker or would like to learn, please join us.