St. Thomas More Catholic Church
6548 Dorchester Road, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G 5T5
Telephone: 905.356.7533 ● Fax: 905.356.9087 ● email: stthomasmoreparish@cogeco.net map
St. Thomas More has begun a new ministry, a yarn craft ministry. This will minister to those in need of comfort and support during a time of loss, stress, or during illness and recovery by knitting or crocheting prayer shawls.
Shawls made for centuries...universal and embracing, symbolic of an inclusive, unconditionally loving God. They wrap, enfold, comfort, cover, give solace, mother, hug, shelter, and beautify. Those that have received these shawls have been uplifted and affirmed, as if given wings to fly above their troubles.
This ministry serves both the maker and the recipient. Making a prayer shawl can be extremely therapeutic. Prayer shawl crafting is a great way for caregivers or loved ones to process difficult emotions or to show their support during times of need. Getting together with others to create the gift of a shawl creates a powerful and unique connection to the recipient. It also is a chance for you to meet people in your parish you may see every Sunday but never knew. The making of a prayer shawl is a spiritual practice which embodies our thoughts and prayers for the receiver, and represents many hours of prayer and stitching.
Knitting/crocheting a prayer shawl is a great way to deliberately set aside time to pray for the person you are creating the shawl for. The calming effect of knitting/crocheting will put you in the right state of mind for sending out healing energy.
The prayer shawls are made with basic simple stitches; if you do not know how to knit or crochet, we can teach you! There are also other opportunities within the ministry that do not require you to be able to knit or crochet, such as producing handwritten prayer cards to attach to each shawl, to provide a message of inspiration and love to the recipient. If you are unable to give your time to this ministry but would like to help in other ways, donations of wool would be appreciated. If you are interested or require more info, call Debbie Felicetti 905.353.4331 or
Janet Severi Bristow