Shawl Ministry

In the Fall of 2003, in a small, Seton RENEW group, the Shawl Ministry was born. We are celebrating 15 years of shawl-making and over 7,500 shawls sent forth to bring comfort in our community and beyond. We’d like to thank the Seton community for opening their hearts and hands in support through the years.

If you are using the gift of your hands to serve others through one of the many amazing ministries here at Seton, the Shawl Ministry would like to invite you to be our guests, as we host the beautiful Blessing of the Hands:

Tuesday night, May 8, 2018 at 7:00 pm
in the Seton Faith Formation Center, Chapel 3100
Reception to follow in the Youth Room

Please consider joining us with open hearts and hands to experience this wonderful blessing.
 

In the Beginning…

The History of the Shawl Ministry www.shawlministry.com.In 1998, Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates from the Hartford seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, created the Shawl Ministry. Care and the love of knitting and crocheting have been combined into a prayerful ministry that reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace as well as those celebrating baptisms or other milestones of life.

Many blessings are knitted or crocheted into the shawl. Designers begin each shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient. Intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl.

The shawl is based on a 3-stitch seed pattern. The pattern of three’s can be found in every religion and society. This is a reflection of planting peace, healing, love, comfort and hope. In the tradition of Christian faith, the number three symbolizes the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is said that the number three is used 523 times in scripture!

When the shawls are completed they receive a final blessing before being sent on their way.

Shawls awaiting blessing at the annual Blessing of the Hands Prayer Service.

Our Mission

The Shawl Ministry of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is dedicated to:

• Providing a prayerful ministry that combines ritual, care and compassion with the love of knitting or crocheting.
• Providing a ministry that touches the lives of others by distributing the shawls through the various outreach ministries of our parish.
• Providing a contemplative experience that winds itself through our hearts and into the presence of God..
• Providing a fellowship of people working together to make God visible in the world, enabling us to care for others in a straight-from-the-heart approach.
• Providing a ministry that will encircle our parish in an eternal shawl of peace, healing and compassion.

The concept and development for a shawl ministry at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, was inspired through Renew 2003.

Opening Our Hearts

A special thank you to those who taught us to knit and served as teachers, mentors and friends. We praise God for His divine intervention through all the people who have stepped forward to give this ministry the strength to move to the next level.

Thank you to all those individuals who will join in the knitting or crocheting of the shawls as well as the many other contributors. It’s been said, "God does not call the equipped. He equips the called." So come join the mystery that unfolds silently in the rhythm of knitting or crocheting.

How Can I Help?

Any contributions are greatly appreciated. We have listed some examples below.

• Knit or crochet shawls. 
• Donate yarn: 4 skeins of Lion’s Brand Homespun. MAKE SURE ALL THE SKEINS HAVE THE SAME DYE LOT NUMBERS.
• Donate financially to help support this ministry.
• Write prayers to add to our collection of prayers for the various seasons of life to be included with the shawls.
• Sew on labels.
• Tie on fringe.
• Pray for this ministry.
• Pray for the recipients of the shawls.
• Pray for our volunteers.