Prayer Shawl Ministries

The Prayer Shawl Ministries website receives 22,713 U.S. visitors per month. They pride themselves in creating prayer shawls. The knitter begins each shawl with prayers and blessings for the one receiving the gift. Prayers and blessings are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. When the shawl is completed it is offered a final ritual before being sent along its way. Some recipients have continued the kindness by making one themselves and passing it onto someone in need. Thus, the blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, mothering God!

A prayer shawl, in Christianity, is a piece of cloth blessed in honor of a saint, angel, or deceased person. They are blessed by the clergy and can be informally blessed through prayer by the laity. They are to be given to a person who is ill, injured, or in bad fortune. They may also be given to people for celebrating events such as childbirth, baptism, or confirmation. Prayer shawls are common in Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches.

Whether they are called: "Prayer Shawls", "Comfort Shawls", "Peace Shawls" or "Mantles" just to name a few, the shawls go to victims of domestic violence, cancer patients and their families, families of fallen soldiers' and you can even donate homemade quilts and prayer shawls to send to military and combat hospitals in Iraq.

There is a need for knitters/crocheters and there are many, many projects to get involved in, from Victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita to HIV/AIDS Orphans and Widows. Actually, the list is endless! At Prayer Shawl Ministries there is also a Photo Gallery, Prayer Shawl Instructions, Tip Sheet and a Workshop.

The list can be found here at http://www.shawlministry.com/ministry_outreach.htm or you can go to the homepage, shawlministry.com, of the prayer shawl ministries website.