Alcoa parish confirmandi create prayer shawl

CONFIRMATION PROJECT Our Lady of Fatima Parish confirmandi Allison Gentry and A. J. Palermo ask Bishop Richard F. Stika’s blessing on their class’ service project, a prayer shawl to be donated to the diocesan Rachel’s Vineyard ministry. Photo by Roy Ehman

CONFIRMATION PROJECT Our Lady of Fatima Parish confirmandi Allison Gentry and A. J. Palermo ask Bishop Richard F. Stika’s blessing on their class’ service project, a prayer shawl to be donated to the diocesan Rachel’s Vineyard ministry. Photo by Roy Ehman

Earlier this CCD year, a group of dedicated parish volunteers armed with 27 crochet hooks and several skeins of yarn descended on Our Lady of Fatima’s eighth-grade confirmation prep class.

Their mission: to talk with the students about the work of Rachel’s Vineyard, then teach them enough basic crochet skills to have each of them create a crocheted square. These would be joined together to make a prayer shawl for the ministry. The volunteers decided that the squares’ best use would be as embellishment. They crocheted a shawl, then used the squares to spell the word “LOVE” across it.

Martha Greene, who organized the volunteers, was very pleased with the results: “For most students, this project was one of many ‘firsts.’ It was their first time crocheting, first time to learn about this important ministry, as well as their first experience completing a service project for someone they would never meet. We are very proud as well that our students made the first prayer shawl donated to our diocesan Rachel’s Vineyard ministry.”

Esther Golightly, who spoke to the students that night about Rachel’s Vineyard, was very encouraged by their response. “It’s so important for people to understand the healing that God, working through Rachel’s Vineyard, makes possible for hurting post-abortive men and women. Prayer shawls are a symbol of that healing. By reaching these children now, we can increase their awareness and help equip them to invest themselves in the culture of life.”