St. Michael's Church, Litchfield, CT

On the weekend of March 17, Reg Harrison will be traveling to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest military medical center in the U.S. and the first destination in the continental United States for caring for the wounded, ill and injured from global conflicts, including those from CT. Reg will be visiting as many wounded soldiers in the wards as he can during the one, very long day he will be spending there. These are men and women with severe head wounds, burns and missing limbs.

St. Michael’s is so proud that Reg will be bringing 20 of our prayer shawls and personally distributing them.

All are welcome to join St. Michael’s-Litchfield’s Prayer Shawl Guild gathering on Sunday, February 24, at 11:30am in the parish library at 25 South Street. Knitters and crocheters of all ages are welcome. Free yarn and needles are available and lunch will be provided.

Our newest member, Alice, is spreading the word at Brandywine and hopefully we soon will have several more ad hoc knitting members! If you want to join St. Michael’s Prayer Shawl Guild (we’re also currently making warm scarves for needy children), please join us on February 24th. If you prefer to knit at your own residence, please call Jo Ann at 860.567.4456 and I will deliver supplies to you.

We also appreciate donations of yarn and knitting or crocheting needles. These can be left in the back of the church at any time. Thank you for your support of this important ministry!

Visit us at this Sunday’s Ministries Fair at St. Michael’s, following the 10am service.

Sara Gadomski found herself with a LOT of extra yarn – several garbage bags full. She made good use of it by donating some to St. Michael’s Prayer Shawl Guild, then spread the giving to a Goshen team that knits and crochets for the Friends of Jaclyn organization (FOJ.org) and for the Grace Leva Fund. These are organizations that support pediatric brain tumor patients. Grace Leva is an 8-year-old girl who has battled cancer and is still recovering from the effects of chemo, radiation and surgery. Their knitted items are sold at a Farmer’s Market, and the proceeds given to those two organizations.

Sara also donated some of her yarn to a group from the New Hartford Senior Center that makes prayer shawls, lap robes for cancer patients receiving chemo, hats for preemies, and scarves for foster kids who have aged out of the foster system.

Thanks & Praise to Sara!

You didn’t choose me! I chose you! ~John 15:16

When church members were asked to make prayer shawls for the opening worship at our annual conference, the response was overwhelming. There were nearly five hundred shawls—loose-knit pastels, frothy wisps of net, fringed paisley silks and even shawls featuring cowboy scenes. I quickly saw the one I wanted: a black lace mantilla that would look great with my black dress.

Only I didn’t get to choose. After I took Holy Communion, a youth delegate selected a colorful patchwork of orange, green, brown and lilac diamonds, cable-stitched and fringed in black. As she draped it around my shoulders, the word that came to mind was “sturdy.”

At home, I draped the shawl over a chair in my bedroom, thinking I might give it away. Instead, I’ve found myself reaching for it each time I have a special worry or concern. I prayed for my grandson Ryan when he celebrated his eighteenth birthday by going skydiving, I wiped tears with the shawl when a tragic accident took the life of a friend, I appreciated its warmth when an attack of bursitis made moving painful.

The shawl, I realized, was the best possible choice for me! It was strong, sturdy and comforting—a colorful reminder of God’s everlasting mercy and overflowing grace.

By Penney Schwab
(This devotional is excerpted from Daily Guideposts.)

A simple way to get involved with St. Michael’s Prayer Shawl Guild . . . and you can do this at home!

In addition to five new members, we now have patchwork shawls in progress. Anyone who would like to participate is welcome. The instructions are simple:

Garter stitch squares (knit all rows)
Use size 10 needles
Yarn is Caron Simply Soft (PSG has a small stash of this yarn. Call Jo Ann at 860.567.4456.)
Cast on 25 stitches
Knit 40 rows = 20 bumps
Bind off loosely

Make as many as you like, any colors – that’s the beauty of the “crazy quilt” approach! Drop off your “patches” with Jo Ann any time, or come to our next Prayer Shawl Guild gathering on Sunday, April 22, at 11:30am in the parish library.

Five new members joined Prayer Shawl Guild "regulars" at Sunday's gathering. Knitters/crocheters of all ages are welcome and knitting instructions are provided.

St. Michael’s Prayer Shawl Guild welcomed 5 new members on Sunday: Judy Fisher, Dinah Butterly, Lynn Kelly, Carolyn Stockwell and Helen Danner who also participates in the prayer shawl goup at Litchfield Congregational Church.

The Guild now has 7 completed prayer shawls and plans for a Healing ceremony and Blessing of the shawls in April.

St. Michael’s Prayer Shawl Guild will gather in the parish library on Sunday, April 1, beginning at 11:30am.

Children, neophyte and expert knitters and crocheters are welcome to join us. Knitting instructions are provided for all ages, extra yarn is available, and lunch will be served.

Our first two prayer shawls have been delivered to those in need of comfort and solace. We have many more to create and share. We also appreciate your donations of your extra yarn or knitting needles in the basket in the back of the church. Thank you!