Monday, August 1, 2011

Shawl ministry offers comfort for those in need


From California-

Maria Norman came to the prayer shawl ministry at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Hemet through a near-death experience.

In 1996, she ended up in the hospital, where her heart stopped.

“You can’t imagine the wonderful feeling to open my eyes to see people from my church. It was beautiful,” Norman said.

Afterward, she joined several ministries that allowed her to give to others the blessing of companionship she felt in the hospital. Among her activities was the prayer shawl ministry.

The group meets one a month over the summer and twice a month the rest of the year to knit and crochet shawls.

The shawls are not just given to people who are sick, but to newly married couples and babies and for such rites as baptisms and confirmations.

“Anybody who asks for one,” said Karen Chalmers.

More here-

http://www.thevalleychronicle.com/articles/2011/07/31/news/doc4e31c584500b8442598002.txt

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