tMary Lou Thompson started the St Paul’s United Methodist Church, Socorro Prayer Shawl Ministry in the Fall of 2008 asking interested members to meet once a week to crochet and knit prayer shawls for people inside and outside our congregation.  Those interested, researched and found patterns and ideas for prayer shawls.  Our first shawls were made for a “secret prayer shawl sister.”

Prayer shawls are given for many occasions such as illness, births, weddings, graduations, deaths, other sorrows and celebrations. The Prayer Shawl Ministry has branched out to include colorful prayer squares for children and babies seeing doctors and pocket prayer squares small enough to carry in a pocket or purse.  Many people outside our church family have received blessings, even as far away as Africa.

We have celebrated our 10th year of ministry and have given ourt more than 350 shawls, pockets, and squares. Over the years we have also crocheted sleeping mats and winter caps for the Santa Elena Mission in Mexico, winter hats and scarves for the Navajo Nation, winter hats for the homeless in Socorro, and hot pads for a pie fundraiser for the homeless.

We celebrate this ministry in honor of Mary Lou Thompson, its founder. We also note that the beautiful labels which are sewn onto the shawls were designed, made and donated to us by Gary Stendel.  A special thanks goes to him for his dedication to our ministry.

If you want to request a Prayer Shawl for yourself or for someone else contact Lynn Brandvold, Jane Farmer, Melissa Newton, Pam Ford, Robin McGee, Gladys Thyssen or Karla Moore.