“We do it out of love,” said Shirley Riccardi of the Prayer Shawl Ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish in Franklin.
The 86-year-old parishioner is the founder of a group that has been knitting and crocheting shawls, scarves, blankets, and baby items for 12 years to benefit nonprofit agencies and support the sick and grieving.
“Of course, we start every meeting with a prayer because it is a ministry,” Riccardi said.
Robin Hough, Riccardi’s daughter and also a member, said the ministry is a special group of women “because not many people want to put the time into making something and [then] give it away.” Her time in ministry answers the call that’s often heard at Mass: the call for the faithful to use their gifts and talents for God’s work.
“I love crocheting and helping other people,” Hough said.
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The beneficiaries have included nursing homes, Franklin Elementary School, and Newton-based nonprofits, such as Birth Haven, which provides shelter, support, and education for homeless pregnant women and girls; Ginnie’s House Advocacy Center; and Samaritan Inn, dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless families.
The late Sister Thomasina Gebhard, a Sister of the Sorrowful Mother and founder of the Samaritan Inn, who was at Immaculate Conception for 35 years, encouraged Riccardi to include those living on the margins and the homeless at the Samaritan Inn. The ministry also donates shawls to offer solace and comfort to people in times of illness or grief.
The group is encouraged by the thank-you letters they receive from nonprofits like Birth Haven.
Tina Magarino, executive director of Birth Haven, said the beautiful items they receive are more than just gifts—they are symbols of love and hope.
“The knitted and crocheted items we’ve received have brought genuine comfort and warmth to the young, pregnant women and newborns we serve. Each prayer shawl serves as a reminder that they are not alone and that there is a community that cares deeply about them,” Magarino said. For many of the young women, the handmade creations “represent a sense of comfort, dignity, and connection during a very vulnerable time in their lives,” she said.
There are numerous prayer shawl ministries across the United States. The ministry was started in 1998 by Janet Severi Bristow and Victoria Galo, graduates of the 1997 Women’s Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary.
The Immaculate Conception ministry meets monthly on the second Wednesday at 1 p.m. Father Boguslaw Kobus, the pastor, blesses all the items. At the end of each September, they sell items to benefit parish ministries and donate the rest to nonprofits. Because the members produce many items and yarn can be costly, they are grateful when others provide support.
New members are welcome.
Information: contact Immaculate Conception at 973-827-9575.
