Hidden prayers with eternal impact

Seeking the quietness in the day, in the midst of your usual routines,
you steal away to pray for your beloved Pastor - unbeknownst by most -
effecting eternal affairs." ~The Handbook of the Seven Sisters Apostolate

The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a Eucharistic Association of women who feel called to strengthen the church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week throughout the year for the sole intentions of a specific priest in their Parish.

The Anchoress of our Apostolate is charged with assigning each sister one Holy Hour to pray alone before the Blessed Sacrament for a pastor chosen for us.  Although we pray alone, we gather once a year, close to the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to celebrate with our pastors and sisters and to renew our commitment to the Apostolate.
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On June 28 this year, the Apostolate at St. Luke’s Parish held our third annual Potluck Lunch at the church. Our Pastors, Fr. Fernando Genogaling, Fr. Derek Remus, and Fr. Barnabas Esegine, joined us and offered thanks for our prayers for their intentions. We were grateful for the opportunity to “break bread” together, and judging by the volume of chatter in the room, it was clear that our pastors and all of the sisters of the Apostolate enjoyed each other’s company.

To date, the Seven Sisters Apostolate at St. Luke’s Parish has 42 sisters who pray every week for the priests who shepherd us and for Bishop Rev. William McGrattan.  Although our commitment to pray for our pastors is for one year, the members of the apostolate may choose to recommit for a further year, as many of our sisters have done.

History of the Seven Sisters Apostolate

This Apostolate was started in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2011 by Jeanette Howe and Fr. Joseph Johnson. Through their prayers and advocacy, the Apostolate has grown from a group of seven women to over 2600 groups on six continents, in 50 States in the USA, and in almost all of the Provinces of Canada. If your Parish is interested in this ministry and would like more information about the Seven Sisters Apostolate, please visit sevensistersapostolate.org

We thank our anchoress, who belongs to the Seat of Wisdom presidium of the Legion of Mary, and as part of her Spiritual Works of Mercy, is committed to starting this Apostolate at our Parish. We are grateful for her leadership and the opportunity to be part of a powerful prayer group whose commitment to prayer for the pastors of our Parish has enriched our own lives.

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Written by D. Gibson, member of St. Luke’s Parish in Calgary.
Photos courtesy of Victor Panlilio, and The Sisters of the Apostolate who pray for the Parish priests and our Bishop.