ST. JA M E S
ST. ANDRE W
ST. J OS E PH
Holy Family Area CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
THE PRAYER INTERCESSOR MINISTRY
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Lifting Our Youth to God
any of us may be familiar with the poem known as Footprints, where the narrator sees footprints in the sand — one set for them and one for Jesus. When asked why there is only one set at the most difficult times, Jesus says, “It was then that I carried you.” Rich Schneider compares the Prayer Intercessor Ministry to this poem. He’s spent the last year praying for a Confirmation student and wrote letters to the student throughout the past year. “I think it’s important that young people realize that people are looking out for them,” Rich says. “It doesn’t mean we can remove the obstacles. We will help you get through it.” Just as a Confirmation sponsor is there for the confirmand, the intercessor is there, albeit in a less visible way — through prayer. We may not immediately see the fruits of this prayer. But we can rest assured that God will bless the person who is being prayed for, daily. The intercessor will also be blessed. “This prayer ministry is really important now when we don’t see a lot of people,” Rich says. “I consider this to be a major tenet of our faith. We can’t just be praying for our own needs, but also praying for others.”
The 2021 Confirmation students with Fr. Paul Timmerman — each student had someone praying from them as they prepared for Confirmation.
As Rich points out, this is a simple thing we can do for those in our community. Our youth, especially, are under a lot of pressure. Our prayers for them let them know they are cared for. And as Catholics, we unite in
JUNE 2021
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