Our Priest Need Prayers

How can you help your local pastor become a strong shepherd to his flock?  Join the Seven Sisters Apostolate, a new devotion that is spreading rapidly throughout the Church.

As Catholics we know, if we don’t have priest we don’t have the Sacraments. No mass, no confession, no Eucharist. Without our Shepherds our Church would suffer greatly and thats all the more reason we must pray for them. Our priest are our shepherds, anointed holy men. But because of this, they are also open to more spiritual attacks as the last few decades have shown.

How often do we take the time and offer a rosary or special prayer for our priest?

A woman from St. Paul Minnesota recognized this.  In 2010, Janette Howe felt the nudge to pray more directly for her pastor Fr. Joseph R. Johnson, who attended to the many needs of his community. Her son was also entering the seminary and Fr. Johnson became a great support to him.  To show her gratitude to God for all the graces she and her family were receiving, she decided to offered up an hour of adoration each week to pray for Fr. Joseph. It was in these moments of adoration where the Holy Spirit spoke the words Seven Sisters to her. Unsure of what this meant she continued to pray and eventually knew the message was clear. She was called to pray for her local priest with the help of six other women (one women= one hour for each day of the week for one year),  and thus the Seven Sisters Apostolate came to be.

As the anchoress to the six women, Janette conveyed this message to her pastor who suggested they shared with their Bishop. The Bishop was so moved that he wanted to continue in the other parishes for each pastor. Seven parishes equaling forty-nine women.

Janette’s call included six other women who would also dedicated one hour a week of prayer on behalf of their priest. With these efforts. The seven women (or sisters in Christ) had someone praying for their priest every day. They continued this for a year starting on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and concluding the same time the following year.

This movement has since grown and many parishes across the United States have expanded on daily prayers for their pastors and priests.  Janette has received feedback that the churches who have participated find more peace, communal support with their members, stronger homilies from their priest, a deeper love and respect for their priest and overall a stronger church. This momentum also caught the attention of  EWTN who endorses this movement.

Reasons We Should Pray for Our Priest Continuously

• We are called to pray for our Holy men so that they may perservere.  As Ephesians 6:18 says,

“With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones.” Ephesians 6:18

• In times of darkness, our prayers can provide comfort and support for our priest. We know because they are anointed and consecrated souls, they will face stronger attacks.

• They are the head of our flock:  As less men enter the priesthood and others have left the priest hood, its now more important than ever to offer prayers for our priest. They face more and more spiritual attacks and our prayers can help stregthen them. As the leaders of our Church, our prayers can help equip them with the right tools.
• Our Blessed Mother calls us to pray for our priests especially the Holy Father.  She holds those chosen in persona Christi- his priest- close to her heart. Whenever you pray a rosary, offer an intention for your parish priest or for the intentions of the Holy Father.
• Your prayers can do a world of  good. Praying for your local priest can provide an abundance to your church, to ministries. It helps to strenghten them in thier use of the Sacraments.  Especially for the priest who need strengthening in the tasks they are not strongest.

How to Participate in the Seven Sisters Apostolate

There are specific prayers and each group can adapt to its parish, but the goal remains simple.

Seven women, one priest, one holy hour a week per woman, adoration. 

While the movement is primarily centered around women, men can also play a role by offering up a day of fasting.

During your Holy Hour

• Offer this hour solely for the intentions of the priest

• Pray for the priest’s deepening devotion to Mary

• Resolve to honor the commitment to a Holy Hour one day a week

There are various prayers that you can offer and intercession to patron saints such as St. John Vianney, St. Margaret Clithero and Our Modonna of the Grapes.   The website provides several suggested prayers to follow, but the goal remains simple.

Pray for your priests.

If you’d like to learn more about the movement or would like to start a group  visit the website  or register your group at https://sevensistersapostolate.org/