St. Gabriel Yarn Ministry currently supports the following initiatives:

• Prayer Shawl Ministry
• Prayer shawls are donated to the recipients receiving the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick or Shut-In. Prayer shawls can be any shape, size, pattern, and color. If you would like to see suggestions for prayer shawl instructions for knitting or crocheting and have access to prayers for the shawls, please visit:  https://shawlministry.com/
• Blanket Ministry
• Baptismal blankets are donated to St. Gabriel families at the time of Baptism to let the parents know their children are prayed for. The recommended sizes are 30 x 38 inches or 36 x 40 inches. The blankets do not need to be an exact size, these sizes are a guide. The color, yarn, and pattern are left up to the individual. The color is recommended to either be white or pastel colors. It is recommended to select a yarn that is soft and easy to care for. A soft acrylic or an acrylic blend would be recommended, but there is no limitation on what yarn to use. The pattern is recommended to be something that is tight-stitched and does not contain large holes. Holes in the blanket pattern one inch in diameter or less are recommended.
• Additional blankets are donated to the parishioners of St. Gabriel upon request and outside the St. Gabriel Parish to The Congregation of the Great Spirit and other community organizations in need. Donations of 12-inch by 12-inch knit or crochet squares are assembled by our volunteers into blankets for donation. The following are blanket size guidelines for donation:
• Lapghan: 36x48 inches (3x4 12-inch squares)
• Small throw: 48x60 inches (4x5 12-inch squares)
• large throw: 60x72 inches (5x6 12-inch squares)
• Twin XL: 60x96 inches (5x8 12-inch squares)
• Hats, Scarves, Mitten, and Cotton Cloths Ministry
• Hats, Scarves, Mitten, and Cotton Cloths of all sizes are accepted as donations. The Congregation of the Great Spirit states they are usually in greatest need of men's hats and children's mittens. Any size, color, and pattern can be made for donation. It is requested that donations be made in easy-to-care-for yarn. Cotton cloths are used for dishes or bathing. These can be any size, however, the average size or guideline is 7x7 inches.

If you currently knit or crochet and make blankets, shawls, scarves, hats, or mittens, if you want to learn how, if you or someone you know would like to receive a prayer shawl/blanket, or if you would like to participate in this ministry, please contact the parish office at (262)628-1141. 

Already completed baptismal blankets, shawls, hats, scarves, mittens, or blankets of any size and 12 inches by 12 inches knit or crochet squares or donations of yarn, knitting or crocheting supplies can be dropped off at the St. Gabriel Parish Office during office hours.

If you or someone you know would like to receive a prayer shawl/blanket, or if you would like to become a crafter for this ministry, please contact the parish office at (262)628-1141.

While praying for someone we don’t know is a different experience than intercessory prayers offered for a specific individual, prayer for a stranger helps us to learn to trust the truth that God works through us when we care for friends and strangers.