There are ministries dedicated to praying for specific intentions, such as vocations, priests, the unborn, and their mothers considering abortion, for the souls in purgatory. Now there’s one dedicated to praying for loved ones to return to the church.
Praying for Our Prodigals
I came across Praying for Our Prodigals after having had many conversations with other parents whose adult kids have drifted away from the Catholic Church. I immediately felt drawn to a ministry praying for each other’s loved ones to return.
The need is great. We’ve all heard about the growing category of ‘nones,’ those Americans who say they are of no particular religion. Many of them were former Catholics. Parents I know have tried everything to lead their older kids (or siblings in some cases) back to the Church, from discussions ranging from subtle to pleading; giving them books and articles to read (many of which are never read; sending them podcasts or videos; suggesting going to Mass at the parish with ‘the great young priest who gives wonderful homilies;’ and reminding them that crises will come along when they’ll realize the anchor the faith is.
How it Started
Praying for Our Prodigals came about through the prayer of another mother in the same boat. Kristine Bruce, mother of five, was heartbroken by siblings, nieces and nephews, and her own two ‘prodigals,’ who had fallen away from the Church. In November 2018 Kristine was reading Magnificat when a passage of Jesus speaking to St. Faustina grabbed her attention:
My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone. I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before me. You must be annihilated, destroyed, living as if you were dead in the most secret depths of your being. You must be destroyed in that secret depth where the human eye has never penetrated; then will I find in you a pleasing sacrifice, a holocaust full of sweetness and fragrance.And great will be your power for whomever you intercede. Outwardly, your sacrifice must look like this: silent, hidden, permeated with love, imbued with prayer. I demand my daughter, that your sacrifice be pure and full of humility, that I may find pleasure in it.I will not spare my grace, that you may be able to fulfill what I demand of you. I will now instruct you on what your holocaust shall consist of in every day life so as to preserve you from illusions. You shall accept all sufferings with love. Do not be afflicted if your heart often experiences repugnance and dislike for sacrifice. All its power rests in the will, and so these contrary feelings, far from lowering the value of the sacrifice in my eyes, will enhance it. Know that your body and soul will often be in the midst of fire. Although you will not feel my presence on some occasions, I will always be with you. Do not fear; my grace will be with you.
Through Prayer and Sacrifice
Kristine was immediately drawn to the words, “rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer,” and felt that Jesus was instructing her on how to rescue the souls of those who had left His Church. “Since that day, I have prayed this passage. I thank Jesus for his generosity and I ask him to help me do as he requests. It is this message that has led me to begin this message. It is THE GUIDE that will be our plan to rescue souls. Let us thank Jesus for giving us the gift of helping him rescue souls and for being with us during our sacrifices and prayers.
In reflecting on all the people she knew who were grieving the loss of their loved ones from the Church, and in talking to a priest as well as her spiritual director, Kristine felt prompted to begin the ministry, Praying for Our Prodigals.
Join in
The emphasis of the ministry is prayer. Every Wednesday at 3:00 CT, anyone interested is invited to participate in a phone in rosary. There are no required readings, meetings, or fees. Those providing their email receive a weekly email of support and encouragement is sent out.
Another important element in Praying for Our Prodigals is letting heartbroken parents and others know they are not alone in feeling distressed over loved ones who’ve walked away from the Good Shepherd. Many parents especially find it confusing or depressing, after years of raising their children immersed in the Catholic faith, surrounded by great Catholic role models, that their adult children have little to no faith and do not participate in the Sacraments. How many parents today express bewilderment and frustration that their years of devotion to and sacrifice for instilling the faith in our children has resulted in disinterest, agnosticism or even atheism?
The ministry has received grateful reactions from those who appreciate the strength of so many others praying for the same intention. Some have found their loved ones being nudged back to the faith.
One woman recently shared, “I came across the website Praying for our Prodigals. I knew immediately it was an answer from God. My son had been homeless, out of work, and our family was in crisis. I joined the Wednesday prayer group,and miracles began to happen. Out of the blue my son was offered a job and a place to live from a friend he hadn’t spoken to in years. The changes in him can only be explained by Divine Intervention. He now prays in Church, sitting with the Blessed Sacrament, and reads the Bible daily. Although he hasn’t participated in the Sacraments yet, inch by inch, God is leading him home. For many years my husband and I have been praying for his return through Masses, rosaries, chaplets, and novenas, and now through this ministry It helps to know I’m not alone as I persevere in faith praying for my son’s complete return Home to the Catholic Church.”
I’m happy to have found this new ministry and to join in praying along with other Catholics for the return of our loved ones to the Church.
If you’re interested in being apart of this ministry, go to www.PrayingforOurProdigals.com
5 thoughts on “Praying For Our Prodigals”
Hello,
I’m in Ireland and am wondering , as I can’t afford to ring America, would I be able to join in the Rosary anyway? 3pm Central American Time would be 9pm here. Thank you.
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Are you familiar with the Society of St. Monica?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ncregister.com/news/the-society-of-st-monica%3famp
Thrilled to have this chance to pray with others to bring back the prodigals. Two of my boys and many family members
Is it Wednesday @ 3pm Central time