Dear Friends,
During this Lenten season, as a parish, we will continue to explore the Jubilee Year theme of being
Pilgrims of Hope. Each Sunday, we will share stories from our parishioners about the power of prayer
and the hope such power proclaims. I trust you will enjoy them.
Peace,
Fr. Damian
I was asked to write this letter about intercessory prayer and the hope it has brought to my life. My first
thought was what will I write that will fill up a page? Quickly my thoughts changed to what will I have to
leave out? Many of my prayers have been for people I don’t know, people I’ve come across, usually
through work, and now for people at church who have requested prayer. Most of the outcomes I will
never know. However there have been a few people in my life who I prayed for, and I do know the
outcome. God has answered many of my prayers in ways far better than I hoped for.
In 1998, I began deeply praying for my mom before I even knew what intercessory prayer was. She was
diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which at that time, I thought was a death sentence. She tried to keep it
from me because I was only 24 and in the police academy. She didn’t want to hinder my chances at
graduation, but I saw her sick from chemo and I knew. I remember I cried so hard. I could not imagine
living my life without her kindness and guidance. She was truly my only present parent ever. Every night
for what seemed like months I would cry, then I would envision the cancer leaving her body while I
prayed to God. I only started talking about this miracle a few years ago, so I’m not certain but I’m
betting my grandma was praying for her, and I’m sure she was praying for herself, for us. By God’s will
my mom is still alive today.
My husband and I met when I was 19. He drank a lot during the ten years we dated. He would quit for
six months to a year here and there. I stayed with him because, aside from growing up in an alcoholic
home myself, I thought wow, he is an amazing dad, if he would be there for me and loved me half as
much as he loves his boys, I would be so lucky. He promised me after we got married that he would quit
drinking. After a long year he did quit, for two and a half years, then he started again. My heart broke.
He had so many demons from his childhood I doubted he would ever be able to free himself and stay
sober. I began praying without ceasing. It is all I could do. I could not chase him around bar to bar
anymore, and things were no better when he drank at home. I even prayed out of prayer books to keep
me focused from my mind wondering to negativity and despair. One day I went out on my deck and
looked up to God and completely surrendered my husband to His will. I didn’t know it at the time, we
only recently began talking about this, but my husband was praying too. We both had thought not only
that our marriage would not survive, but that he would not survive. Now it has been over 17 years since
he had a drink. I’m so thankful to God. He has been sober and completely there for me during a time,
unknowingly then, that ended up being the hardest part of my life. I rely on my husband for so much
now. I have no more fear or anxiety when it comes to his sobriety because of our faith in the Lord.
Other family members are sober, we’re still praying for some dearest to us.
A few years ago, my aunt was given two months to live; she is now cancer free. I think our prayer team
had a large part in that. My seventeen-year-old grandson, Xavier, is getting baptized and confirmed here this Easter weekend, thanks to many prayers for that. We’re still praying for other loved ones to come to
the Lord. And my dad has cancer in many parts of his body; we are praying for peace and healing for
him.
I know I didn’t always feel God’s presence when I was praying but looking back now, I know He has
always been with me. As many of you know I had a health scare during a recent church event. God
certainly was with me then and I definitely felt all the prayers. I am well, many thanks to all of you who
prayed for me.
Tonya Bolter