Lifting up our priests through prayer and fasting
Imagine knowing that you had someone praying for you every day of the year. That is the gift that the priests of Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston are receiving from their parishioners.
“We pray and fast for our priests to be protected, especially in this time of chaos in our world,” says Doris Belanger, a parishioner from Lewiston.
“It’s clear that priests need all the support that we can give them, all the support,” says Linda Blanchard, from Greene.
“There’s just something powerful about praying for the person who is giving you these sacraments that are our lifeline,” says Abigail Pyenta, from Monmouth. “They need to know how important they are. We need to pray for them.”
Two years ago, women in the parish joined the Seven Sisters Apostolate, an initiative dedicated to strengthening the Church by lifting priests in prayer. The apostolate brings together seven women, each willing to spend an hour in prayer one day a week for the intentions of a priest, beginning with the pastor. Whenever possible, the hour of prayer should take place before the Blessed Sacrament, whether present in a church’s tabernacle or in a monstrance at an adoration chapel. Occasionally, someone might pray at home, while watching a Mass on television, for instance. And the women will also fill in for each other to ensure their commitment is met.
“My normal routine is to go to Holy Trinity Church [in Lisbon Falls]. They have the Rosary before Mass, and then Mass, and then I’m fortunate because on Wednesdays, they have adoration after Mass,” says Regina Scanlon, from Bath.
“I go to the adoration chapel, and sometimes, especially with my kids in school, I can go to Mass in the mornings on Thursdays. So, I try to do both if I can. I find that’s a little bit more powerful because the more the better, right?” says Abigail.
The Seven Sisters Apostolate was started 13 years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota, by Janette Howe. Howe began praying a Holy Hour for the rector of the cathedral in gratitude for his service. One day while praying, she says she “heard” the words “seven sisters” in her heart. Howe said she sensed that the Lord wanted her to invite six other women to join her in offering one Holy Hour each day for the priest. The Seven Sisters Apostolate was born and soon spread to other churches in Minnesota and then to other states. Now, there are even groups at the Vatican and in Israel.
“The goal of the apostolate is to strengthen the Church by praying for our priests because Satan will attack the priests and does attack the priests on a regular basis. You attack the shepherd and the sheep scatter. We need to protect our shepherds, and then they’ll take care of us, our spiritual needs,” says Doris. “You know what a gift the Eucharist is. What would we do if we didn’t have the Eucharist anymore? If we have no priests, we have no Eucharist. We have no Masses. We have no confession.”
Doris says she first became aware of the Seven Sisters Apostolate in 2020, but thoughts about starting a group at Prince of Peace were pushed aside by the pandemic. She says it was brought to her attention again by Regina, whose brother is a priest in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“He was visiting, and he said, ‘So, have you heard of the Seven Sisters Apostolate?’ He told me what it was, and it was like cathedral bells going off in my head. I have always had a more contemplative calling or charism or whatever, and I’ve always had a great love of praying for priests,” says Regina.
She approached Father Daniel Greenleaf, the pastor, who was receptive to the idea.
“I was humbled that parishioners would commit to do that for the priests and even more so for me,” says Father Greenleaf about the Seven Sisters Apostolate, as well as the Fasting Brothers, which was later formed.
Regina connected with Doris, who co-chairs the adoration program at the Rivier Chapel in Lewiston and who offered to help get the program off the ground.
“I just felt called to do this. I just felt this is something our priests needed,” Doris says. “I researched it first. The website has a lot of amazing information and witnesses to why we should do this. And I called the foundress, Janette Howe, and she was very helpful.”
Doris’ goal was to come up with seven sisters who would pray for Father Greenleaf, but she says in a short period of time, the initiative took off.
“It took me three months, and poof. We had 49 women willing to do this. I was blown away. Some of our priests ended up with more than their seven sisters,” says Doris. “And keep in mind, I am not a public speaker. So, this is not because I've done pulpit talks. This is not pulpit talks. This is not rallies. It's just silent invitations. And a lot of it is word of mouth.”
“The Holy Spirit wanted this, and people were open to that, which is very, very beautiful,” says Regina. “This is what we need the most right now. Then, everything happens so much more easily.”
Not only did the Seven Sisters Apostolate blossom, but soon, some of the men of the parish began inquiring about establishing a similar opportunity for them. The result was the Fasting Brothers. The Fasting Brothers are men who commit to fasting one day a week in conjunction with their parish’s Seven Sisters Apostolate. The men fast for the intentions of their pastor and then, depending on the number of participants, for the bishop and other priests. Since fasting isn’t practiced on Sundays, six men are needed to establish a group of Fasting Brothers.
“So, there are six brothers assigned to fast one day a week for 52 weeks for the sole intention of the priest that they’re supporting,” explains Doris. “It can be any type of fast. It could be food. It could be taking away something that they really enjoy doing.”
“I saw what Linda was doing, and I said, ‘Well, if she can do something, I can do something.’ And that’s why I kind of jumped on board and decided that this was something that I wanted to do,” says Bruce Blanchard, Linda’s husband, who fasts on Tuesdays, using the Good Friday guidelines. “Being retired, I have come to a greater understanding of the blessings and the graces I have received. For me, it was an opportunity to recognize the opportunities that I have to go to daily Mass now and to recognize the gentlemen who have devoted their lives to spreading the word of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“I was aware of the praying sisters, and helping Doris in the chapel, we got to talking, and so she mentioned it to me, and I said that it sounds like a good idea. And the fact that you define what your fast is, I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that,’” says Bob Thompson, who lives in Wales.
Bob began by fasting on Mondays for the intentions of Father Greenleaf. His fast involves not eating for 12 hours after he gets up in the morning.
“It’s easier because it’s very portable. I can be traveling, and I can still do my fast. It’s not like having to be in a chapel or in front of the tabernacle, but it also has its challenges because I like to eat,” says Bob.
While Bob started with one day a week for Father Greenleaf, he then added another day for Bishop James Ruggieri, saying he feels a connection to him.
“He’s a great guy, but there’s a bit of a connection because my wife and I are Secular Franciscans, and he had just been professed into the order as a Secular Franciscan,” Bob says. “Another part of it is that St. Francis had such respect for the priesthood.”
Father Greenleaf says he is grateful to both the Seven Sisters Apostolate and the Fasting Brothers.
“I feel so supported by my parishioners, and I love being their pastor. And when I saw how they embraced this ministry for us and for me, I was and still am grateful and humbled. It makes me want to be a better priest for them,” he says.
The women and men participating in the Seven Sisters Apostolate and Fasting Brothers make their annual commitment on the Feast of the Sacred Heart in June. While in 2023, there were 49 women praying for priests and the bishop, there are now 65 women praying for priests, along with 29 Fasting Brothers.
Those participating in the groups say they are happy to give of their time or make small sacrifices for the benefit of their priests and the parish.
“I want to support the parish. I want to support the parish priests. And I want to support the needs of the community, and this is one small way that I hope I can do that,” says Bruce. “I will continue to do that for as long as my medical situation will allow me to.”
“It doesn’t take a lot to give one hour of my day one day a week to pray for Father. It doesn’t take a lot of extra time out of my husband’s day to fast for the bishop. So, the fact that we can do that in our daily lives while caring for our four kids is huge. How many other ministries are like that?” says Abigail.
“I think it is necessary. I think it’s helpful,” says Bob. “We’re working for God, but we’re working through Him. He supplies the grace. Nothing that I’m doing is doing Father Dan any good directly, but you’re sacrificing with the intentions being for him. God does with it what He will, which is usually magnifying.”
Father Greenleaf believes the efforts of the parishioners are making a difference.
“I believe in the ministry of the Seven Sisters and the Fasting Brothers. Things are going well in the parish in spite of the challenges, and I am amazed at how God works through it all. I believe there is an increase in grace and spirituality in the parish that can be felt, and I attribute it to God answering our prayers,” he says. “Every parish should have this ministry.”
Along with lifting up the priests and the parish, the participants in the groups say they have personally benefited from the experience.
“The discipline of doing it will do you good,” says Bob. “If you are doing this, you will grow in your faith. If you grow in your faith, you can be more attuned to what is needed. You hear God better when you’re paying attention to Him. It’s too easy in this life to get distracted and get off into other things.”
“For me, it has made me closer to Jesus. It has made me closer to the Holy Spirit and God the Almighty. It brings forth things that you see not only in the Bible but in our Catechism. It doesn’t disconnect us. It only connects us more,” says Linda.
“Anytime you feel like you’re doing what the Lord is asking you to do, then that grace just fills your life as well. It’s like you’re totally, 100%, giving that hour for Father Greenleaf, but you know the Lord is so generous that He’s giving it back to you as well,” says Regina.
The Prince of Peace members of the Seven Sisters Apostolate and Fasting Brothers hope other parishes around the diocese will consider establishing groups. Doris says she is willing to offer whatever guidance she can. A parish just needs seven women or six men to start.
“It’s a gift,” says Doris. “It’s an honor to be able to do this.”
“It’s just beautiful, and it’s joyful, and it’s peaceful, and it’s efficacious,” says Regina. “You’re helping to give priests the graces they need to fulfill their calling in life and to be a priest in persona Christi. So, if this is your charism to pray and pray for priests, it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.”
