Prayer Shawl Ministry Flourishes A group of Valley women found a way to take a hobby and turn it into a way to help people that suffer from long term illnesses. The Prayer Shawl Ministry first began in 1998 in Hartford, Conn. Today it has blossomed into hundreds of chapters in every corner of the world. “The idea is, when each one of us starts at a home, or wherever we’re knitting, mentally we pray that whoever receives this garment will experience warmth and healing and comfort,” said Eileen Novotny, Ursuline Associate who is the organizer of the the local chapter here at the Motherhouse of the Ursuline Sisters. Click here to view local coverage of the Prayer Shawl Ministry as seen on WYTV