Members of the Seven Sisters Apostolate at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport pose for a photo with the parish’s pastor, Father Bruce DeRammelaere, earlier this year.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
Several parishes in the Diocese of Davenport have started or continue to offer the Seven Sisters Apostolate that calls for women to pray one day a week for a specific priest or bishop.
Jeanne Wonio of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport said her friend, and neighbor, Jill Kluver brought Seven Sisters to Holy Family Parish in Davenport. “She held an informational/commitment night a few years ago,” Wonio said. Kluver herself learned about the apostolate from her mother, who lives in western Iowa.
At the Holy Family meeting, Wonio committed to be a substitute for the Holy Family group. “Soon after that, I signed up to be a sub for a group started by Father Ben Snyder’s mom (Michelle Snyder) for the bishop (Bishop Thomas Zinkula at the time). I also committed to praying for an hour a week for the souls of the priests in purgatory.”
Christine Smith, is now the anchoress for the Holy Family and the Souls of the Priests in Purgatory groups. These are one year commitments of prayer for an hour a week, Wonio said. The anchoress commits to two years.
“As a parishioner at St. Paul’s, I would see Father Bruce (DeRammelaere, the pastor) several times a week. Although I prayed for him, I began to see how prayer every day, from those of us who loved and appreciated him, would be good support for him,” Wonio said. “I called Mary Jones, a friend and parishioner at St. Paul’s. She encouraged me and jumped right in to help and pray! We spread the word among friends and held an informational meeting. We received weekly prayer commitments from 11 people and three more consented to be subs. I heard from several people that didn’t know about the meeting but wanted to be involved. We’ve decided to hold another meeting for those who missed the first meeting and would like to join Seven Sisters to pray for Father Bruce.”
Jude Steil started a group for Father Rich Adam (pastor) and Father Tony Herold (senior priest) at St. John Vianney and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes in Bettendorf. “Jude has been overwhelmed with the amount of support she has received,” Wonio said.
Another group is at St. Wenceslaus Parish in Iowa City and a new group just started at St. Peter Parish in Buffalo.
“I feel Seven Sisters is divinely inspired and requires only an hour a week of voluntary prayer. We give our parish pastors and priests to Our Lord and the Blessed Mother in prayer and then get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit do his work.”
Learn more about the apostolate at https://sevensistersapostolate.org/
