On March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, a group of 12 women at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawton began a ministry of prayer for Father Phil Seeton. Together they prayed the commitment prayer and received a blessing from Father Seeton.
The Seven Sisters Apostolate is an international prayer group that was started on March 24, 2011, by Janette Howe in Saint Paul, Minn. Since that time, the apostolate has grown to include six continents, 25 countries, all 50 United States and nearly every province in Canada. The apostolate is a call to strengthen the Church by ensuring that a Holy Hour is prayed each day of the week for the sole intention of a specific priest or bishop for his deeper conformity to Christ.
The core group of seven women commit to pray one hour, one day a week, before the Blessed Sacrament or in front of a Tabernacle. If a sister is unable to keep her commitment for that day she is to arrange for a substitute. The commitment for each sister is one year, but not limited to that one year. If there are additional groups, they can pray for other priests or a bishop. One sister from each group is chosen as an anchoress to guide and coordinate her group for a two-year commitment.
Each year on the anniversary of the start of the group, the seven sisters will discern if they would like to continue for another year. The traditional year of service is June to June, the month of the Sacred Heart, but groups can begin any time of the year.
At Holy Family there was a strong desire to create the group, and together with Father Seeton, they chose the Feast of the Annunciation to begin.
It was at a Spiritual Life Committee meeting that the idea for The Seven Sisters Apostolate was presented for the groups’ discernment. After prayer and discussion, it was decided they would begin by personally inviting individuals known for their intentional prayer and frequent daily Mass attendance. Each woman invited was asked to pray and discern if this was something she wished to do. None of the women hesitated to say “yes” immediately. They currently have a core of seven sisters and five substitutes. Many of the substitutes pray the Holy Hour for Father regardless of if they are subbing or not.
In her welcome message to the sisters at Holy Family, Janette Howe said, “There are a few groups in your diocese, but not many spread the good news. Praying for our pastor has been a blessing for each of us as individuals, as sisters united in prayer for our pastor and for Father Phil. We would encourage others to prayerfully consider forming a Seven Siters Group for your pastor.”