Jonah Prayer Team Ministry
Chris Slattery, chrisslattery@archstl.org 314-427-7786
What are they?
Jonah teams are a prayer ministry that is initiated, based, and oriented in the parish. After training, you can pray in small groups with individuals who need your prayer support. This can happen regularly after Masses and other times people gather but typically it is scheduled to occur briefly after Mass (the team and parish can decide the specifics).
Praying over each other is an excellent way to affirm each other's faith as a community, to let the Holy Spirit heal the hurts that inevitably come with loss, and to open our eyes to being thankful for the truth and love in each situation. Jonah Team Members are people like yourself who are approved by the pastor for this ministry and who sense the call, invitation, or desire to use their spiritual gifts of prayer given to them by the Holy Spirit. Being able to pray spontaneously with others is very comforting to those in distress whether you become a Jonah Team member or belong to another ministry of compassion. Jonah Teams are also a help for priests and deacons whose expertise and time are often needed for the sacramental and administrative needs of the parishioners.
Jonah Team Members operate in their own parish and permission is needed to operate Jonah Teams across parish boundaries. However, once you are trained you will be prepared to pray with others as God leads. It is the goal of the Archdiocesan Healing Office that every parish will have Jonah Teams or its equivalent.
In summary, Jonah Teams are another beautiful way that the Holy Spirit can have profound direct spiritual impact both in the parish community and in personal lives.
"Christ has no body now on earth but yours, No hands but yours, no feet but yours, Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Christ's compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now." - St. Teresa of Avila
Jonah Team Training
This is an archdiocesan workshop to train prayer teams for ministry in their parishes. Applicants will need the signature of their pastor on the application form. Forms may be copied at the parish office, or call Chris Slattery, chrisslattery@archstl.org 314-427-7786 Jonah Training Application - PDF
