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Kneelers given as ordination gifts June 27

CHARLOTTE — A chance meeting at the Eucharistic Congress a couple years ago prompted two women to start an organized prayer effort for priests.

Called "Mary's Sons," the prayer apostolate is the inspiration of Jackie Gallagher and Robyn Magyar. During a conversation at Gallagher's vendor booth at the Congress, they discovered that they both shared a love of supporting priests through prayer using a booklet entitled "Praying for our Priests." Magyar was using it with a prayer group at her parish, St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte.

Together, they hoped, "Mary's Sons" could help spread this prayer effort even further across the diocese. Their effort is still growing, and a unique outgrowth has been what they call the "Seminarian Kneeler Prayer Pilgrimage."

Pictured: Bishop Peter Jugis blessed two wooden kneelers made especially for each new priest, a gift of thanksgiving from the group Mary's Sons, which works to pray for priests and an increase of vocations in the diocese. Hundreds of faithful prayed before the Blessed Sacrament on the kneelers at churches throughout the Charlotte area in the weeks leading up to the ordinations. (Photos by Patricia L. Guilfoyle and SueAnn Howell | Catholic News Herald)

In this project, custom-made wooden kneelers were bought thanks to a local donation and given to the diocese's new priests at their ordinations in 2014 and this year. Before ordination, the kneelers were put on display at Charlotte-area parishes so that the faithful could offer prayers for the ordinands as well as future vocations.

"The vision was for the kneelers to travel to 'host' parishes throughout the diocese to give the parishioners an opportunity to kneel and pray for the soon-to-be ordained men," Gallagher says.

"The pastors graciously opened their doors to Mary's Sons and allowed the kneelers to be placed in a beautiful setting, such as before the Blessed Sacrament or a statue of Our Lady."

Magyar "is so energized and devoted to our apostolate," Gallagher says. "She has taken this kneeler program and developed it into what you see today. I cannot give enough credit to her!! She took this kneeler program and ran with it."

This year, two kneelers – one for Father Casey Coleman, another for Father Santiago Mariani – traveled to 13 parishes in May and June before they were blessed by Bishop Peter Jugis and presented to the two new priests at a reception following their ordination.

"Each kneeler is a gift to the new priest and has a personalized plaque that reads 'With our prayers for a joyful priesthood,' the new priest's name and date of his ordination," Gallagher says.

In addition, each newly-ordained priest receives a traveling stole handmade by a local parishioner, as well as journals filled with well wishes written by those who have prayed on the kneelers at each church along the way.

Plans are already in place to begin the 2016 Kneeler Pilgrimage in September, beginning with parishes outside the Charlotte area, Gallagher adds. She encourages people to get involved with praying for priests, either with the Mary's Sons group or in their own families.

"Our goal is to foster vocations but also, and especially, to pray for those priests out in the trenches doing God's work daily. We must shower them with prayer to protect them against the evils out there trying to devour them."

To learn more about Mary's Sons, go to www.maryssons.com or call 704-707-5070.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

After their ordination, Father Coleman and Father Mariani give their first blessings as priests to their parents, Keith and Caroline Coleman.