Many prayer requests this time.  Please pray for each other’s intentions, as always. I have several items to mention today so please excuse the length of this update.

1.     We welcome many new members today from the Diocese of La Crosse Wisconsin, from Lawrence Kansas, and several other locations.  Several signed up to join many weeks ago but have been waiting patiently for me to get the emails sent.  Thank God, our prayers are effective no matter when they are prayed, because according to Fr. Groschel and Father time means nothing to God so our prayers are applicable to the past as well as the present and future.

2.     My doctor’s appt. on Thursday was all good news. Hopefully, I am finally back to work and soon up to speed for the Marian Mantle Group.  I am no longer limited in typing or any activities.  I’m sure with physical therapy it will be a challenging road back to normal use of my arm, but God has blessed me so very much during the past ten months, that I feel quite strong and with His help I will get my physical condition in shape soon.  You, members of the online Mantle, have become such dear friends of mine.  Your prayers, cards, emails, and phone calls have been so important and so precious to me and to Bob in seeing us through all this. 

3.     More Good News: Not only have I come through the last 10 months, hopefully, with a stronger faith, but the very good news is that the efforts of all of us together and the message we are trying to spread to others who are hurting because a loved one has left the church—that effort has not only continued, it has reached hundreds more of you in spite of my limited abilities.  God let me slow down for awhile, but so many of you stepped in and helped where you saw fit, that the Marian Mantle Group has increased .  The number of “pray-ers” for our prodigals has increased, the number of Silent Strength prayer groups has increased, and the number of those of you who report that you have found peace through supporting one-another has increased.  Stories of prodigals who have returned, or who have taken the first steps toward returning, continue (see the Letter to the Editor) .  I hope to share more of them with you in the future.

4.     I’m sorry to sound like a broken record, but the rosary novena should be ready soon.  The sound people who so generously have volunteered their time, had a major project come up on the job and had them working 7 days a week for awhile.  Yesterday they told me it our cds will be ready within days now.  In all fairness, I did tell them in the beginning we were grateful they were doing this free of charge and would wait patiently until they could complete the work.

5.     The Catholic Family Life Conference In Wichita, Kansas: The Marian Mantle Group, in conjunction with the Hutchinson area Silent Strength Prayer Groups will host an information booth during the conference.  Some of the members from those prayer groups have generously offered to pay the fee. If you are at the conference, please stop by and say hello.  If you are interested, we could use your help for an hour or two to pass out literature or answer questions that people may have about our efforts.  Please let us know and we will get you on the schedule.  Sarah’s Catholic Bookstore in Hutchinson will have our prayer booklets and CDs available for purchase at the conference.  Any donations to offset the cost of that weekend are welcome. The dates are August 4-6.  Learn more at their website www.catholicfamilyconference.org  If you live in Hutchinson you can contact Barbara at b.sanborn@lycos.com for more information.

6.     I am trying to get caught up on email, phone messages, and orders for materials this week.  If you sent me an email or left a message which has not been acknowledged by me, and you have not heard from me by next Monday, please let me know. Each word from any of you is so important to all of us in helping us persevere in hope, in faith, and in prayer for our prodigals.  I will never, knowingly, ignore any of your messages or questions.  I have simply been unable to answer with any regularity for the past 10 months, and things pile up when not attended to every day.  You have all been so kind and understanding so far, please bear with me a little longer.  The best way you can help in this regard if something has been left unanswered is to contact me again.  maryann@MarianMantle.com  or 913-526-8977.  I will be so happy to hear from you.

7.     For those of you in the KC area, Sanctuary of Hope, the inner city/inter faith retreat center where Bob and I volunteer is having a benefit dinner and dance in November.  SOH is always so helpful to the Marian Mantle Group in allowing us space for meetings, use of their copy machine, etc.  Many of the associate volunteers there have helped to fold and label our printed newsletters, and helped in many other ways to keep us moving forward when it was impossible for me to do much. Father Dennis, the SOH spiritual director, is also a member of the Marian Mantle board.  If we have at least 10 people, we will reserve a table just for the Marian Mantle Group that night. It would be fun evening for all of us who usually only meet in prayer time to just enjoy each other’s company.  If any of you would be interested in attending, or if you would be interested in advertising your business in their souvenir program please let me know and I will send you more information.

          As for now, with a new grandson and a healing arm and such dear prayer partners as Bob and I have found in all of you, I continue to sing my favorite scripture each morning:  “This is the day the Lord has made!  Let us rejoice and be glad!”

          Let us all continue to exercise our “silent strength” and live in peaceful hope, while we wait for our time to speak those glorious words:  “The child for whom I have prayed has come home!”

Peace,

Dear Mary Ann,
Good News:  A very dear person I know left the church when she married her husband many years ago.  Her daughter married a Catholic and through the RCIA program became a Catholic before she married.  Now my dear friend told me that her son is dating a very wonderful Catholic girl and he also is taking Catholic instructions.  Now for my Friend, may the Holy Spirit give her the grace to follow her children.   ~Kansas

Note from MaryAnn:  Several of you have reported that your priest has asked if we have seen any results from our prayers.  With new members and all us “old” members alike always asking that same question, I’m asking anyone who has seen prayers being answered in regards to a loved one beginning to turn back to the Church to please send me an email about it—even if I have heard from you previously.  We need to hear these praise reports.  It’s the Pentecost season, too.  There are always miracles around Pentecost.  Please tell me about them so I can share them with others.  First names only, please.  As always we will keep all names anonymous if you wish.  I’m waiting to hear from you.  Write now, please.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control   ~ Galatians 5:22-23