Pinwheel Prayer Service Worship Aid | |
| Opening Song | Gina Montalvo Christ Be Our Light Christ, be our light! Longing for peace, our world is troubled Christ, be our light! Text and music © 1993, 2011, Bernadette Farrell. Published by OCP. All rights reserved |
| Welcome | Mr. Michael Hoffman Chairman, Hope & Healing Committee |
| Letter from Cardinal Cupich | Mary Jane Doerr Director of the Office for the Protection of Young Children and Youth |
| Scripture Reading | Dr. Jim Rigg Luke 18:15–17 |
| Reflection | Fr. Jeffrey Grob |
| Prayers of the Faithful | Powerful God, let the wind carry our prayer to you... A prayer that those in leadership positions in our schools and communities take an active role in preventing child abuse and supporting the victims of it. We pray that they have the wisdom and strength to guide our children through difficult times and set an example for future generations. Merciful God, let the wind carry our prayer to you... A prayer that children have the strength to be honest with adults when something troubles them and to seek help whenever needed. Watchful God, let the wind carry our prayer to you... A prayer for all educators. We pray that they may have the clarity to identify situations of abuse and the prudence to act swiftly and sagely. Help them keep our children safe. Enlightening God, let the wind carry our prayer to you... A prayer for all children and teens to know that they are important, capable, and strong, no matter what their past may hold. May they hold their faith close to their heart to guide them. |
| Lord’s Prayer | All (Please join in wherever you are) |
| Closing Prayer | Peter Corrigan SICP - Student Formation & Ministry |
| Closing Blessing | Fr. Jeffrey Grob |
| Closing Song | O God Beyond All Praising |
Pinwheel Prayer Service
Pinwheels for Prevention Prayer Service
May 29, 2020
Leader of Prayer Rev. Jeffrey Grob, St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish
Pinwheel Coloring Sheet (PDF)
Pinwheels for Prevention Prayer Service Worship Aid (PDF)
The Symbol of the Pinwheels
Pinwheels have existed for thousands of years. They are often seen as childhood toys and recognized as symbols of childhood innocence. The Chinese and other cultures have used the pinwheel as a symbol of turning from the old to the new, from bad luck to good fortune. The wind would turn the pinwheel, casting out the bad and replacing it with the good. During times of slavery, pinwheels were often woven into blankets symbolizing the hope of slaves to move from slavery to freedom. Most recently, pinwheels have been used in a worldwide movement to fight against child labor and to promote peace.
We gather with pinwheels to symbolize the innocence of youth and to express our desire that every child be safe wherever they are. All too often, many children and teens in our culture suffer abuse. Physical, verbal and sexual abuse can rob a child of their innocence and threaten their human dignity.
The pinwheels we planted symbolize all of those children who have been, or are at risk of, being hurt by adults in their life. We pray that, as the wind turns the pinwheels that our prayer, united with the free-flowing Spirit of God, will help reassure all children that we will support them in their healing. We promise to continue working to ensure that every child will be safe, loved and cared for in a way that affirms their dignity as a child made in the image and likeness of God.
It is the Spirit of God, often symbolized as a mighty yet gentle wind, that will help blow away the pain and the hurt, the fears and the tears of all children or teens who have been hurt by an adult. It is the Spirit of God, that mighty wind, that will move us to defend the dignity and protect the lives of all children and youth who God has entrusted to our care.
