“That many? That’s wonderful,” Bishop Ricken said when he heard preliminary counts of the prayer requests that had come in.
When he was Bishop of Cheyenne, Bishop Ricken regularly asked people to submit prayer requests to him as part of the annual Bishop’s Appeal.
This year, the bishop thought it would be nice to ask people for their prayer needs before Christmas. A letter was sent out in early December to all who had given to the local Bishop’s Appeal.
“It was something we had done last year (2008) for the Crosier Society members,” said Cindi Brawner, director of the Catholic Foundation. “It was so well received that we decided to do it for everyone this year.”
Prayer requests ranged from the leading one for prayers that family members would return to the church, to concerns over health — especially cancer — and job losses, as well as prayers for deceased family members.
“These are heavy concerns on the hearts of us all,” the bishop said in his Christmas homily. “The answer is to turn to God more fully and more completely.”
All the requests were placed in a red and gold holiday box and brought to the altar during the reading of the Prayers of the Faithful.
Doris Vincent, associate director of administration for the diocese, carried them in. Bishop Ricken has said he will pray for all the intentions through the Christmas season until Feb. 2, the feast of Candlemas (the 40th day after Christmas).
