Making space for Jesus: Creating or refreshing home prayer space is fun and meaningful way to welcome Jesus in the new year  

Eight-year-old Adalida Copeland speaks excitedly about her prayer space – a shelf in her room that includes her special holy items.

Adalida Copeland’s prayer space is defined by a shelf in her room and includes holy items she has collected. Photo Submitted

“I have a circle made out of wood with God carved out of it and lights around it, a picture of Jesus in a picture frame, rosaries, a prayer bell, a statue of Mary, a statue of Joseph, my baptismal candle,” Adalida began. These items were just the beginning of her list.

Her parents, Mike and Jolene Copeland, helped by finding a small shelf to hang on Adalida’s wall.

“What’s so special about Adalida’s prayer space is that I never asked her to do this. She asked for help with the shelf, but she decides where things are at and what to add,” Jolene said.

Adalida tries to remember to pray in her space every night and says that the Guardian Angel Prayer is her favorite.

Adalida’s example led her family to start new traditions. Now, they have a family prayer space in their living room. Jolene was quick to share they have “a few special items and a candle” but it is not nearly as grand as Adalida’s.

Another tradition she encouraged was family prayer before opening gifts at Christmas. This year, she led the Blanket Prayer – a prayer given to her with a blanket she received from her parish at first Communion.

The blanket prayer is one of many items in Adalida’s prayer space gifted from the parish as part of the faith formation program at the Four Pillars in Faith ACC, which includes the parishes of St. Louis Bertrand in Foreston, St. Mary in Milaca, St. Kathryn in Ogilvie and St. Mary in Mora.

Rita Olson, director of religious education at St. Louis Bertrand and St. Mary in Milaca, was amazed by Adalida’s prayer space.

“Children’s prayers are very powerful and can make such a difference,” Olson said.

She knows families are often busy managing multiple schedules so finding time to pray can be difficult. In her faith formation program, she teaches how creating a space for individual and family prayer can help.

“It’s important to have something that provides focus. Holy images are reminders of our faith and those who are intercessors for us,” Olson said. “It can be very simple or very elaborate.”

To encourage people to create their own home prayer spaces, the ACC provides faith formation families with home altar starter kits. The kit includes tote bags filled with a small altar cloth, rosary, votive candle and holder, holy water font, holy water bottle and crucifix.

The ministry blossomed this year, and to celebrate, all ACC members were encouraged to take a photo of their home prayer space and submit it to the parish office. Submissions were displayed on a bulletin board and included in a drawing on the feast of the Holy Family. See some of the entries in the gallery below.

Olson hopes their ACC is an example for others looking to add a spiritual goal to their resolution list this year.

“You can just start with finding a holy image,” she encourages.

Adalida especially recommends a crucifix, particularly because of advice she received from her faith formation teacher, “The best way to tell God that you’re loving him is to kiss it each day.”

Do you have a home prayer space? We’d love to see it! Send your entries to Kristi.anderson@gw.stcdio.org. Entries may be featured on social media and/or in digital or print publications. Please include your name and ACC.

Author: Amber Walling

1 comment

Kristi, Adelina and her family and others’ spaces are fabulous! Mine pales in comparison, but I got a few ideas! Thanks for running this and can you post submissions from additional others? Peace!

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