Prayer Wine Chocolate: from blog to ministry

Years ago I started Prayer Wine Chocolate to blog about two things:

One: to share our family’s journey to adopting without paying an adoption agency.

Two: to write Catholic gift guides for Christmas.

What’s that saying . . . you want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.

God had so much more planned and I feel like I understand the quote, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure” a little better than I did ten years ago.

I hosted a Prayer Wine Chocolate Retreat because I wanted to make sure I got to visit the Saint Katharine Drexel Shrine in Bucks County, PA before it closed. I also hosted it because I was a little pouty that I couldn’t go on a Wine and Shrine Pilgrimage in Italy . . . so I created a way to do something similar close to home.

I can’t help but think of the words of Archbishop Nelson Perez right now:

“Never underestimate the power of God to work in you, through you and DESPITE you!”

Since that first Prayer Wine Chocolate Retreat, I’ve hosted a few more, been asked to speak at “Prayer Wine Chocolate” nights for women’s church groups and have witnessed the birth of a Prayer Wine Chocolate community in a Catholic Parish.

I am completely dazzled by the work of the Holy Spirit.

But this last one, the birth of a Prayer Wine Chocolate community, only happened because one woman took initiative and action.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Scafidi purchased the How to Plan Your Own Prayer Wine Chocolate Retreat: A Guidebook and ran with it.

Betsy was kind enough to write the following description of how the OLG Prayer Wine Chocolate group came about . . .

Wondering how to start a Prayer Wine Chocolate group at your parish? Here’s how Betsy did it:

Several years ago my sister-in-law came across the information for one of Amy’s Prayer, Wine Chocolate retreats. Although my schedule was busy I figured I would just go along with it.

That day changed my prayer life forever.

As I headed home after a beautiful day that included Mass, learning about St. Gianna, Prayer, new friendships and wine, I felt more peaceful and refreshed than I had in a long time. 

I attended a few more of Amy’s retreats walking away from each one saying to myself, “I needed that.”

I began to wonder how many more women need the same things I was getting;

enrichment to my faith life,

an opportunity to pray with other women and

a place to build Catholic friendships.

So I began to ask the Holy Spirit to show me how to move forward.

One Sunday, I casually mentioned to a fellow parishioner that I was thinking about getting some of the women of the parish together. That was all it took. Those casual words took on a life of their own and before I knew it, I was talking with my DRE about my proposal for a Women’s Prayer, Wine, Chocolate Group.

The First Prayer Wine Chocolate Gathering

At our first meeting over 20 women showed up. We shared snacks, paired wine and chocolate and talked about  the retreats that started it all.

The women were given time to write out prayer intentions and we wrapped up the afternoon by praying the rosary. This was almost 2 years ago. Since then we have gathered about a dozen times.

We discuss living liturgically, participate in service projects, share meatless recipes, learn about prayer journaling and discuss Catholic gift giving all while socializing and praying. Each time we all walk away saying the same thing…

”I needed that.”

To those of you thinking about getting started I would encourage you with the words of Pope St. John Paul II, “Be Not Afraid.” Grab a retreat guide, a few friends and jump right in knowing that I’ll be praying for you!  

Prayer Wine Chocolate: Ministry and Mission

Prayer Wine Chocolate is a Rosary group that inspires and fosters amazing friendships

I sincerely hope more women start these communities at parishes. Betsy and I spoke of a mission statement for these parish groups, and this is what we feel the Lord is calling Prayer Wine Chocolate ministry to do:

Prayer Wine Chocolate provides a way to welcome and encourage women of the parish to embrace their faith more fully. By putting God first and nurturing Catholic friendships, it creates opportunities for women to grow spiritually and socially, accompanying each other as the heart of the home and parish. The time spent in communion with each other empowers women to bridge their prayer lives from the church building into their everyday lives.*

Betsy and I would love if you prayed for this ministry – and for us as we hope to encourage women like to you to start this ministry in your parish!

We’ve begun brainstorming, recruiting friends to help and praying that we can make this happen for more women seeking friendships founded in faith.

Grab your copy of the guide, sign up for the newsletter (and get a free Prayer and Pair sheet) and let’s stay in prayer and in touch!

Need a checklist? Here you go!

1. Purchase a Prayer Wine Chocolate Retreat/Gathering Guide**
2. Sign up for the newsletter (you’ll get some free resources and you will know about future events, topics to discuss at meetings, etc.)
3. Start talking about starting a Rosary group with snacks. See if anyone is interested, then tell her about Prayer Wine Chocolate!
4. Schedule a meeting with your parish office and offer to run this Rosary group that will benefit the women of the parish in many ways. (*If it helps, share our mission statement above)
5. Pray for this ministry and our ability to provide more resources and support to you! **If after you purchase the guide, you’d like more help, book a consultation call with me here!

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How Our Lady of the Rosary Helped Me Meet My Husband

Have you ever NOT noticed a rainbow until someone else pointed it out to you?

Have you ever had to pull a child away from danger –

maybe a car driving quickly in a parking lot, for example?

This is how I imagine one way Our Blessed Mother works in our lives. Our Heavenly Mother often has to point out what is already there – either a gift from God or danger that would lead us away from her Son.

Our Blessed Mother helps us see what God has ready for us

The way my husband Matt and I went on our first date is a much more specific example of how I believe Our Lady of the Rosary helps us.

In a way, he was the rainbow in the sky I needed pointed out to me.

Our Mama Mary, when we faithfully pray the Rosary and grant her a little trust (or a lot of it) points out to us the beauty that God has put in our lives. She also points out the danger that exists and is near us – especially those that would endanger our soul.

God heard my prayer for a husband long before I started praying the Rosary on a regular basis

Matt and I went on our first date in 2004.

However, the suggestion that I meet Matt came about two years before that.

Let me explain.

Around the year 2002, I bumped into an old high school friend. As we caught up, she expressed her opinion that I should “meet Matt”. Matt was her friend Maria’s brother. The only thing I gleaned that I had in common with this guy was that we were both single.

Based on that information, I made no effort to explore this idea and showed no interest in this idea.

Months later, I saw Karen again. This time Karen knew we were going to be together, so she brought a picture of Matt to show me.

Again, I expressed no interest really. I did not hear anything about this guy that made me think, “oh yes, we have lots in common, we should totally meet”.

Again, I did something like smiled, nodded and went along my way.

Something changed when I started praying the Rosary

In 2003, I started praying the Rosary with at least 3 friends once a week.

We would gather at my apartment on Thursday evenings. We often invited others to join us, and there were weeks where 5 to seven of us sat around a living room sharing intentions and praying the Rosary together.

Loneliness, Despair and Infertility inspired a Rosary group

There were 4 women that were there praying the Rosary consistently: Nancy, Siobhan, Kelly and myself.

When we began, Nancy and I were lonely and broken-hearted.

Siobhan was pregnant, but the father of the baby and her were on, to say the least, on a very rocky road.

Kelly was experiencing infertility.

These women became my closest friends. We did other things together besides meet up for Rosary once a week.

Nancy, Siobhan and Kelly were fans of a show called “Sex in the City”. I never watched it prior to meeting them and honestly, felt no desire to watch it. The title of the show didn’t exactly sit well with me.

HOWEVER, sometime in the beginning of 2004, Kelly decided she was going to have a “Sex in the City party”. My guess is the show was in it’s last season, so she wanted to gather friends to watch the last episode.

I agreed to go to this party because, well, I had no other plans and my friends were going to be there.

It was at this party that I met Maria.

Maria, Karen’s friend – who was also friends with Nancy and Kelly.

I quickly realized this was the Maria I had heard about many times and had yet to meet.

And this was the Maria who happened to have a single brother named Matt – who Karen had mentioned to me more than once.

I quickly realized why my mutual friends often spoke so highly of Maria. I immediately liked her and wanted to be her friend.

After we had talked a while, I said to Maria . . . “tell me about your brother our mutual friend Karen has told me about” . . .

Maria’s response:

“Oh I was hoping you’d ask!”

Maria left that party with a picture of me and my phone number. I figured, if his sister was that nice, he was probably a guy I’d like to meet.

I left the party not minding if this Matt eventually called me . . . but also with no high hopes or eager expectations.

Pictured above: Maria (Matt’s sister) is in the red shirt. Siobhan is next to her and Nancy is wearing the striped white and gray shirt.

At the end of May, Siobhan gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

In early June, when Siobhan brought her daughter home to her new apartment, Nancy and I went to visit Mama and baby.

While we were visiting, my cell phone rang. I looked at the number calling and said something like,

“I don’t recognize that number. That might be Maria’s brother Matt. I’ll just let it ring and call him back . . “

I think I was going to say later but before I was done speaking, Nancy and Siobhan shouted in unison:

ANSWER IT!!!!!!!!!!!

As a reaction, I answered it.

Sure enough, it was Matt.

We talked a little and decided that we would go out together on the evening of June 17th. That was the last day of school so I thought it would be a good night to go out – I wouldn’t have to worry about grading or lesson planning at that point.

At a much later date, Matt shared with me how that day he called me, he had held his phone and my number in his hand for what felt like hours. It may have actually been hours.

Matt doesn’t like calling people. He even isn’t to fond of calling to order a pizza.

This phone call was a big deal for him to make.

I only recently shared with him what had happened on my end. I figured if I didn’t answer, he would leave a message and I would just call him back. In my mind – no big deal.

When I shared this story with him, Matt said that he really isn’t sure he would have left a message. In fact, he probably would not have left a message.

Matt once again reminded me how

he held his phone and my number and stared at it for a very, very long time.

I was reminded of how big a deal making this phone call was to him.

Then it dawned on me.

The two women who shouted ANSWER IT, were my prayer partners for the past 9 months.

It was those two who were listening to my intention week after week – please Lord let me meet a man I can fall in love with and marry.

It was with those two women who prayed the Rosary with me every week.

Not only was I walking with Our Lady, they also had been walking with her.

I feel like the three of them teamed up in that moment.

ANSWER IT was a direct message from God. That message was shared in stereo.

God had Matt chosen for me, but boy, did I need a whole lot of help to see that answered prayer and gift from above.

Our Blessed Mother Helped Me Open My Heart More to God’s Love

When my friend Karen suggested that I should meet Matt, I totally disregarded the suggestion.

Then, I started praying the Rosary with a group of friends.

That Rosary group led me to meet MARIA (ironic) and I let down my guard. I passed along my phone number.

But the help I needed didn’t end there. When Matt called me, I was not going to answer the phone.

I only answered it because two women, who had prayed the Rosary with me for months, were prompted to shout at the same time, “ANSWER IT”.

It’s actually that memory that made me stop and think about how every time I prayed the Rosary with these girls that year, my number one intention was all about my lonely, sad heart that longed for the vocation of marriage.

Maybe some of us need more help to see God’s gifts right in front of us. The fact that I might be one of those people does not surprise me at all.

I mean, it took me like 20 years to put all the pieces of this story together. Yeah, I might need Our Blessed Mother’s help . . . as well as some faithful friends.

And here we are, twenty years later.

Our first date was on June 17th 2004.

Our first child was born on June 17th years later.

God had it planned, I’m certainly grateful Our Heavenly Mother helped me see it.

Want to see some of my favorite Rosaries so you can start praying more? My new favorite Rosary is from Abundantly Yours! Also, check out Not Your Grandma’s Rosaries!

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