What a beautiful day it was on Monday to spend in the service of the Lord. Our team met at the Co-Cathedral and before we even went out, we were able to pray for a couple in the parking lot for blessings for their upcoming wedding.

We set up our Prayer Station sign in the middle of the Peace Plaza, and there weren’t many people out and about when we first got there. The first one to stop by was a woman we had actually talked to last summer, and she stopped again for prayer. We prayed for her family and especially for peace in the world and in the community. Another woman stopped by asking for prayers for healing for her husband. He was in the Clinic for appointments and treatment all day, so he wasn’t able to join us for prayer, but we prayed for his healing and for his family - they have a 6-year-old daughter. A young worker from the nearby hospital stopped by to talk to us and receive prayer. She was on her way to have lunch with her husband, who worked for Word on Fire.

One of the maintenance workers on the plaza came by to talk to us and ask for prayer. He wanted a blessed crucifix and prayers for his family and his job. We prayed for his needs. Another woman stopped by with her sister to ask for prayers for her health issues, and we gave them both miraculous medals before we prayed for their needs. Another woman stopped by to ask for prayers for her son, who was going through many difficulties and was filled with stress and anxiety, which was affecting not only him but his family. We gave her a St. Michael medal for her son and a miraculous medal for herself. We prayed for both of their needs and asked for Mary’s special intercession for this mother who so loved her son. Two women stopped by and asked for prayers for their friend. They didn’t have time to stop, but we prayed for their friend.

A young woman came up and asked for prayers for her health. She told us she was a convert to the Catholic Church and her husband was a cradle Catholic. We talked with her about her faith and where she went to church in town and prayed for her health. A mom and a young boy came by, and we asked if they would like a free blessed medal. The mom said sure and took a St. Michael medal for her son (who didn’t really want to talk to us). Her son was born with a condition where his esophagus wasn’t attached to his stomach, so he’s had 37 surgeries since he was a baby. He didn’t want us to pray for him out loud, so we wrote his information down and prayed for him afterward and will took his name (along with all the other requests) to the Adoration Chapel at one of the local churches.

A couple whose parents had been members at this same church stopped by to talk. Both the husband and wife worked at the nearby hospital. We chatted for a while and found out that her dad had recently passed away and she was now caring for her mother in addition to everything else in her life. We prayed for her husband, who needed hip surgery. He had his other side done in the past, and it didn’t go well, so he was anxious about the upcoming surgery. We prayed for both of them. We also talked to a woman who worked in the dental surgery department. We gave her some blessed medals to give to patients that she worked with who she felt could use them. We also prayed for a woman, who was getting ready for knee surgery in the next few days. She and her husband stopped for prayers and encouragement for the upcoming surgery.

A teenager stopped by to talk with us and for prayer. She told us about her journey with a rare salivary gland cancer. Her dentist had seen an unusual lump in her mouth and told her to check it out, which was a blessing as she hadn’t had any symptoms. She had surgery to remove the cancer and her wisdom teeth as well as some reconstructive work and is now back for radiation treatment. We gave her several blessed medals and prayed for her restoration to full health and for peace and comfort for her and her family. She shared with us her blog site where she’s been documenting her journey.

As we were getting ready to wrap up for the day, a woman and her husband stopped by. They were from Guatemala and had come to the Mayo Clinic last year when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Not much hope was given for a full remission, but she had surgery and chemotherapy. Both she and her husband were devoted Catholics and stormed heaven with prayers during her sickness. She told us she had been miraculously healed from the cancer. She told us she was back at Mayo for a recheck because Mayo doesn’t believe in miracles. She took a miraculous medal and told us about a group of Catholic women in Texas that made corded rosaries with a corded cross. The women would give them out at the MD Anderson Cancer Center because people could take the rosaries into treatment or scans because they didn’t have any metal on them. I thought that was a beautiful idea. Her husband took an Our Lady of Guadalupe medal and said Our Lady had saved him. He told us about visiting the Shrine in Mexico City and how he could feel her presence there. We prayed with them in thanksgiving to God for the blessings He had bestowed on them and also to thank Our Lady for her intercession in both of their lives. We were blessed to meet them and take a picture with them!