Program covers St. Edmond faculty, staff in prayers

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

Strong parent and grandparent involvement in Catholic schools is one of the many wonderful blessings and traditions of diocesan schools be it working in concession stands or reading to students.

For about five years now, parents and grandparents at St. Edmond School in Fort Dodge have had to opportunity to become involved in a distinctively spiritual way through the Prayer Partner Program. They are asked to pray daily for specific faculty and/or staff members of the school.

Caleb Pokorny, a parent of four St. Edmond students ranging from preschool to high school and member of the Catholic Identity Committee as well as school board member, had participated in the program for a couple of years before volunteering to head it up for this year.

 “I went through our staff roster and made sure we had everyone accounted for. It’s made up of primarily the teachers and the support staff for our system,” he explained.

He pointed out that through social media and emails to current parents and past participants in the program, they tried to get the word out to parents and grandparents that prayer warriors were needed once again. 

“We have about 80 staff members and almost 40 prayer partners lined up at this time,” he said. Most of the prayer partners have two or three staff members they are praying for.

The parents/grandparents can even request to be assigned a specific teacher they have some connection with them. 

“Some people request a teacher that they had prayed for in the past or they might request their children’s teachers,” said Pokorny. “Sometimes it is even family members who will be a prayer warrior for a teacher or faculty member.”

The prayer warriors are asked to remember their designated teachers or staff members in prayer on a daily basis.

Father Jake Rosenmeyer, chaplain for St. Edmond, has made a special prayer available for those involved in this effort. He noted that he took the Blessing for Teachers from the Book of Blessings and adapted to fit their needs.

The chaplain said the Prayer Partner Program is valuable because it gives the parish community and school families a very tangible way to support the mission of the school.

“It also allows people who do not have the ability to come and physically volunteer a way to help and support our teachers,” said Father Rosenmeyer. “Working with young people is a gift, but it is a gift that requires much from a person. So, if we can support our teachers in the spiritual realm, that is a great asset.”

Pokorny pointed out as a parent he became involved in this program because he understands the power of prayer and hopes there are people praying for him too.

“I always want to be available to pray for others when I get the opportunity. It also helps commit to your daily prayers – gives you an extra reminder or motivation to pray – when you know there is someone you are praying for,” he said.  

Given that the prayer warriors are mainly parents and grandparents of St. Edmond students, he said they realize the importance of praying for individuals who are guiding and interacting with their children/grandchildren.

While the program is underway, Pokorny said there is still time for parents and grandparents to get involved as a prayer warrior.

Top photo cutline: Preston Derrig, high school social studies teacher, is one of nearly 80 members of the faculty and staff that prayer warriors are praying for this year.
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