Advent Healing Prayer Group

by John Shaw

It all began about 19 years ago when a small group of us used to meet regularly in the parish house of St Joseph the Worker in Kirkby to pray for the physically, mentally and spiritually sick. One of the group had a recurring dream in which he was convinced that a healing Mass should take place in the church. It didn’t seem likely at the time as the parish priest, Fr Jimmy Collins wasn’t into healing. But then in the October of 1990 Mgr Michael Buckley, well known because of his national healing ministry was invited to the Church to hold a healing mass and service. This was a huge success and many people came and Fr Jimmy saw for the first time the need and the way the Lord could use individuals, particularly priests to pray for healing. Impressed he agreed to attend a conference organised by Mgr Buckley in Scarborough who invited him to come as a guest speaker. This led to other invitations as Fr Jimmy grew in his understanding of the healing power of Christ today.

A regular healing Mass in his parish at St Joseph’s was established which brought liberation and healing to many. Depressions were lifted and marriages healed as well as serious physical illnesses like cancer cured. Even those who weren’t healed were blessed as burdens weighing them down for years were lifted. As time went on and the identity of the group was established, we were given the name the Advent Healing group because the work that we do proclaims our faith in and love of the Risen Lord. Fr Jimmy, aged 92, might be retired from parish ministry but he continues to help those in need through the healing ministry. He feels the work of the Advent group is very important because it is a example of grassroots collaborative ministry between lay people and priests and helps give witness to the reality of the gospel alive today. “These are the signs that will be associated with believers, in my name they will cast out devils, they will have the gift of tongues, they will pick up snakes in their hands and they will be unharmed should they drink deadly poison. They will lay their hands on the sick who will recover.” (Mark 16.17- 18) I haven’t seen any snakes handled or any deadly drinks taken but I have seen people healed in many different ways and learnt that with Christ everything is possible.

Over the years Fr Jimmy and the healing team have been invited to run healing services in many parishes and the Advent Healing team has travelled all over Merseyside and the Wirral and as far away as Lancashire, Cumbria, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Derbyshire. In all of these places I have noticed that most requests we receive are for the restoration of broken families and relationships, and praying that family members return to the Lord. As a team we meet regularly for prayer and formation with Fr Jimmy. Apart from our outreaches we also meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at St George’s parish in Magull, Merseyside for a healing Mass and prayer. More recently we have felt the need to form and train up groups in other parishes so that the ministry will continue when Fr Jimmy is no longer with us. One is at St James Church, in Orrell, Wigan on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and the other is at Holy Family Church in Pensby, Wirral which meets every Tuesday for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and healing prayer. (see coming events)

Just recently as an offshoot of the Advent Healing Group I also felt called to start a Men Only group. This came about because I noticed that about 80% of the people attending our Advent healing services were women. I realised that men are often too embarrassed to share their needs for prayer in front of women and we needed a men only event. Twenty six men turned up at the first meeting which took place at the parish hall of St George’s Church where the Advent Group have their monthly healing services. We had praise and worship, a teaching by Myles Dempsey and prayers for healing. Men have so many difficult things to face – anxieties about work, mortgages, providing for their families, and worries about their children. Some of the men who came had never opened up before and were crying as we prayed for them. We now have a name “The Knights of St George” and will be meeting the second Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm.

Every June the Advent Healing Group organises a big healing service at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Liverpool, which the archbishop of Liverpool also attends. In 2008, however, we organised an ecumenical healing service at the Anglican Cathedral too, and this went so well that for Advent 2009 we organised another bigger one for 1st December 2009. A core team of us including Fr Jimmy and I, Myles Dempsey and the co-ordinator from the Anglican Cathedral, Canon Anthony Hawley and his team met every week for six weeks to pray and plan the service. It was a wonderful experience to work together with other Christians and I think the Lord blessed us in a special way because of our unity.”

For details contact 0151 286 4255