Members of the Seven Sisters Apostolate gathered on Sept. 29, the feast of the Archangels, for a joyful luncheon with Bishop Steven Raica to celebrate his ministry.

The Seven Sisters Apostolate is a call to hidden, sacrificial prayer. Teams of seven women take one day a week and offer a holy hour a priest. For Bishop Raica, however, this devotion is multiplied threefold: three distinct teams of seven women join together to ensure the bishop is completely covered in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament every single day of the year, representing every parishioner who wishes to support, sustain, and lift up our shepherd in his daily ministry.

During the luncheon with the bishop, the sisters presented him with a lovely card and two custom-framed pieces of artwork: a vibrant watercolor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a comforting quote from St. Elizabeth of the Trinity (whose feast day falls on Bishop Raica’s birthday): "Let yourself be loved." The afternoon was filled with warm fellowship as the bishop shared stories of his mother in Michigan and highlighted specific intentions he holds close to his heart.

To learn more about forming a group of Seven Sisters for your local parish priest or to join a team, please contact Kathy Paffumi, diocesan coordinator of Seven Sisters, at 205-266-9687 or sevensistersbirminghamAL@gmail.com.