92-year-old parishioner finds joy creating prayer intention cards

Ninety-two year old Dolores Jules has a deep love for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  “When I enter the Adoration Chapel the first thing I remember is that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament and as I sit and pray I know he hears every word I say, and every thought that crosses my mind. [It] is the most peaceful time to sit before our Lord, to give your heart and soul to him. I just love it.” Her deep enjoyment for this time in prayer inspired a heartwarming project that has been a labor of love for over fifteen years. Now a parishioner of St. Helena’s in Edison, Dolores was professed with the Order of Secular Franciscans since 1992, and has been an active minister in the St. John Vianney Fraternity since 2007.

Dolores was inspired to create a way that adorers can pray especially for the intentions of others. When St. Francis Cathedral in Metuchen began having Adoration in 2007, she was busy creating and donating blank, fillable prayer cards as a “Gift Of Prayer” that could be filled out and sent via mail.to the person whose intention was prayed for.

Dolores, who is impressively comfortable with technology for her age, designs the cards via computer program on a CD-ROM, averaging about 300 cards per month. To date, she has made a total of 4,920 cards! And as she nears her 93rd birthday this summer, Dolores emphasized that as long as she knows the Cathedral needs to be restocked with prayer cards, she’s thrilled to keep making them.

While she finds joy in this ministry, Dolores notes that the particular gift in it is that someone can find comfort in knowing that they are being prayed for. She emphasizes that consistent prayer life as well as “keeping busy” as she puts it, has given her a strength and vitality for life.

In addition to making the prayer cards, Dolores also creates and sends greeting cards for members of the fraternities who are celebrating anniversaries, stays connected with prayer ministries online, and enjoys crossword puzzles and spending time with her fifteen great-grandchildren.  An embodiment of faith in action, Dolores says, “Going from Gospel to life and life to the Gospel, I try to live my life, my ideas, my prayers and my lifestyle as a witness to God’s Holy Spirit which guides me every day.”