Praying Together Means the World to These Seniors

by Anne Marie Cox | February 16, 2026

On a recent Friday just before 10:30 a.m., Catholic volunteers Tim Springer and Sharon Jirak enter a conference room at the Community Care Center in Stuart. They place a statue of Mary on the table, along with rosaries and prayer cards.

In come residents. Some walk in, some make their way with a walker, and some in wheelchairs are brought in by staff.

After greetings and small talk, they get down to business. For the last few months, the volunteers have led a group of residents at the nursing home in praying the rosary.

The rosary team prayer at the local nursing home has been a big success both for volunteers and for the residents of the care center.

Organizer Deb Brown is “blown away” by the number of people who responded to her invitation at All Saints Parish in Stuart and St. John Parish in Adair to comfort and accompany nursing home residents by praying the rosary with them once a week.

“They understand the difference it can make,” she said.

And staff at the care center are thrilled that local churches have representatives come to the care center to pray with the residents.

“Their faith means everything to them so it’s probably the most important thing we do on a weekly basis, whether it's Catholic or Lutheran, is just having those opportunities for (parishioners) to come in and express their faith with residents,” said activities director Jamie Eitel. “It just means everything to them.”

The Rosary Team idea came to St. John parishioner Debra Brown after she listened to Iowa Catholic Radio and an interview with Theresa Rodriguez, who founded the Rosary Team in Colorado. The idea of having teams of parishioners go to local nursing homes has become an apostolate of evangelization spreading across the country.

Brown looked up Rodriguez on the internet to get more information on how to start such a ministry in the Diocese of Des Moines.

There already was a team in Sioux City. The team with parishioners from Stuart and Adair is the second in Iowa.

Brown said her pastor, Father Anthony Mathew, was supportive in putting a note in the bulletin to gauge interest among parishioners. Fourteen people responded, half from each parish. They go in pairs to the care center to pray the rosary.

“We pray the rosary with any residents who would like to come, Catholic or not Catholic,” Brown said. They pray for specific intentions and for whatever is on the heart of those who come.

“It’s just wonderful to see the power of prayer when you’re united in challenges,” she said. Brown watched her 94-year-old father struggle before he died two years ago. Losing things like his ability to drive, his health, and his mobility meant he had to humbly accept help.

Father Mathew made prayer sheets with large print laminated so the care center residents could follow along. A parishioner of St. John donated rosaries.

“I really think this is helping us see the dignity of all life,” Brown said. The Rosary Team helps her reflect on her role in helping others. “We’re all going to age. How can I continue to serve the Lord as I age?”

_{Sharon Jirak and Tim Springer pray the rosary at a care center in Stuart with residents who can no longer go to church.}