Healing Prayer Services
Fr. Mark Bozada
is a spiritually gifted priest and mystic. He was ordained a priest in 1981 and has served in seventeen parishes throughout his life in St. Louis, Missouri, Oakland, California and Phoenix, Arizona. Father Mark has been in the healing ministry for many years and played a supportive role at the St. John Paul II Institute in 2016 serving as Spiritual Director working together with physicians, nurses, clinical staff, and clergy to unite faith and science. Click here for link to videos of Fathers interview with Focus TV, Click here for a link to the video of Fr. Marks July, 2021 talk at St. Josephs. Deacon Brian Knight is a member of St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church in Villa Ridge, MO.
Family • wife: Joan; sons: Adam, Nathan; four grandchildren I believe that there are many forces that helped lead me to this ministry. Most importantly, my desire to serve my Church and my parish. But also from the inspiration and example set by my mother and father, my siblings — especially the two who are ordained priests — my wife, and my pastor Father Mark Bozada and all of the parish priests who previously have been a part of my life. |
About Fr. Bozada's prayer team...
The Catawissa, MO Healing Prayer Ministry Team consists of members from several different Catholic Parishes surrounding the Catawissa area. Many team members have completed years of structured studies on healing. All members are in full communion with the Catholic Church. The prayer ministers have dedicated themselves to ongoing and continuous training in healing prayer ministry. Each team member has carefully and prayerfully discerned their individual charisms and gifts that have led them to healing prayer ministry . They are committed to serving the needs of anyone who seeks healing prayer in accordance with their training and established ministry parameters. Healing Prayer Team Ministers also remain involved in their own faith formation and personal healing through prayer, study, classes, workshops, conferences and continuous discernment.
What Fr. Bozada and the prayer team would like you to know...
We do not have any answers…only God knows why, when and how healing occurs.
We can’t heal anybody…it is God alone who heals.
We serve only as His instruments of healing in whatever manner He chooses to use us.
The Catawissa, MO Healing Prayer Ministry Team consists of members from several different Catholic Parishes surrounding the Catawissa area. Many team members have completed years of structured studies on healing. All members are in full communion with the Catholic Church. The prayer ministers have dedicated themselves to ongoing and continuous training in healing prayer ministry. Each team member has carefully and prayerfully discerned their individual charisms and gifts that have led them to healing prayer ministry . They are committed to serving the needs of anyone who seeks healing prayer in accordance with their training and established ministry parameters. Healing Prayer Team Ministers also remain involved in their own faith formation and personal healing through prayer, study, classes, workshops, conferences and continuous discernment.
What Fr. Bozada and the prayer team would like you to know...
We do not have any answers…only God knows why, when and how healing occurs.
We can’t heal anybody…it is God alone who heals.
We serve only as His instruments of healing in whatever manner He chooses to use us.
What to expect...
At 2:00 pm Confession and Eucharistic Adoration will begin. We are offering Confession and Eucharistic Adoration in preparation for the Healing service, two amazing ways to prepare our souls for healing. See in Common Questions below- How to best prepare for a Healing Prayer Service. The Blessed Sacrament will remain exposed for the duration of the Prayer service.
At 2:30 pm a Family Healing Rosary will be prayed. This beautiful Rosary comes to us from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. https://nazarethcsfn.org/prayer/healing-rosary-for-families. The rosary incorporates many of the most pressing needs that families are facing today.
At 3:00 pm Talk by Fr. Bozada followed by opportunity to be prayed over individually by on of the prayer teams. There will be 3 prayer teams available. They will be led by Fr. Bozada, Deacon Brian and Fr. Viviano. For more information on what happens next, see Common Questions below. Services will close with Benediction.
At 2:00 pm Confession and Eucharistic Adoration will begin. We are offering Confession and Eucharistic Adoration in preparation for the Healing service, two amazing ways to prepare our souls for healing. See in Common Questions below- How to best prepare for a Healing Prayer Service. The Blessed Sacrament will remain exposed for the duration of the Prayer service.
At 2:30 pm a Family Healing Rosary will be prayed. This beautiful Rosary comes to us from the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. https://nazarethcsfn.org/prayer/healing-rosary-for-families. The rosary incorporates many of the most pressing needs that families are facing today.
At 3:00 pm Talk by Fr. Bozada followed by opportunity to be prayed over individually by on of the prayer teams. There will be 3 prayer teams available. They will be led by Fr. Bozada, Deacon Brian and Fr. Viviano. For more information on what happens next, see Common Questions below. Services will close with Benediction.
COMMON QUESTIONS:
Are Healing Prayer Services Catholic?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church asserts that, “Christ’s compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that ‘God has visited his people’ and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins; he has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of”(1503).
Healing is a gift from God. It is evident throughout the Bible, particularly in Jesus’ ministry and the ministry of His disciples. The numbers of people who were healed by Jesus during His ministry on earth is astounding. When He sent out His disciples to further His ministry, He “gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2). This gift of healing is a 2000 year old treasure of the Catholic Church that has been forgotten and ignored for many centuries but is once more being rejuvenated in the Church. Jesus’ commandment to His disciples is still very relative to Christians today, and the gift of healing is very much available to those who will simply ask God.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, writes that “Healing is an essential dimension of the apostolic mission and of Christian faith in general. It can even be said that Christianity is a ‘therapeutic religion, a religion of healing.’”
What are the different categories of healing?
According to Guidelines of Prayer For Healing, a booklet published by the Doctrinal Commission of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS), there are four basic categories of healing, namely physical healing: the healing from physical sickness and disability; spiritual healing: this means, above all, the “healing from sin” that restores a person to a relationship with God; psychological healing: the healing of wounds to the human psyche, including emotional wounds; and exorcism and deliverance. All people have the God-given gift of intercessory prayer.
What is a Catholic Healing Mass or Prayer Service?
A Catholic Healing Prayer Service may take on many different formats. A priest or deacon led Healing Prayer Service usually offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, scripture readings on healing, a talk given by a priest or Deacon and the opportunity to be individually prayed over by a healing prayer team. A Catholic healing prayer service can also take the form of a Healing Mass. While every Mass confers spiritual healing through the power of the Holy Eucharist, there are also special healing Masses that focus on the restoration of health through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a healing Mass, the theme of renewal is reflected in the liturgical prayers and Scripture readings, as well as in the music. As we have learned above "all people have the God-given gift of intercessory prayer". Lay-people are also permitted and encouraged to gather and pray for healing. Click the following link for a beautiful healing prayer service format available to be celebrated by yourself, or with others at home with you. You could also pray together with family and friends over a live video chat platform. (*Laying hands on the sick should only be done with proper training and discretion.) http://www.ctredeemer.org/other/April-2020-Prayer-Service-for-Healing.pdf
Who should attend?
“We are all in need of healing of one kind or another. Anyone who desires bodily healing or the healing of interior wounds should come. IF YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE WHO CAN NOT COME BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO ILL OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON, YOU MAY ATTEND AND STAND IN THEIR PLACE. We are all wounded by original sin and the stronghold that sin has had in our own lives.” Many people feel shame and low self-worth, but may not think to ask for healing from that. Services for healing can be an opportunity to address and move past the negative feelings that can hinder one’s relationship with God, family and others. “The ultimate healing of heart comes when we experience the depth of our Heavenly Father’s love for us as his beloved children and hear his voice of love speaking over us, ‘You are my beloved daughter/son and with you I am well pleased.’” Anyone who comes should come with the desire to deepen their relationship with the Lord. "If I am spiritually healed, I can deal with physical suffering and pain easier." -Deacon Brian Knight
What do I do if I decide to be individually prayed over?
You will chose a line or be directed to one of the prayer teams. When it is your turn you may whisper or tell the minister what type of healing you wish to receive or you may remain silent and tell Jesus in your heart. (It is Jesus who does the healing) All prayer requests are held in the strictest confidence. There will also be background music playing to further help protect your privacy. The minster may lay hands on you or pray over you, you will likely be anointed with holy oil. Other team members will outstretch their hands and also pray over you. Their role is to assist the minister and serve you.
SUGGESTIONS: During the experience relax in His love. Surrender your heart with all your concerns and worries to Him. Trust that something is happening in you even though you do not feel it emotionally. BE OPEN TO WHAT EVER GIFTS GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU! Do your best to release yourself from any fears. *Decide to be content or happy with whatever God may or may not give to you. You are spending an afternoon in the presence of Our Lord in the most holy Eucharist and in the presence of some amazing holy people who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord by bringing hope and healing to his precious children...that itself is a most wonderful gift! (See below- Common Questions, Will Everyone Receive a Healing?)
Am I going to faint or fall backwards?
This phenomenon may be familiar to people have witnessed it during Protestant healing services. The answer is NO,
not everyone will (MOST WILL NOT) “rest in the Spirit,”. There will be people on the prayer team who are people
specifically trained to catch anyone who may fall. Do not be afraid, this is a gift! There is much more information on
this phenomenon below.
-What is resting in the Spirit? It is the power of the Holy Spirit so filling a person with a heightened inner awareness that the body’s energy fades away until it cannot stand. It is not fainting. The person keeps consciousness but is under the healing power of the Holy Spirit.
-What if someone does faint (rest in the Spirit)? The team is trained in how catch and to care for the person. They will be allowed to rest in the spirit as long as they need. The prayer service will continue to the next person in line while the person is resting.
-Is this experience found in the Bible? In the tenth chapter of The Acts of The Apostles, St. Luke speaks about St. Peter falling into a trance; in the description of Gethsemane, we read about the soldiers falling backward when Jesus spoke to them; and St. Paul fell to the ground during his conversion experience. All of these experiences seem to have been similar to the experience that some have called “being slain by the Holy Spirit,” and we are calling Resting in the Holy Spirit.
-What is the purpose of resting in the spirit? Many people who experienced Resting in the Holy Spirit experience not just the rest and peace, but God Himself in some way. While under the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus wants to release the person from the bondage of sin and heal some area of the inner person. The Holy Spirit is free to do many spiritual actions in the person’s mind, will, imagination, memory, and emotions when one completely rests and relaxes in His love.
-What should I do to prepare myself to possibly rest in the spirit? As stated above... BE OPEN TO WHAT EVER GIFTS GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU! Do not be afraid, this is a gift! Do not make anything happen and do not prevent His power from coming upon you by being frightened about where you will fall, and how you will look, and what people will think about you. Release yourself from any of these fears. Relax in His love and gently praise Him for loving you. Release yourself from all guilt feelings about not being worthy, it is for those who need release, inner healing and infilling.
-What should I do during the experience? During the experience relax in His love. Surrender to His will. Stay in the position of relaxation as long as you feel you should.
-What should I do after the experience? When returning to the normal level of mind-consciousness, quiet inside of you any thoughts of self-condemnation, self-analysis, what will people think, disappointments that you didn’t feel anything. Remaining in the resting experience for 5 minutes or for 5 hours is not a sign of greater sinfulness or greater holiness. Offer word of love and worship to the Father, the Son and to the Holy Spirit from your sincere heart. Be open to living in God’s will every day. This experience of Resting in the Holy Spirit is only a beginning. The Lord will continue His work throughout the hours to come in the remaining week, month, and maybe even years. He wants to love us and let His Precious Blood cleanse us this way is indeed a great joy. Remember, no one praying with us or touching us has healing power. Jesus is the Healer and His Holy Spirit effects the healing because the Father wants it at this moment in your life.
Will everyone receive a miracle? Attendees are encouraged to “go with the expectant faith that Jesus does heal,” but with the understanding that human beings cannot put demands on God and that healing may not come in the form one expects. “Not all healings take place the same way. Healing is a process.” Sometimes healing can come instantly on the spot, sometimes it is gradual. Sometimes it doesn’t come at all. “But give it to God." Physical healing takes faith. There’s a certain boldness in asking the Lord for something … The more humble we are, the more bold we become because we have to trust Him for everything.”
*It is essential for people to have a healthy approach to healing. After all, Jesus may have brought Lazarus back from the dead, but Lazarus still had to meet his fate eventually. *Part of healing is the ability to be at peace with whatever happens, and feeling God’s presence along the way. "You never know when the healing is coming- could be tonight, could be on your way home, could be next week, next month, next year...God's timing." Fr. Bozada
How do I best prepare for a Healing Prayer Service?
Reconciliation and Confession: *Avail yourself of the sacraments of the Church, especially the sacraments of Confession and the reception of Eucharist. These with the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick are the most powerful sources of healing. Why Confession? One of the most prominent characteristics of a sin is that it brings harm to our self or others. When we refuse to confess our sins, we are also refusing the healing that comes when we admit to our shortcomings. If we do not confess where we have fallen short, how could we possibly achieve any necessary healing? Confession invites healing; it says that we understand where we have gone wrong and we want something more—something more aligned with God’s desire for our lives. Once we confess, we can begin mending the wounds our sin has caused to our self and/or those around us. The Eucharist: The Catechism (1509) states, “The Church believes in the life-giving presence of Christ, the physician of souls and bodies. This presence is particularly active through the sacraments, and in an altogether special way through the Eucharist, the bread that gives eternal life and that St. Paul suggests is connected with bodily health.”
Fast: *If you are able, fast. “Fasting is most intimately connected with prayer. For the mind of one who is filled with food and drink is so borne down as not to be able to raise itself to the contemplation of God, or even to understand what prayer means.” — Catechism of the Council of Trent
Have an expectant faith: “I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’”(Lk 17:6). Have faith that the Lord can work in and through you for his glory. Come with a healthy understanding that God may or may not heal you in the way you desire. There will be healings, they may not be visible or immediate. Healing may happen to you or your neighbor, why not you! BE OPEN TO WHAT EVER GIFTS GOD WANTS TO GIVE YOU! Decide to be content or happy with Gods will for you. You are spending an afternoon in the presence of Our Lord in the most holy Eucharist and in the presence of some amazing holy people who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord by bringing hope and healing to his precious children...That itself is a most wonderful gift!
Who is qualified to participate on healing prayer teams?
A Healing Prayer team member would be a prayerful person, in full communion with the Catholic Church, an active member of their parish, empathetic and caring.
What healing prayer is not...
"Prayer is not a magic wand: It is a dialogue with the Lord."
"The Catechism offers us a good summary of the matter. It puts us on guard against the risk of not living an authentic experience of faith, but of transforming the relationship with God into something magical. Prayer is not a magic wand: It is a dialogue with the Lord. Indeed, when we pray we can give in to the risk of not being the ones to serve God, but of expecting Him to serve us (cf. 2735). This is, then, a prayer that is always demanding, that wants to direct events according to our own design, that admits no plans other than our own desires. Jesus, on the other hand, had great wisdom in teaching us the Lord’s Prayer. It is a prayer of questions only, as we know, but the first ones we utter are all on God’s side. They ask for the fulfillment not of our plan, but of His will for the world. Better to leave it to Him: “Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done” (Mt 6:9-10).
And the Apostle Paul reminds us that we do not even know what it is appropriate to ask for (cf. Rm 8: 26). We ask for necessities, our needs, things that we want: “But is this more convenient or not?” Paul tells us, we do not even know what it is right to ask. When we pray, we need to be humble: this is the first attitude for going to pray. Just like the attitude in many places for going to pray in church: women who wear a veil or take holy water to begin to pray, in this way we must tell ourselves, before praying, that it is the right way; that God will give me what it is right to give. He knows. When we pray we must be humble, so that our words are actually prayers and not just idle talk that God rejects."
-Pope Francis
For more information on Catholic Healing Prayer Services click on following links...
https://www.nsc-chariscenter.org/article/the-gift-of-healing/
http://www.catholicmessenger.net/2017/02/approaching-healing-mass-with-a-healthy-perspective/
https://catholicnewsherald.com/90-news/local/592-hundreds-pack-st-mark-church-for-healing-mass-prayer-service-with-alan-ames
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20001123_istruzione_en.html
https://todayscatholic.org/holy-spirit-moves-at-healing-services/
information/charismaticrenewal.rockforddiocese.org/personal-and-spiritual-growth/other-useful-information/
catholicstand.com/does-healing-exist-in-the-catholic-church-today/
https://www.nsc-chariscenter.org/article/the-gift-of-healing/
http://www.catholicmessenger.net/2017/02/approaching-healing-mass-with-a-healthy-perspective/
https://catholicnewsherald.com/90-news/local/592-hundreds-pack-st-mark-church-for-healing-mass-prayer-service-with-alan-ames
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20001123_istruzione_en.html
https://todayscatholic.org/holy-spirit-moves-at-healing-services/
information/charismaticrenewal.rockforddiocese.org/personal-and-spiritual-growth/other-useful-information/
catholicstand.com/does-healing-exist-in-the-catholic-church-today/