-
Dr. Lourdes Scheerer, a parishioner at St. Brendan Church, has a special spot for praying in nearly every room of her house, which bears statues, woodwork, pictures and icons in honor of the Blessed Mother. Here, Dr. Scheerer prays before a prayer space she set up in her living room. (Photo by Lidia Wasowicz/Catholic San Francisco)
March 29, 2018
Lidia Wasowicz
Even before entering Lourdes and Richard Scheerer’s two-story Balboa Terrace home, an urge to pray swells within the heart.
From the front door, through every room within, to the backyard at what visitors have aptly dubbed “Casa Maria,” pictures, paintings, murals, statues, carvings, icons, cards and handwritten notes – most of them dedicated to the Blessed Mother – entice a conversation with God.
The idea of infusing the house with inspiring invitations to divine dialogue originated decades ago but gained impetus from the “Year of Prayer” that kicked off last September at St. Brendan, the couple’s parish since 1985.
Articles, videos, guest speakers, small-group discussions and large-scale events offer myriad tips on ways to improve communication with the Almighty. The use of “prayer corners” in the home or office ranks high on the list.
When usual or unforeseen stresses weigh her down, Scheerer, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the California Pacific Medical Center, retreats to a special space reserved for unloading to her celestial confidants.
“It is the heart of our home,” said Scheerer, referring to an altar-like setting highlighted by a 34-inch wooden statute of Mother and Child, which her husband purchased for an upstairs alcove when the couple moved into the residence in 1993.
“It is a place of consolation during sadness, forgiveness during times of hurt, a place of hope and gratitude.”
The serene spot also features a painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, retrieved from the ruins of her in-laws’ house ransacked during the month-long battle for the liberation of Manila that erupted Feb. 3, 1945.
The surrounding wall displays more than 100 holy cards and photographs of friends and relations, living and deceased, for whom Scheerer prays daily.
Sowing seeds of comfort and joy, the prayer corner has sprouted numerous offshoots.
In the living room hangs a carving of the Holy Family, which Scheerer’s brother brought from the Philippines to celebrate her arrival in the United States in 1981.
A dining room table holds images of Our Lady of Fatima, of Lourdes, of Guadalupe and of Manaoag, Philippines.
In the kitchen, a painted rosary – rose petals depicting the beads of each decade – frames the French doors leading to the garden where a mural of Our Lady of Guadalupe envelops the fence.
Not every parishioner has gone to such lengths to follow the advice of author and artist David Clayton, who explained and extolled prayer spaces during one of the monthly Year of Prayer lectures.
Tom Johnson placed four crucifixes around his house, a picture of Christ over his bed “to remind us of his presence and grace in our lives” and a prayer in the hallway to bless all who enter.
Alex Adamson seeks spiritual solitude at the bottom of what the family calls “the stairs to heaven.” The area makes for an ideal introduction to prayer when visitors invariably ask its purpose, he said.
Carol Grewal, former principal of St. Brendan School and current associate superintendent for faith formation and leadership for the San Francisco archdiocese, has designated two heavily used areas – a space beside the dressing table and hair dryer at home and a “prayer lounge” at the entry to her office – for chats with Christ.
To break the ice, each site contains an illustrated book of meditations, crosses collected during her travels, prayer journals and souvenirs with spiritual significance.
“It’s not that I intentionally go up to that space to pray,” Grewal said. “It’s rather that it serves as a visual reminder as I pass by to stop and say something to God.”
The setup has exceeded her expectations, leading her spouse to a new ritual.
“My husband is Sikh and has his own faith traditions, but I notice that in the morning as he’s doing his hair and getting dressed, he is praying,” she said. “The prayer space has inspired him.”