The Holy Spirit and Healing

By Deacon Dave Pecot

Have you ever wondered how something, like the  recently formed Healing Prayer Institute, began to take form or shape.  The truth is that it simply began as a question to a spiritual director.  Two ladies, Judy Pamula and Shannon Callahan, whose lives had been touched by the healing grace of God ministered to them through a psychologist began to ask more and more questions about the entire topic of healing.  That led them to Christian Healing Ministries in Jacksonville, Florida where they were introduced to the simple fact that God heals time and time again through ordinary people who believe they are to pray for healing. 

The more they learned the more they began to get excited and wanted to share the “good news” of healing with more and more people.  So they discussed what they were learning with their spiritual director and he simply told them that this should not be simply two Shaker Heights women learning and studying about healing.  He told them that they should share this with others.  Their spiritual director led them to Fr. Bob Franco who discerned that if healing was to be the topic of intensive teaching then it should be a unified coordinated program for the diocese.  The Diocese Offices were contacted and Sr. Rita Mary Harwood agreed to oversee the plans for the development of the Healing Prayer Institute. 

So it began to unfold and after several meetings not only did the Healing Prayer Institute become a reality but it began to become apparent that God is exactly who He says he is when he said “I am the God who heals you.”  (Exodus 15:26.) 

Since God is the same yesterday as he today and will be tomorrow and God describes himself, as the God who heals and God’s desire is that we come to know him more fully then we are destined to know the God who heals. 

We are all called to be disciples and through that call we are to “do the works of Christ and even greater works than these.”  But how do we go about this? This quest led to the formation of The Healing Prayer Institute.  A non-profit organization formed with the input and advice of the Diocese of Cleveland.  It has committed itself to remaining faithful to the Teachings of the Church and is overseen by a Board of Directors.  Its mission through a series of seminars, workshops, etc. extends the healing ministry of Jesus Christ in power through the Holy Spirit.  Participants in the Healing Prayer Institute seminars and workshops will be admitted only after they have received approval of their pastors.  Approval forms can be obtained by calling The Healing Prayer Institute at 216-371-2344. 

Or visit the HPI web site at http://www.csnmail.net/~hpi/ for more information