Since 1976, Ruth Kain and other dedicated women of The Voice of the Good Shepherd Charismatic Prayer Group have been meeting weekly for prayer, study and support. When COVID-19 entered the cultural lexicon early last year, it put a hold on their face-to-face gatherings — but it didn’t stop them.
They still meet every Saturday morning at 10:45 a.m. for 90 minutes on a telephone conference call.
“There’s a need for this group, especially now,” Ruth, 90 years old and the founder of the prayer group, said from her home in Deptford. “We still pray, read Scripture and sing.”
Through all the hardship and distancing, it has been the group’s overarching philosophy that has carried them through, a guiding principle taken from Saint John the Baptist. “(Jesus) must increase, I must decrease,” Ruth says.
The faith runs deep in her heart. Born and raised in Gloucester City, she was a parishioner at Saint Mary Parish and met the love of her life, Robert, at Gloucester Catholic High School.
After they married in 1950, they became parishioners of Saint Anne in Westville and helped with raising funds for the construction of the new Most Holy Redeemer Church in Westville Grove. When the church was completed in 1958, Robert served as the parish’s accountant and a lector, and Ruth was a Eucharistic Minister.
The genesis for the Voice of the Good Shepherd Charismatic Prayer Group came to her when she was a part of the weekly prayer gatherings at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Haddon Heights.
“I lived for those meetings,” she explains.
One night, she heard the night’s featured speaker exhort listeners to follow God’s will. “The next time I prayed, I heard God asking me, ‘Do you love me?’” Thus, 45 years ago this month, Ruth Kain began hosting the group at her Deptford home every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Bible study and speaking in tongues soon became common in the house during these times.
The prayer group has always been a small, intimate gathering, with eight-10 women, Ruth says. Her younger sister, Julia, also is a member.
When Ruth found the demands of raising her eight children and working a full-time job necessitated a step back from full leadership of the group, she turned over the reins. Still, she maintains a strong bond with group and the “close-knit” women that have supported each other for going on five decades.
“We all fell in love with Jesus (here),” she says. “We continue to pray for each other and our families.”
The members range in age from the 50s to the 90s. United in their faith and guided by the Holy Spirit, they regularly share their experiences with one another.
For the past few weeks, the prayer group’s focus has been on the women of the Bible. Having completed the story of Mary and Martha, they have moved on to the Woman at the Well.
The past year has not been an easy one for Ruth, COVID aside. Right before the lockdown, her beloved husband Robert died in January 2020.
The prayer group, and her eight children, 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren have continued bringing her joy, love and support, albeit socially-distanced.
Ruth is optimistic that at some point, it will be possible to resume family parties, and her family in the spirit will resume its in-person gatherings.
“We miss seeing other,” she states.
Still, with the eyes of faith, she sees a Father who continues to guide her steps. “God has been good to me,” she says in a way that suggests her group’s mission: He must increase. I must decrease.
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