Janette Howe — mother of Father Spencer Howe, pastor of Holy Cross in Minneapolis — joked in an interview that when he needs to take the garbage out, she calls him “Spencer” but around friends, she calls him “Father Spencer.”
Howe, at one point, was thinking of ways to pray for her own pastor, Father Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul since 2024. While walking around a lake, she decided to pray a Holy Hour for him once a week.
“(I) kept going back. This was what I was doing, and Father didn’t know I was doing it, and it didn’t matter (whether) he did or didn’t know. But I was myself being edified by the hour, and I thought, hopefully he is too,” Howe told “Practicing Catholic” co-host Leah Heselton for an episode that debuts at 7 p.m. March 27 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
During one Holy Hour, Howe said something came into her heart, not her ears. It was the words, “Seven sisters.”
“(It) meant nothing to me. My mom is one of seven biological sisters (but) I wasn’t thinking about her,” Howe said. “I sat with it for just a moment, and I thought, ah, this is, again, very edifying for me. What if six other women were praying those other days of the week? Father would have seamless prayers. … I can’t do it all. But we could do it together.”
Howe wanted help discerning this thought, so she brought it to Father Johnson, who is always discerning the Spirit and always has a plan, she said. When he leans back in his chair, Howe said lightheartedly, she knows a plan is coming, but she “never can run fast enough.”
“He leaned forward and said, ‘Let’s pray for seven pastors in this archdiocese with groups of seven women,’” Howe said.
The plan was for Howe to reach out to seven women to pray for priests in the archdiocese. Those seven women would each then, in turn, invite six other women to pray for priests. This would go on for a year, Howe said.
“There’s no pamphlets, there’s no materials,” Howe said. “I’m telling (these women) this is the simplicity of this hour. In fact, I told Father (Johnson), ‘I’m a little bit reticent to even tell them because it’s so simple.’ … And he said, ‘that’s why I think it is from the Holy Spirit.”
The inspiration that came to Howe 15 years ago is now called the Seven Sisters Apostolate. It has grown from Howe in the archdiocese to groups around the world.
“We have around 6,000 groups in 37 countries, six continents,” Howe said. “All of the states in the United States have been covered for several years, at least. There’s at least three or four in each group, in each state. Many states have many, many more than that. Most of the provinces in Canada (have groups); we have nine groups for Pope Leo (XIV) right now.”
Howe said women have told her that they were called to this. The experience has been edifying for them, Howe said. She hopes it’s edifying for priests, too.
To hear more from Howe about the Seven Sisters Apostolate, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which repeats at 1 p.m. March 28 and 2 p.m. March 29.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes Erin Bechtel, an employee with St. Paul-based Nova Vita Clinic, sharing her story of faithfully discerning her vocation.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at practicingcatholicshow.com or choose a streaming platform at Spotify for Podcasters.
Facts Only
Janette Howe is the mother of Father Spencer Howe, pastor of Holy Cross in Minneapolis.
She began praying a weekly Holy Hour for Father Joseph Johnson, rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota.
During prayer, she felt inspired by the phrase "Seven sisters" and envisioned six other women joining her to pray for Father Johnson on different days.
She consulted Father Johnson, who proposed expanding the idea to seven groups of seven women praying for seven priests in the archdiocese.
The initiative, now called the Seven Sisters Apostolate, started 15 years ago.
It has grown to approximately 6,000 groups in 37 countries and six continents.
Every U.S. state has at least three or four groups, with many states having significantly more.
Most Canadian provinces have groups, and there are currently nine groups praying for Pope Leo XIV.
The apostolate operates without formal pamphlets or materials, emphasizing simplicity.
Father Johnson attributed the simplicity to the Holy Spirit.
Janette Howe shared this story on the "Practicing Catholic" radio show, which airs on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
The episode also features Erin Bechtel, an employee of Nova Vita Clinic in St. Paul, discussing her vocational discernment.
Executive Summary
Janette Howe, mother of Father Spencer Howe, initiated a prayer practice for priests that evolved into the Seven Sisters Apostolate. While praying a Holy Hour for her pastor, Father Joseph Johnson, she felt inspired to recruit six other women to pray for him on different days, ensuring continuous prayer coverage. Father Johnson expanded the idea, suggesting groups of seven women pray for seven priests in the archdiocese. The movement grew organically, with no formal materials, relying on simplicity and spiritual discernment. Over 15 years, it has spread to 6,000 groups across 37 countries and six continents, including multiple groups in every U.S. state and provinces in Canada. Participants report personal spiritual growth, and the apostolate now includes groups praying for Pope Leo XIV. The story was shared on the "Practicing Catholic" radio show, which also featured Erin Bechtel discussing vocational discernment.
The narrative highlights grassroots spiritual initiatives and the role of laypeople in supporting clergy. It emphasizes the power of collective prayer and the unexpected scalability of simple, faith-driven ideas. The lack of structured materials underscores a reliance on personal conviction and divine inspiration rather than institutional frameworks. The global reach suggests a universal resonance with the concept of intercessory prayer for priests.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative is a testament to the power of grassroots spiritual movements and the unexpected impact of simple, heartfelt initiatives. Janette Howe’s story exemplifies how personal devotion can scale into a global phenomenon without institutional backing, relying instead on organic growth and shared conviction. The emphasis on simplicity and the lack of formal structure suggest a genuine, uncontrived origin, which lends credibility to the movement’s spiritual claims. The global reach—spanning 37 countries and including groups praying for the pope—underscores its resonance across cultural and ecclesiastical boundaries.
Pattern-wise, the narrative avoids manipulation tactics, focusing instead on personal testimony and observable outcomes. There is no emotional exploitation, distortion, or bad faith evident; the story is presented as a straightforward account of spiritual inspiration and communal response. The only potential pattern is an appeal to authority (ARC-0012), but it is subtle and tied to the spiritual discernment of Father Johnson rather than a coercive tactic. The narrative’s strength lies in its humility and lack of grandiose claims, which makes it resistant to cynical framing.
Rooted in Catholic traditions of intercessory prayer and lay involvement, this movement echoes historical patterns of lay-led spiritual renewals, such as the Cursillo movement or charismatic prayer groups. The assumption that collective prayer benefits priests—and by extension, the Church—goes unstated but is central to the narrative. The implications for human agency are significant: it demonstrates how individuals, acting on personal conviction, can create structures of support that transcend institutional limitations. The cost is minimal—time and prayer—while the benefits, though intangible, are framed as spiritually transformative for both participants and priests.
Bridge questions: How might this model of lay-led spiritual support adapt to other faith traditions or secular contexts? What role does the absence of formal structure play in its scalability, and could that same lack of structure become a vulnerability as it grows? What evidence, beyond anecdotal testimony, could validate the movement’s impact on priests and participants?
Counterstrike scan: If this were part of a coordinated influence campaign, the playbook would likely emphasize emotional appeals to faith and community, leveraging personal testimony to create a sense of divine endorsement. The actual content, however, lacks the hallmarks of manipulation—no forced binaries, no manufactured outrage, and no appeal to popularity beyond stating the movement’s growth. The narrative remains clean, focusing on the organic development of a spiritual practice rather than pushing an agenda. This alignment with authenticity suggests no cause for concern.