PLATTSBURGH — The spiritual evolution of Eve McGill transforms not only for her life, but the lives she touches.
The Morrisonville resident’s facets have included Pockets the Clown, Clinco the Clown, as well as working with St. Peter’s Church confirmation students.
Once again, she offers Soaking Prayer sessions as part of her Living Waters Healing Ministry.
“This journey here being with prayer ministry — powerful. I can’t say enough about it. What I feel is happening right now is a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit coming,” she said.
Her introduction to Soaking Prayer was back in 2007.
“I felt a calling for a prayer ministry and was going to St. Peter’s Church. Father John (Yonkovig) was the pastor. He was very supportive in trying to figure out what would be the next step in accomplishing what I felt the Lord was calling me to do, so he found a spiritual life center down in Greenwich, New York, Christ the King Spiritual Life Center,” she said. “They offered training — it was a four-year course through Christian Healing Ministries out of Jacksonville, Florida. I went down there for some training, and he also sent a friend of mine, Maggie Hutchins, went with me. We were introduced to Father Nigel Mumford, who was the director of the training classes. He offered the Soaking Prayer.
“Never been exposed to anything like that. It’s just resting and going in and surrendering yourself to let the Holy Spirit take over. He had some guided reflections and meditations, scripture readings. Many times, people would just fall asleep under the Spirit. Very relaxing. The Spirit can do work in you. He can do some healing in you. We had several exposures to that. That training went on for three years in a row. That was my first experience with that.”
Afterward, McGill prayed about it to see if it was something she wanted to offer at St. Peter’s Church in Plattsburgh.
“After maybe a year or two, we did in the Upper Room,” she said. “I love the Upper Room and all the connotations of what that symbolizes. You need the atmosphere to be right. You need some comfy chairs. You need sofas, so people can let go and relax. You don’t want a table sitting in front of you. That setting was perfect. We offered that for nearly two years.”
But McGill and her husband, Patrick, a retired judge, sold their city residence and relocated to Morrisonville.
“I could have stayed here at St. Peter’s. That didn’t seem to be what the Lord was directing either,” she said. “I went into St. Alexander’s, and that happens to be the parish where my husband and I were married years ago. I felt a draw there. I got connected with the pastor there.
“We started a healing services at St. Peter’s — the ministry called to lend itself for monthly healing services there. It was going well. Everything was fine. Father John had left, and it was under the guidance of Monsignor (Dennis) Duprey, and he was very supportive of this, also, but I really felt it was time to move me and the ministry elsewhere.”
Then the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 and stopped all meetings.
“At one point, we had 24 prayer ministers involved in that. It was very dynamic and going and moving forward, and then came to a screeching halt,” McGill said. “One by one, people left for different reasons or whatever. I didn’t even feel the draw anymore to be led in that direction. We started having them sporadically, every three months or so, when it was OK to resume meeting in person. The setting was not right at St. Alexander’s to hold the Soaking Prayer. That was put on hold.”
McGill was born and raised in Ellenburg, and two years ago, she went to Our Lady of the Adirondacks House of Prayer in Ellenburg Center.
“It’s a very quaint, beautiful little place, tucked away. It’s meant for personal retreats,” she said. “The Bishop (Most Reverend Terry R. LaValley) sanctions it, and he goes there every year to have a Father’s Day Mass. It has the perfect atmosphere for what we wanted to do for Soaking Prayer.
“I went and inquired and, actually, I went one step further and joined the Board of Directors. We have made significant improvements and changes to further enhance the setting.”
The Soaking Prayer session at Our Lady of the Adirondacks House of Prayer, 7270 Star Road, is held the third Thursday of the month from May to October from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“It comfortably will fit 15 to 18 people nicely, and that’s about what we draw,” McGill said. “I started having them once a month up there and continued the other place that the Lord led me. It wasn’t like he was going to be satisfied with just that.
“The Newman Center also lends itself very nicely when you close off those little side areas where they meet with the college students and they have gathering spaces. They got sofas. They got the pews that have the padding on them. People can rest. It’s the perfect atmosphere because the sacrament is right there and everything.”
Soaking Prayer sessions are offered at the Saint John XXIII Newman Center Parish, 92 Broad St., Plattsburgh, the first Monday of each month from January to December from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
“I did it all last year. I had two offerings, one during the day and one in the evening. It worked out well,” she said.
“We thought the evening one would draw more people, people getting out of work. It did not, but those that came benefited. I just thought this year, when I talked with Father Kevin (McEwan), he was supportive. It’s open to anyone. It’s the Holy Spirit, and it’s the move of the Spirit.
“I’ve been continuing with those and will continue with those and scheduled them during the day.”
McGill begins sessions with a 25-minute music segment to invoke the Holy Spirit.
“I tell people when you walk in the door that, (say) ‘I’m surrendering to you, Lord. Move in me how you would,’” she said.
In the Newman Center, she invites them to look at the cross or another focal point.
“I will give about a 10-minute talk in the beginning, especially for the benefit of anybody who I might see that’s new who hasn’t been there before, then I step out of the way. The Lord was very clear with that,” McGill said.
“I go to the back of the room, we all listen to the music together. They get comfy. Some of them will go under the Spirit and rest in the Spirit right away. Others will be conscious of the whole event but know that the Lord is working in them, the Spirit is moving.
“At the end of the music segment, I will start reciting scripture — standing on his word is so important. Then, we’ll go into healing, and the Lord reveals,.”
People come with physical ailments and illnesses, but also mental issues, including depression and anxiety.
“I have a heart for people. I really do,” she said. “He has moved so greatly in my life and healed me physically, emotionally, spiritually. I want that for all others.”
“I have a heart for people. I really do. He has moved so greatly in my life and healed me physically, emotionally, spiritually. I want that for all others.” Eve McGill Soaking Prayer Leader