If you don’t know what a parish nurse is, you’re not alone. They are, however, growing in numbers in several denominations across the county, with a few of them serving in the Evangelical Lutheran Churchin Canada. Parish nurses are a hybrid of sorts, combining health, healing and wholeness with spirituality. Every parish nurse is a registered nurse with a current license or certificate. “Every stitch is a healing prayer for that person. It’s a little hug from our congregation,” Carol Kostiuk said. “You don’t know the number of times people [who receive the stitched prayer shawls] have tears running down their faces....