School Sisters of Notre Dame Associates
Living out the works of mercy in their everyday life
By Associate Barbara Spees – California
I am an SSND Associate and a member of the Quilt Club at Guardian Angels Parish in Santee, California. We provide handmade prayer quilts for those who are ill and ask for our prayers.
The prayer quilt is a visible sign that people are praying for the person in need. The layers of the quilt are held together by a long heavy piece of thread, which is tied off by a square knot. When the knot is tied, a prayer is said for the person in need. The thread is left long, so many more knots can be tied, each representing a prayer. I have seen prayer quilts that have dozens of knots tied on each of the long threads…. a visible sign of prayer and support. The motto of a prayer quilt is “it’s not about the quilt; it’s all about the prayers.”
More than 300 prayer quilts have been distributed to parish members, their families and friends, and anyone in need of our prayers.
After the quilts are made, our Pastor blesses the quilts.
Then after Mass, our parishioners come out and bestow their prayers upon the quilt. As they tie a knot in the string, they say a prayer. The quilt is then presented to the recipient of the prayer quilt by their sponsor.
Barbara and other quilters lay out the
fabric and cut the quilt pieces.
I enjoy this work of mercy because it gives me joy to know that I am helping someone by giving them hope and strength through our prayers. By connecting to others through prayer quilts, we unite in love and faith. Other parishes have come to us for guidance in preparing their quilt groups. This act of mercy is growing throughout our Diocese of San Diego.
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Beekeeping shows mercy and compassion
Most people may not think of beekeeping as an act of mercy. However, if the main reason to care for bees is to help them survive in an increasingly unsafe environment made so by human action, and to refrain from exploiting them for the honey they produce, beekeeping surely represents compassion and mercy. Read more...
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Teaching those in need
As a member of St. Michael parish in Milwaukee, I have had the fortune to volunteer in the English as a second language (ESL) program, teaching English to Karen people from Burma. My SSND companion, Sister Lillia Langreck, previously ran an ESL program at St. Michael helping Hmong, Laotian and Cambodian people when they arrived from refugee camps in the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's. Read more...
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SSND associates nicknamed “The Cemetery Girls”
The cemetery in Chatawa, Mississippi, is a community cemetery shared by the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) and local residents. The cemetery dates back 150 years. Two SSND associates have deepened their relationship with the congregation and are giving back to the community through their cemetery project. Read more...