COVID-19 wood cross creation
Sister Karen Warren lives in North Dakota. She moved there over seven years ago to help her mother whose health was deteriorating. A few years ago, her mother was placed in a memory care facility. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she hasn’t seen her mother in almost seven weeks, with the facility being on lock down. Sister Karen shares, “It has been very hard not seeing her. I have focused my energy and spare time on my passion, wood turning.”
The piece Sister Karen recently created, is called, “Stay at home.” “I saw a picture of a cross like this and I thought I would try it. The original used one kind of wood and I liked using a variety.” This cross took roughly 15 to 20 hours to make. With the stay at home order related to COVID-19, she had plenty of time to devote to this creation. “Since this is a very different kind of woodworking, many of the skills were new to me. So, it was definitely a challenge,” shares Sister Karen.
While she has been creating pens, ice cream scoops and other wood creations for years, this piece is truly special to her. “For me, it was a very sacred time. My whole being, mind, body and spirit, were part of it. I needed to be totally present in prayer and in my connection to God,” says Sister Karen.
Many of Sister Karen’s creations can be found at the annual Craft Fair at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mankato, Minnesota. The Craft Fair is held the second Saturday in October. This year it is Saturday, October 10 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For over 30 years, Sister Karen has brought items she handmade to sell.