Quilting Ministry Lovingly Supports Parish One Square At A Time

When parishioner JoAnn Sok attended her first Quilting Ministry gathering over 20 years ago, she had no clue what to do. Though she’d had some past experience with sewing and embroidering, JoAnn had never had time to learn about quilting while in the midst of working and raising her family. So, when she retired back in 2002, she decided to become involved in this ministry, taking on a new hobby and helping her parish family all at the same time.

“I had always wanted to quilt, but had just never had the time,” JoAnn says. “The quilting group had always been advertised in the parish bulletin, so when I retired it seemed like the perfect time. Back then, there were enough people involved for us to work on two quilts at a time — whereas now, we’re down to about five or six people and just do one quilt at a time.”

The group of women meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 1 p.m. at the church in the old convent area. They work on commissioned projects for parishioners and local community members, using the proceeds to support parish upkeep and special projects.

“Most of our quilts come from people who have pieced together or embroidered the cloth but don’t know how to do the quilting,” JoAnn says. “So, they ask us to do it for them and we charge a fee. We have our own bank account and use funds to buy things for the parish. We bought a refrigerator, a deep freezer, helped repair the roof when there was a leak, and purchased little Bibles for the preschoolers.

Recently, they are in the process of trying to refurbish the carpet in the Jubilee Center and we’re contributing to that.”

The group also donates a beautifully crafted quilt each year to the parish raffle, completely free of charge. JoAnn says the price for a quilt from the ministry varies according to size and difficulty, typically being $150 for a single/full, $175 for a queen, and $200 for a king.

Not only does the ministry benefit the parish, but for JoAnn it’s been a special way to enjoy fellowship and build lasting friendships. The ladies bring desserts and coffee, share tricks of the trade, and just enjoy one another’s company.

“I enjoy the camaraderie with the other ladies and I enjoy quilting,” JoAnn says. “It’s always fun to see what the next quilt is going to look like and it’s great to be able to give back to the church like that.”

The ministry welcomes any new members, whether they’re an experienced quilter or a complete beginner. Interested parishioners may simply show up on a Tuesday or Thursday, or call JoAnn Sok at 308-382-8101.

Some of our regular quilters gather for a meeting (from left) Mildred Hoffman , Mary Phelan, JoAnn Sok, and Mary Picthall.