Ladies of St. Leo’ s BUILD FRIENDSHIPS WHILE SERVING THE FAITH COMMUNITY
Ladies of St. Leo’s members gather at a recent meeting.
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ometimes, it’s the little things that have the greatest impact. Like a welcome card in the mail from a stranger or a handmade blanket for a new baby’s Baptism. Here at St. Leo’s, we have a group of women working quietly behind the scenes to create special moments for our parish community — from our seminarians to the homebound, to families welcoming new babies. The Ladies of St. Leo’s is a service organization of which all women of our parish are automatically a part. Ruth Armatys has been a part of this group for many years and has become more active since her retirement. “To me, it’s just been a huge blessing to get to know the ladies involved in my church,” Ruth says. “When you work together on something, you get to know each other, instead of just being a face in the pew.” With an active group of about 30 women, the ladies offer their time, talent, and treasure to
ensure that everyone who enters the doors of St. Leo’s feels welcome and loved. They have a committee that makes hot meals for funerals, while another group sends cards to new members. “We want them to feel welcome,” Ruth says. “They receive information about all the parish ministries so they can feel welcome to use their talents for our parish.” The Newcomers Committee also sends cards to the homebound for Christmas. They send the seminarians holiday and birthday cards, and sometimes some spending money. “We want our seminarians to know we support them and we are here for them,” Ruth says. When Habitat for Humanity has a build day, the Ladies of St. Leo’s members make lunch and serve it at the site. They also hold a yearly appreciation lunch for parish staff. In addition, the group gives graduating seniors, the First Communicants, and Confirmation youth a small gift. continued on back cover
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