Volunteer VIP

Mercy Knitters

This month’s Volunteer VIP is more than just one: the whole group of Mercy Knitters!

 The Mercy Knitters recall the program originally started in Maine by two women who wanted to bring joy to patients. The program quickly spread throughout the nation taking on different forms and names, and expanded to include different products.

Six years ago, Kay Paskiewicz coordinated the Mercy Knitters program at Saint Mary’s Health Care. Each Wednesday morning, ten to15 women gather at The Lacks Cancer Center to knit prayer shawls for cancer patients.





“We always sit on the lobby of the fifth floor in The Lacks Cancer Center, and any patient that comes is welcome to take a shawl,” shares Wilma Courson. The shawls are also donated through the Guest Services program.

Many of the women currently involved with the program are graduates of the Mercy Central School of Nursing through Aquinas College. They then went on to work at Saint Mary’s Health Care and have since retired. They enjoy meeting every week to reminisce about the past and utilizing their talents for a good cause.

“There’s something nice about personally creating a gift for someone else,” shares Knitter Judy Zientek. Each shawl takes about 20 hours to complete, and hundreds are donated each year through the Mercy Knitters.



“Knitting these shawls gives us our own sense of peace,” says Dorothea Peterson. With every click of the needles accompanied by heartfelt prayers, it is evident that the shawls have layers of hope and cheer woven into every strand.

The women say a special prayer every week to remind them about the reasoning behind their gathering. “Creator God, may this shawl be a sign of Your healing presence...”

The Mercy Knitters demonstrate their dedication to service by consistently meeting throughout the year. “We like to get together and do something useful,” says Betty Fulford. They continue to meet because the prayer shawls bring comfort, peace, and joy. Norton explains,
 
“The shawl holds people just like we do.”