St. Mary's - November 2006 Newsletter

Knitting Ministry Brings Comfort to Knitter

BY MARY DONOVAN

They call me a knitting machine, said Babs Donohue And well they might – Babs has racked up a total of 192 shawls in the two and a half years she has belonged to the knitting ministry. Babs meets with St. Mary’s knitters on the second Saturday of each month to knit and talk and pray. She probably holds the production record, but there is another distinguishing feature about Babs. She is a member of the First Congregational Church.

Babs’ husband, Irving Donahue, died in December, 2003. While he was very ill, Ron Sanguinet of St. Mary’s who was a good friend of Mr. Donahue, brought him a shawl and wrapped him in it. Babs said her husband was so impressed that he was wrapped in a shawl from another church that he suggested she join the knitting ministry. Babs was hesitant – would they accept a Protestant? A call to Marti Page, who heads up the knitting ministry, reassured her. ``Marti said, `As long as you can hold a needle, you can come,’ said Babs.

She’s been holding needles ever since, doing something important for herself as well as producing these soft, warm, soothing vessels of prayer. She has found healing after the death of her husband, she said. ``It is a religious experience,’’ she said. ``It’s the best religious experience I get.’’ She described the ritual knitters follow as they end their knitting meeting. ``We put one hand on the bottom and one hand on the top,’’ she said. ``We say a silent prayer. Then we pass them to the right and do the same thing. By the time we get our shawls back, there are 18 to 20 prayers put into it.’’

After the shawls are blessed, they become a hug from God, she said.. The shawls are supposed to bring courage to the person who needs it, she said. Knitting has brought comfort to her. It was her husband’s suggestion and his attitude that motivates her. Her husband was goal oriented, she said. She set a goal for herself – 100 shawls. She’s gone way past that, so who knows?

Babs Donahue finds solace and enjoyment in her work
with St. Mary’s knitting ministry.