Ladies of the Round Table offer comfort

Intermountain Catholic

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Ladies of the Round Table members Irene McKell, Lois Swindlehurst and Laura Schaeffer meet to crochet shawls and lap blankets, which are donated to the ill and grieving of any denomination. IC photo/Christine Young

DRAPER — The Ladies of the Round Table provide a hand-made shawl or lap blanket to offer comfort to anyone who is grieving or has been diagnosed with a serious illness. The group was formed in 2006 at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper.

"We want people to know they are loved, cared for and prayed for, and the way we do that is by giving them a shawl or a lap blanket," said Round Table chairwoman Irene McKell. "The shawls are for women and the lap blankets are for men."

St. John the Baptist parishioner Cathy Maxwell is among those who have received a shawl from the group. Maxwell was in a car accident in 2010 and received a serious injury that required surgery to rebuild her neck.

Maxwell said receiving the shawl was amazing. "Later I was able to meet the ladies and pray the rosary with them in my home. It took my breath away," she said. "It was so spiritual to meet the woman who made my shawl. It was such a delight to meet all of them. Their ministry is so important because what they bring to individuals who are feeling down is priceless."

Lois Swindlehurst crocheted Maxwell’s shawl. "Kathy gave me a big hug, she was so thankful," said Swindlehurst, who has been a Round Table member for a year. "We’ve all become friends as members of this group."

Laura Schaeffer has been a member for four years and said the ministry is rewarding. "The thank-you cards we get always say how touched people are by the shawls and lap blankets," she said.

The items are also given to people of different denominations. "I have given a couple of shawls to friends who are LDS (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), who lost their husbands," said McKell. "They say on the days when they are feeling sad, they wrap up in the shawl and it brings them comfort. The shawls serve as a thoughtful, caring gesture."

The Ladies of the Round Table also keep a couple of bins of shawls and lap blankets on hand at St. John the Baptist Parish so the deacons, pastoral care associate and the bereavement ministry visiting the sick and grieving can also distribute them.

"We also have a prayer card that goes with the shawl or lap blankets," said Mc-Kell. "We want these people to know we are praying for them as we crochet. The card says the items are a tangible symbol of prayer offered for healing comfort and strength they can hold on to, and it is our hope as they wrap it around their shoulders or place it on their lap, they will feel peace."

Each item has a label that reads, "This shawl (or lap blanket) is lovingly made by the Round Table Ladies of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church."

The group meets on Monday evenings at St. John the Baptist Church to crochet around a round table, which is how the group got its name. "We crochet, visit, and have some lively discussions," said McKell. "We always start our meeting with a prayer and prayer intentions. Monsignor (Terence) Moore, (pastor), always blesses the items before they are given away. We help each other and share our patterns."

The group also has a long-distance member from Bonner, Mont. Helene DeMartini was introduced to the group when she received a shawl after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is doing well now, and periodically mails her crocheted items to McKell to be given away.