Getting together with the St. Agnes Guild on the last Saturdays of the month in Guild Parlor is one of the keystone activities of my life. We share and care and do our best to make a warmer, better world stitch by stitch.
The St Agnes Guild has been knitting and crocheting items for our parishioners, our Austin community, and the wider world for more than 16 years. I joined almost in the beginning, even though I couldn’t knit at stitch! Experienced and patient knitters taught me and many others how to wield our needles and create the many items we’ve distributed. We’re best known for the hats and scarves we distribute to our neighbors through Trinity Center annually.
I love to attend the distribution day. One of my favorite memories is helping a neighbor at Trinity Center try to find a red scarf. That year, we didn’t have one. She found a scarf she liked, and we have made sure there are red scarves every year since. Another favorite memory is working with the residents at Parsons House. Before the pandemic, we went there several times and knitted with the lovely residents. Now, they produce the bulk of the hats we give away each year. In years past, I particularly liked knitting the rather delicate leprosy bandages for the Dove Brigade, a national organization that collected and distributed them to patients in Vietnam.
Our St. Agnes Guild recently joined a national organization that coordinates with oncology centers to knit and distribute prostheses, without charge, to people who have had mastectomies. I myself am not quite up to the skill level required to master the knockers, but I am so proud to be a part of an organization that is doing such wonderful outreach. I’ve spent most of my time knitting prayer shawls given to parishioners experiencing illness. I was honored to make and give one to our beloved Terry Nathan during his final illness.
This year's gifts, now on display in the lobby, will be blessed in worship at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services on Sunday, Dec. 1, before being distributed to the community. At 12:30 p.m., St. Agnes Guild members will join our youth ministry at our monthly Lunch for All fellowship group gathering to knit and chat together. All are welcome to bring a project and join us, or we will teach you how to knit!
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