Wesley Village in Shelton celebrates volunteerism at prayer shawl blessing

Prayer shawl volunteers pictured with Crista Hernan, UMH Director of Spiritual Life.

Back Row: Marion Schmitz (resident), Crista Hernan, Barbara Quinn, Jennie Clark (resident), and Mary Ann Griffiths. Front Row: Wesley Village residents, Betsy Hoffman, Alice Beaver, and Jackie Santagata./ Contributed photo

SHELTON - Wesley Village residents, team members, and volunteers recently gathered at Wesley Heights Independent and Assisted Living Community for the campus’s annual Prayer Shawl Blessing and gathering. 

The senior living campus, managed by United Methodist Homes a local, not-for-profit, mission-based organization with a long history of caring in the community, has proudly hosted the event for several years. 

This year’s gathering featured a ceremony and blessing of the shawls, presented by UMH Director of Spiritual Life Crista Hernan, along with a special recognition for volunteers who have been part of this effort for more than 20 years.

The beginnings of the Wesley Village “Hearts and Hands of Love” prayer shawl ministry date back to 2002 when a small group of staff, residents, and friends began gathering weekly to knit and crochet blankets known as “prayer shawls.”

What started as a small knitting and crocheting group began to grow into a network of dedicated prayer shawl volunteers under the direction of the Wesley Village Director of Volunteer Services, Barbara Quinn. 

Throughout the years these volunteers continued to meet at the campus weekly to knit and crochet, and worked together in various ways to raise funds for the purchase of yarn. 

Prayer shawls, blankets, lap robes, baby hats and blankets, chemo hats and other items were lovingly created and prepared for donating with a message of hope and love attached along with warm thoughts and prayers. 

Every year volunteers gathered with the Wesley Village community to celebrate the hundreds of hours of volunteer work that went into the beautiful shawls, and each shawl and blanket would be blessed during an annual “blessing of the shawls” ceremony before being distributed and shared.

Since then, Wesley Village has continued this tradition of caring, crafting more than 3,500 prayer shawls for those in need. Shawls are created with the intention to provide comfort and peace to individuals or families facing a crisis, time of loss, adversity, illness, end-of-life care, or any kind of physical or emotional hardship. 

With an estimation of 40 hours of volunteer time put into each shawl, the efforts of the Wesley Village Prayer Shawl Ministry have totaled more than 140,000 hours over the past two decades. 

Quinn, now retired, continues to play a role in the prayer shawl volunteer group and regularly gathers at the community with residents, staff, and fellow Wesley Village retiree Mary Ann Griffiths to knit on Thursday mornings.

“The work of the volunteers impacts the lives of many in need to whom they bring the message ‘you are not alone’,” said Quinn. “I’m proud to be part of a wonderful group willing to share their time and talents.”  

Along with Quinn, current members of the group include Wesley Village residents Alice Beaver, Jennie Clark, Betsy Hoffman, Carol Osgood, Jackie Santagata, Marion Schmitz, and Connie Leniart, along with Wesley Village team members Guadalupe Alarcon and Artarene Thompson, and community volunteers Maria Camara, Mary Ann Griffiths, Carolyn Smith, and Carol Zemaitis.

At the recent Prayer Shawl Blessing, Hernan not only blessed the shawls on display, but also blessed the hands of each individual volunteer. She spoke about the unique way the gift of a prayer shawl can provide comfort and warmth and powerfully communicate a message of love. “When our knitters and crocheters gather to make these prayer shawls or even when they are doing it on their own, they recognize that there is a need for love in our world,” said Hernan. “The gift of a prayer shawl can envelop someone like a hug, providing warmth, touch, and comfort in response to what may be inconsolable hurt, pain, loss, or despair. It’s a tangible extension of the love of God through the hands of our prayer shawl ministers.”

Wesley Village senior living campus at 580 Long Hill Ave. is part of United Methodist Homes, a local not-for-profit organization with a nearly 150-year legacy of caring. 

The Wesley Village campus offers independent and assisted living, enhanced assisted living, early memory support, skilled nursing, and short-term rehab. 

To learn more about Crosby Commons, Wesley Heights, Lifestyle Transitions, or Bishop Wicke Health Center, visit our website or contact us at 203-225-5024. 

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.

Wesley Village in Shelton holds prayer shawl ceremony

Wesley Village knitting group members gather for a photo during an annual Prayer Shawl Blessing. The group of staff, residents, and volunteers knits shawls and blankets for those in need throughout the year./Contributed photo

SHELTON - A Prayer Shawl Ceremony was held at Wesley Village March 30 to bless more than 50 prayer shawls and lap robes that were hand-knit by staff, residents, and volunteers from the campus communities of Crosby Commons, Wesley Heights, Lifestyle Transitions, and Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center. 

The event, organized by Barbara Quinn, Director of Volunteer Services for Wesley Village, featured a candle-lighting, reading, and blessing of the shawls, which was performed by Chaplain Cathy Nickse, Coordinator of Spiritual Care for the Wesley Village Campus. 
Shawls were then donated to Masonicare Home Health and Hospice to share with patients in need and those receiving end of life care. 
Thanks go to Masonicare Volunteer Coordinators, Sue Laughlin and Cindy Kemp, and Spiritual and Bereavement Coordinator the Rev. Paul R. Ricard for their help with this special event.

Since 2004, Wesley Village has donated more than 3,200 prayer shawls to provide comfort and peace to those in need. Truly a collaborative effort, volunteers of the campus work together throughout the year to raise funds to purchase yarn and knit shawls to share them with others. A message of hope and love is attached to each shawl before it is given away. 

To learn more about becoming a volunteer at Wesley Village, contact Volunteer Services at 203-925-4952 or visit www.wesleyvillage-ct.org. 
Wesley Village is a campus of senior living and care communities in Shelton, including Crosby Commons Independent & Assisted Living Community, Wesley Heights Independent and Assisted Living Apartments and Cottages, Lifestyle Transitions Memory Care, and Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center. 
The campus is located at 580 Long Hill Ave. and is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes.

This is a press release from United Methodist Homes.