This organization is on a break, and new info on if and when the group plans on meeting in 2020 will be posted here at some point in the near future.

In the Spring of 2003, Father Michael saw the Comfort Quilts at St. Ferdinand Church and thought it would be a good idea for Christ the Divine Shepherd to do. He mentioned this to Kathy Klocek, Pastoral Associate, who approached several members of our Parish. She told us about the Comfort Blanket Ministry at St. Ferdinand’s and suggested that we look into this project to see how it could be adapted to CDS.

Three of us took a trip up to see the people in Cranberry. When we returned we were excited and were convinced that the people at CDS could do this.

We’ve been asked why we are doing this and who will be getting these quilts. We hope to extend the care of the Parish in an tangible way with the quilts. There are no fast rules for who will be receiving the quilts. Basically the quilts will be given to many persons: someone who has lost a job; one who is going through a difficult time, because of health reasons, maybe family being transferred, perhaps the loss of a loved one; preemies or newborns or little ones being hospitalized with any number of illnesses; the elderly or shut-ins who need to be comforted; long-time parishioners having to leave the parish; people coping with divorce; even when the seminarians leave our Parish to go on to another; wherever someone needs to know God’s comfort is with them. You probably can think of many other good recipients. With the quilts the Parish will journey with these members and extend the care and comfort to them from all of us – people of all ages – from the school children, families, extended families and up to the Senior Citizens of our Parish.

We requested fabric from the parishioners and the response was tremendous. We started getting together to cut squares out for the people to take them home to decorate and we are on our way.

This truly is a ministry every parishioner can be involved in. People continue to decorate squares and leave them for the Comfort Quilt ministers to sew into quilts. Each square is so precious to look at. To know that an individual or a family took the time to decorate a square is so heartwarming.

We hope this simple, yet profound, ministry will touch many lives and continue for years to come.