95-year-old crochets ‘blessings’
Marie Chubrilo key part of parish’s shawl ministry

By Karen Mahoney
Special to your Catholic Herald

KENOSHA — Last year, when Marie Chubrilo read a column about St. Elizabeth Parish healing prayer shawl ministry, she decided she would crochet a shawl and give it to the Kenosha church.

That shawl led to another and another, and soon she created more than 100 prayer shawls for members of her church community.

Proving that age is irrelevant when it comes to being involved in community service, the independent and spunky 95-year-old senior crochets at least one prayer shawl a week when she is feeling well.

“Sometimes I have weak spells and I am out of it — I am homebound then and not really able to do too much,” Chubrilo said. “But then I have some good days and I drive my car to morning Mass, deliver the shawls I made and then wait to pick up more yarn from Mary Beth.”

Mary Beth Drechsler, St. Elizabeth pastoral minister, learned about the prayer shawl ministry two years ago after attending a conference for the Association of Pastoral Ministers on Aging. Ministering in a parish with a large elderly population, the prayer shawl concept seemed to be a good fit, considering the number of members in assisted living, nursing homes, ill or homebound.

“I thought it was good because whoever knits or crochets them prays for the recipient,” she said. “It is tangible for older adults who can’t make it to church; when they look at it, they know we are praying for them.”

The St. Elizabeth prayer shawl ministry is patterned after one begun in 1998 by Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo following a Women’s Leadership Institute in Hartford, Conn. The women combined compassion and their love of knitting and crocheting into a prayerful ministry to reach those in need of comfort and solace, health and healing. Many blessings are prayed into every shawl.

The shawl maker begins with prayers and blessings for each recipient and upon completion, a final blessing is offered before the shawl is given.

According to Drechsler, Chubrilo is the record setter among the volunteer knitters and crocheters in the parish.

“Just from June 2006 to June 2007, we had 93 prayer shawls made, and out of those Marie made 45 and the other 48 shawls took seven people to make,” she said.

The shawls are given to people undergoing medical procedures, as a comfort after a loss or in times of stress, and to the elderly of St. Elizabeth who may be in need of some kindness.

The opportunity to give back to the community is important for Chubrilo, who has always tried to find time for others. Widowed at a young age, she volunteered in her church, hospitals, and the community while raising three children and teaching kindergarten at Grant School for 25 years.

According to her daughter, Anita Kostas, of Kenosha, Chubrilo created hand sewn animals for children in foreign missions and knit hats, scarves and mittens for area homeless for years until her eyesight began to deteriorate.

“Then she went down to using a single needle; she loves it and says it gives her something meaningful to do,” she said, joking, “After all, busy hands are happy hands and by keeping busy, it leaves no playground for the devil.”

Using her own pattern, Chubrilo weaves color combinations into the 24 by 60 inch shawl, and while doing so, prays a rosary for the recipient.

“I always think that somebody in the family needs prayers, and while I am crocheting, I can pray for them,” she said. “I also pray that I can keep going and that my health will make it, and truthfully, there are days when I pray that I can keep up and finish the shawl. So far I have finished.”

Another daughter, Beth Zoephel, also of Kenosha, reminds Chubrilo that despite her occasional health problems, God isn’t finished with her yet, so she has to continue creating her prayer shawls.

“She also hasn’t taught me to do this yet and there is nobody to take over, so she has to do it,” laughed Zoephel. “I have tried to crochet a couple of times, but it just hasn’t sunk in — I can’t seem to understand how to pick up a stitch yet.”

Of course, the frequent visits to see their mother often pose a unique problem admitted Kostas.

“She is always crocheting and sitting in these giant piles of yarn,” she said, laughing. “In order for us to kiss her, we have to move away the piles because she is literally buried in prayer shawls.”

There’s something comforting about putting so much time and love into something that will bring someone else joy, according to Chubrilo. She may never meet the recipients or know their needs, but the volunteers and staff at the hospitals, nursing homes or hospices do. Drechsler sees to it that those in need of a special prayer, whether they are terminally ill patients or those who are grieving, receive a prayer shawl.

“For those who are grieving, or suffering, it is something concrete to help them feel like God is with them,” Drechsler admitted, adding, “It is really a circle of love, where one person helps another and the blessings come back to the person who made the shawl.”

Often, Chubrilo receives thank you notes or phone calls from recipients who were moved by the prayer shawl.

“It just gives me the shivers,” she said. “They are so surprised to receive them and they thank me over and over for making it for them. The notes are very touching and make me cry, too. The whole time I am working on the shawl, I think that maybe a man would like this or maybe a lady would appreciate these colors; sometimes it turns out pretty and cheerful and someone may enjoy the cheerfulness — and it seems that the shawl goes to just the right person.”

An enclosed card reading, “This prayer shawl was made with love and prayers for you by the parishioners of St. Elizabeth. When you use this please remember that we are thinking of you and know that you are covered by the prayers and love of St. Elizabeth parish” is testament of the dedication and faithfulness of those involved in the prayer shawl ministry.

“Marie says a daily rosary and it gives these people something to hope with,” Drechsler said. “There is a comfort in knowing that someone is praying for them; and they feel the warmth and strength in the shawls. It is just so wonderful that she can take a ball of yarn, which is nothing, and make these shawls which truly make a difference.”

Each June, Fr. Roman Stikel, pastor of St. Elizabeth, blesses all of the shawls created during the past year at a Sunday Mass. According to Drechsler, the full impact of the prayer shawls wasn’t apparent to Fr. Stikel until he witnessed the effect firsthand.

“We gave one shawl to a woman from our parish that was having surgery for ovarian cancer,” she said. “She was in church and Father was going to anoint her before surgery. We gave it to her and she was just sobbing while he anointed her. She took the shawl with her through surgery, through chemotherapy and radiation and is holding her own now. She has been done with the treatments for a year and has since started her own ovarian cancer support group.”

The blessings in making the shawls are as great as the prayers going into the shawl, and for Chubrilo, it is her way of giving to others.

“I am limited as to what I can do, so I am so thankful that I have the honor to make them,’ she said. “I am very blessed as I do this for others.”

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