Scraps of material sometimes magically appear on the doorstep of St. Timothy Church in Maple Lake, Minn. And just as magically, those scraps are pieced together into beautiful hand-made quilts by the parish’s Social Action Ministry (SAM) Quilters and given to people in need, both near and far.

Glenmary missions have been receiving and distributing these treasures since 1993. To date, almost 400 quilts have been sent to the missions.

Most recently, the SAM Quilters sent quilts to Glenmary missions in South Georgia earmarked for the migrant workers who winter in the area. Many workers live in trailers without heat, so these quilts are essential for warmth during the winter.

The group’s artistic creations are also distributed to local nursing homes, orphanages, crisis shelters and parishioners who are ill.

“We hope that all who receive one of our quilts feel the love and the comfort that comes from those who make them,” says Rose Malachek. Rose and her sister, Cathy Borell, have chaired SAM since 1993.

The connection to Glenmary and Glenmary missions is a natural one for the group, says Cathy. Father Steve Pawelk, Glenmary’s vocation director, grew up in St. Timothy Parish and his mother, Joan, is one of the quilters!

“Father Steve requested that we begin sending quilts to the missions,” Cathy says. “It’s so very touching to hear what a quilt we made means to someone.” As the holiday season approaches, the quilts take on an extra special meaning for recipients, almost like a gift made especially for them.

“These quilts have followed me from mission to mission,” Father Steve says. “Those who receive the quilts light up when I explain who made them and why they were sent. This mission contribution is truly a warm box of love for the poor and needy.”

The ecumenical group of about 50 people comes together in the parish basement weekly from September to May (and monthly during the summer) to create their pieces of art. The quilts come in all shapes and sizes, from crib quilts to doll quilts to quilts that fit a queen-size bed.

Thousands of quilts have been created and distributed since the group’s beginnings in 1989—with the quilters putting in over 3,500 hours of volunteer labor. (That doesn’t include the time members spend working at home.)

Once a quilt is completed and is being prepared for delivery, a simple note is attached that explains the quilt was made by the SAM Quilters of Maple Lake, Minn. The note also includes “The Quilting Prayer”: “Our Father who loves all people, we bow in thanksgiving for that love, and for an opportunity to share care and concern for those in need. We pray for and ask for your blessing on the people who will use these quilts, that it may not only give some warmth and protection, but also a message of your love.”

The message of this group’s care and love has been, and continues to be, heard and felt throughout Glenmary missions across the South, Southwest and Appalachia. The quilts, as Father Steve says, provide much more than physical warmth. They provide a daily reminder of the presence and warmth of God’s love and the generosity of God’s people.