Sister Donna Brunell, OP (Hope) and volunteer quilters Veronica O’Connor and Carole Barton examine some of the quilts of the late Nancy Murphy. Sister Donna assembled a crew of volunteer quilters to complete the unfinished quilts that Nancy’s husband, Mike, found in his attic more than 10 years after she succumbed to breast cancer. The quilts will be on display and for sale at the Mariandale Center on June 8, 9 and 12.

Dominican Sisters of Hope
Quilt show honors legacy of local benefactor

A quilt exhibit and sale will be held at Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center, Ossining, New York, on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 and 9, from 1 to 5 p.m., and on Wednesday, June 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. An opening reception will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. June 8. All are welcome. Admission is free. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Mariandale Retreat Center’s Outreach Programs.

The quilt show has a rich backstory. The late Nancy Murphy of Croton-On-Hudson succumbed to breast cancer in 2001, leaving behind a husband and two sons. An avid quilter and quilting teacher, she also left behind fabric and equipment, which her husband sold, donating the proceeds to cancer research.

Roll forward to just last year, Mike Murphy was moving to a smaller house, his sons now grown and starting families of their own. In the attic he discovered tubs of unfinished work: quilts; needlepoints; appliques and embroidery.

Having heard that there were quilters who met at Mariandale, Mike Murphy called to see if he could donate the materials. He met with Sister Donna Brunell, a Dominican Sister of Hope, and director of Hands for Hope. Sister Donna enlisted the help Carole Burton, a Mariandale quilter, who actually had known Nancy Murphy, to help catalogue the donation.

“Although we expected fabric we might use in other projects, we were both amazed at the beauty of the unfinished quilts and high quality of the craftsmanship. At first I was overwhelmed by the number of projects in various stages of being completed,” said Sister Donna, “but then I recognized the legacy, not only of the quilts, but of the techniques we could learn by completing them.” It was decided that the quilts would be finished by volunteers from among Mariandale quilters and friends and would be celebrated in the exhibit and sale in June.

At Mr. Murphy’s request, any proceeds from the sale of Nancy’s quilts will benefit Mariandale Outreach Programs. These programs serve the spiritual needs of the poor, marginalized, previously incarcerated, homeless and especially women in the surrounding communities, including New York City.

The quilt exhibit and sale, which will also include quilts crafted by Mariandale quilters, will be on display in the Chapel at Mariandale. Besides the posted hours above, they can be seen by appointment, also, during the week of June 8th to the 15th. Call 914-941-4455 ext. 100 for an appointment.

The Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. For more information, visit www.mariandale.org or call 914-941-4455.

Story and photo submitted by Alison Faubert, communications director for the Dominican Sisters of Hope