Linen Journey group packages altar linens made from gently-used table linens for use in congregations. Photo: Linen Journey
[The Episcopal News] – Church of Our Saviour parishioners Ann Seitz and Mary Kingman love to sew. When family and friends gifted them with gently used tablecloths, they began repurposing them for altars, and the “Linen Journey” was born.
That was several years ago, and the repurposed corporals and purificators for use during communion will be available again at an exhibit hall booth at the upcoming Nov. 8 – 9 Diocesan Convention in Riverside.
The inspiration for the ministry came from a stack of material, Kingman told The Episcopal News during a recent interview. “I thought, I’ve got this pile of napkins sitting here, and I have an embroidery machine, so why not?”
Another member of the San Gabriel parish loves to iron, and along with Seitz, the three have discovered a winning design, especially for churches that may be struggling financially and are in need of extra altar linens.
“We cut them up, sew them, pass them to Julie, who irons them. We have a graphic artist who puts this cute little paper on it and then we go to convention and hand them out,” Kingman said.
“Last year, we were able to give some of the missions packets of these beautiful table linens,” Seitz said. “We cut the pieces to size – they’re napkin-sized – and we re-sew new edges on them and embroider crosses on them. It’s not that hard, we’re sewers.”
According to Kingman, a standard corporal is about 20-inches in size and can cost as much as $40. Seitz says the Linen Journey was Kingman’s idea but she’s happy to sew along. The altar linens are given away; donations are accepted, Kingman said.
“The ministry has grown. People really like it, and it seemed the logical thing to do,” Seitz said. “Nothing is stained. Some of these linens are beautiful, they belonged to someone’s mother, and they just aren’t being used anymore.”
Linen Journey sewers create corporals and purificators for use in the Eucharist. Photo: Linen Journey
Seitz said Kingman will also offer items on hand for sale, including rugs. Proceeds from those sales are designated for youth projects in the diocese and at the Church of Our Saviour in San Gabriel, she said.
Seitz’s love of sewing stems from her mother, Lois Hoover, who, in the 1960s was director of the diocesan altar guild.
“She was a wonderful embroiderer and seamstress,” Seitz recalled. “She traveled through the diocese teaching altar guilds how to repair linens and vestments. I don’t know that altar guilds do much of that anymore. It’s one of the reasons we started this ministry; fewer women are sewing and it’s a really valuable thing for churches to do, to help maintain what they have.”
Donations received for altar linens are reinvested in the ministry. Packets come with one corporal and four purificators.
Kingman said the ministry’s name was inspired by her sister, who lives in Guatemala, and who is always advocating recycling “to move things along. So, we became the Linen Journey, moving it along.”
Lavabo towels may be the next stop on the journey, she said.