Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series on outreach in our parish communities as faithful go above and beyond to help those in need.

Story by EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent

Julia Bannon, newly initiated member of St. Ann Parish, Lawrenceville, wasted no time putting her Catholic mission of service into practice. Joined by equally talented family members, friends and parishioners May 19, Bannon hosted a sewing party to create colorful pillowcases for children in local hospitals for extended stays, as area coordinator for Ryan’s Case for Smiles.

Photo Gallery: Pillowcase project for hospitalized in St. Ann Parish

The pillowcases will go to patients in Capital Health, Hopewell; Princeton Medical Center, and Robert Wood Johnson-Bristol Meyers Squibb and St. Peter’s Hospitals, New Brunswick.

“I got a nice compliment from someone at St. Peters who said that it just really brightens their rooms,” said Bannon, who cut out and pinned together fabric for more than 60 pillowcases for the rainy day sewing party. “Everything is white on white on white – so it’s nice to have something colorful and cheerful.”

With local chapters stationed across the United States, Ryan’s Case for Smiles has helped provide more than 1.7 million pillowcases to 300 hospitals to date. The nonprofit (formerly ConKerr Cancer) was founded in 2007 as a means of helping combat post-traumatic stress disorder in young patients with difficult and long-term medical diagnoses. The organization’s mission is to “help kids feel better to heal better.”

Bannon and her entire family possess sewing skills, including husband Jason, second-grade daughter Annabelle and fifth-grade son Jeb. Both Jason and Annabelle joined Bannon for the sewing party at St. Ann’s, having already helped with similar events in the area.

“[Sewing for charity] was something I had done years and years ago,” Bannon recalled. “I saw that [RCFS] needed a local coordinator, so I said I would take it on.”

St. Ann School, which Annabelle and Jeb attend, held a dress down day to help pay for the pillowcase fabric. Bannon is also able to get fabric on sale, and has established some agreements with fabric makers for discounts.

New Faith, New Ideas

Bannon had been searching for a service project in which she and her children both could participate after being inspired by the teachings she was receiving through the parish’s Rite of Christian Adults process.

“I really had been good about reading the little Lenten booklets with daily readings every day. It gave me just what I needed, a little dose of contemplation,” she explained. “In learning more about Lent, I realized I wanted to do something of service ... and I came upon this.”

Her journey to the Church this Easter completed her family’s Catholic picture.

 “The whole family is in the Church, but I wasn’t. We were at a memorial this past summer at a Catholic church for a family friend, and I was really feeling kind of bereft, that I wasn’t going to have that. So I decided to join our RCIA group,” said Bannon, whose husband is part of the RCIA ministry.

Through Jason Bannon’s encouragement and assisted by her sponsor, Carrie Zeidman, Bannon received all her Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter Vigil.

Bannon acknowledges that while her moral compass was pointed in the right direction, going through the process solidified and expanded on what she knew.

“I knew a lot, but I didn’t know a lot,” she said. “There’s so much that you learn that’s just kind of common knowledge or common values – but I realized how much of it is grounded in the teachings of the Church.”

Putting Skills to Use

Zeidman, who is Bannon’s neighbor and friend, came to the sewing party with her daughters, seventh-grader Delaney and fourth-grader Leah, both in St. Ann School.

“What makes this service project unique is that they’re really learning a new skill today,” Zeidman noted. “Most of the time [service projects they help with include] food drives ... but this really might pique their interest into something new they can do – and now they can iron at home!” she said with a laugh.

Bannon has relationships now with hospital personnel in the volunteer and development offices who regularly communicate when more pillowcases are needed. “Now that we know each other, we’ll pick up the phone or email to see how they’re going,” she said.

To learn more about how to make pillowcases for Ryan’s Case for Smiles, email Julia Bannon, [email protected] or visit caseforsmiles.org for sewing instructions. Those who want to donate can do so in a drop box located at Pennington Quilt Works, 7 Tree Farm Road, Suite 104, Pennington.