Quilt Exhibit & Sale

299 North Highland Avenue

Ossining, NY 10562 914-941-4455

Alison Faubert, Director of Communications

www.mariandale.org

914-941-4455 ext. 212

afaubert@ophope.org

PRESS RELEASE: May 2013

EVENT DATE: June 8, 9, 12, 2013

Stitching a Legacy & Heritage of Quilts

A quilt exhibit and sale will be held at Mariandale Retreat and Conference Center on Saturday

and Sunday, June 8 and 9, from 1 to 5 pm, and on Wednesday, June 12 from 7 to 9 pm. The

Opening Reception is Saturday, June 8 from 3 to 5pm. 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 501(c) 3 non-profit ecumenical organization

located one mile south from the Croton Harmon Train Station. It is a full service retreat and

conference center with 61 acres of land on the Hudson, 40 bedrooms and full meal service,

a swimming pool, nature trails and a labyrinth. It is available for group and private retreats,

organizational meetings, and offers unique spiritual programming throughout the year. It is the

sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Hope. Call (914) 941-4455 for more information

or visit the Mariandale Website www.mariandale.org.

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