Quilt Block in Honor of St. Timothy

Born at Lystra, Lycaenia, St. Timothy was the son of a Greek father and Eunice, a converted Jewess. He joined St. Paul when Paul preached at Lystra replacing Barnabas, and became Paul's close friend and confidant. Paul allowed him to be circumcised to placate the Jews, since he was the son of a Jewess, and he then accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey.

When Paul was forced to flee Berea because of the enmity of the Jews there, Timothy remained, but after a time was sent to Thessalonica to report on the condition of the Christians there and to encourage them under persecution, a report that led to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians when he joined Timothy at Corinth. Timothy and Erastus were sent to Macedonia in 58, went to Corinth to remind the Corinthians of Paul's teaching, and then accompanied Paul into Macedonia and Achaia.

Timothy was probably with Paul when the Apostle was imprisoned at Caesarea and then Rome, and was himself imprisoned but then freed. According to tradition, he went to Ephesus, became its first bishop, and was stoned to death there when he opposed the pagan festival of Katagogian in honor of Diana. Paul wrote two letters to Timothy, one written about 65 from Macedonia and the second from Rome while he was in prison awaiting execution. His feast day is January 26.

From Catholic.org.

St. Timothy's symbol is a club and stones because they were the instruments of his death.

 To download this free 12" x 12" pattern: Quilt Block in Honor of St. Timothy:

Quilt Block in Honor of St Michael the Archangel

A reader wrote and requested six quilt block designs for her family, so over the next few weeks I will be posting those patterns. 

St. Michael, the Archangel - Feast day - September 29th

The name Michael signifies "Who is like to God?" and was the warcry of the good angels in the battle fought in heaven against Satan and his followers. Holy Scripture describes St. Michael as "one of the chief princes," and leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over the powers of hell. He has been especially honored and invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. Although he is always called "the Archangel," the Greek Fathers and many others place him over all the angels - as Prince of the Seraphim. St. Michael is the patron of grocers, mariners, paratroopers, police and sickness.

His symbol is the scales of justice because he is supposed to weigh men's souls at the end of time.

This 12' X 12" quilt block features those scales of justice. To download the free pattern, please click here: Quilt Block in Honor of St Michael the Archangel

To be continued . . .

I've completed the 20 blocks for my quilt. I'll be sure to post the completed project when it is done, most likely in 2014.

Quilt Block in Honor of St. Rita

Saint Rita of Cascia (Born Margherita Lotti 1381 - May 22, 1457) was an Italian Augustinian nun, widow and saint venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. Rita was married at an early age. The marriage lasted for 18 years, during which she is remembered for her Christian values as a model wife and mother who made efforts to convert her husband from his abusive behavior. Upon the murder of her husband by another feuding family, she sought to dissuade her sons from revenge before their calamitous death.
She subsequently joined an Augustinian community of religious sisters, where she was known both for practicing mortification of the flesh and for the apparent efficacy of her prayers. St. Rita is venerated due to various miracles attributed to her intercession, and is often portrayed with a bleeding wound on her forehead, which the Roman Catholic Church claims to have been a partial stigmata.

The Roman Catholic Church, under the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII officially canonized Rita on May 24, 1900, while her feast day is celebrated every May 22. In many pious Catholic countries, Rita is known to be a patroness for abused wives and mourning women as well as impossible cases.

From Wikipedia 

St. Rita's symbols include a nail and roses. In this 12" x 12" quilt block, I've attempted to symbolically show the nail piercing her surrounded by flowers.

To download the free pattern: Quilt Block in Honor of St. Rita