As the Season of Creation is upon us, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth are sharing one simple action that supports this year’s theme, “Living Water.”
Observed Sept. 1-Oct. 4, the Season of Creation invites Christians to pray and care for our common home. The 2026 theme comes from Ezekiel 47:9-12, which describes life-giving water flowing from God’s temple, renewing the land and sustaining life.
The Sisters are grateful to everyone who recently donated yarn to support a special ministry at the Nazareth Motherhouse. Those gifts are already being used to crochet protective sleeves for portable water filters distributed by Water By Women, a Louisville-based nonprofit founded in 2008.
The colorful sleeves, affectionately called “socks,” protect water filters from damage caused by daily use. Each donated skein of yarn helps extend the life of a filter and provides families with greater access to clean, safe drinking water.
Sister Rosemarie Kirwan began making the socks and later invited Sisters Barbara Joseph Lammers and Paschal Maria Fernicola to join her. Over the years, Sisters Anne Magruder and Brenda Gonzales also joined the ministry. Together, the Sisters estimate they have made thousands of sleeves.
Water By Women trains a woman in each participating community to operate a filter and provide clean water for her family and three neighboring families. The organization reports that it has equipped Water Women in 48 countries.
The filters help reduce the threat of waterborne illnesses in communities without reliable access to safe drinking water. The sleeves made at Nazareth also have supported disaster relief efforts in the United States and other countries.
On July 30, the Sisters delivered 88 socks to Water By Women in response to an urgent need following the June earthquakes in Venezuela. Damaged water systems and storage tanks left many survivors without dependable access to clean water.
Soon afterward, the Sisters received another urgent request. The organization had exhausted its supply of socks after sending filters to five countries. On Sept. 2, Sisters Rosemarie and Brenda delivered 150 additional socks to Louisville.
This ministry gives practical meaning to “Living Water.” Each stitch helps protect a filter, and each filter can provide clean water to four families for years. Those who donated yarn are part of this ministry, with their generosity traveling alongside each filter to families in need.
“Thank you to everyone who answered our call for yarn donations,” Sister Brenda said. “We are putting it to good use. You are going with each filter, and we appreciate your generosity. God bless each of you.”