Parish quilt honors deceased Frederick pastor

The Frederick church of a much-loved pastor who worked hard to make his faith community warm and welcoming now has a very appropriate symbol of his service: a decorative quilt emblazoned with the phrase, “a warm, welcoming and faith-filled man.”

Lovingly designed and stitched by parishioners, the 7-feet by 9-feet quilt honors the memory of Father Wayne Funk. The pastor died earlier this year after leading St. John the Evangelist in Frederick for nearly two decades.

Julie St. Croix, director of elementary and family catechesis at St. John, said children in the elementary faith formation classes designed individual squares for the quilt, decorating the 2-feet by 2-feet patches with a wide variety of symbols including butterflies, a chalice and a cross made of photos of children.

“This was a positive way for the children to express their faith and also say thanks for all he did for us,” said Ms. St. Croix.

Children were very excited about the project, Ms. St. Croix added.

“I was not surprised at the outpouring,” she said, noting that Dee Johns and Judy Gilson stitched the quilt.

“He was a larger-than-life man,” she said. “He always had a big laugh that would ring out and the kids were drawn to that.”

When the quilt was presented to Father Richard Murphy after Mass several weeks ago, Ms. St. Croix said, the congregation showed its enthusiasm with applause. A special display case is being made to showcase the quilt in the parish hall.