By Rita McInerney

Women at St. Oliver Plunkett Church in Snellville use their time, talent and treasure to help new mothers clothe their infants. Their budget is small, their enthusiasm high and their workmanship of caring quality.

Known as the Loving Stitches, they make and assemble layettes for needy women which are distributed by Crisis Pregnancy Services at Catholic Social Services; Better Infant Births, a project of the Atlanta Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women; Birthright, St. Vincent de Paul, and even to the faraway mission of Sister Sponsa Beltran in Cape Palmas, Liberia.

This is their stewardship, their way of using skills and gifts to put into action "Christ's message to love and help one another," Brenda Petrey says. "Everything we do we do in love."

Mrs. Petrey lists the contributions of just a few of the members: Scraps left after members cut patterns for the tiny garments are given to Betty Parker who sews jackets and booties from them, and to Cathy Wojcik to create patchwork crib quilts. Louise Godbois fashions infant kimonos, Katherine Fowler knots baby sweaters and bonnets.

The group meets monthly on the third Monday night at the church. Newly made garments and blankets are accepted, layettes assembled and garments cut from patterns. Other work is done by members at home.

Chairperson Katie Huntington says articles with fine embroidery are crafted by Betty Lynch and crocheted blankets of "star" quality are made by Alana O'Neal and her daughter Katharyn.

Mrs. Huntington, who does most of the purchasing, uses funds given regularly by the parish Women's Guild and the Men's Club. Sometimes, fabric or wool are found at garage sales or are donated.

Twice each year, she says, the entire parish has a chance to contribute. On epiphany, the parishioners are invited to bring gifts and place them in bassinets near the Nativity scene. On Mother's Day, a quilt made by Mrs. Wojcik is awarded to some lucky ticketholder. Small Bouquets of flowers are also sold.

The group began about two years ago when several women were sitting around and talking about " all the rhetoric surrounding abortion," Mrs. Petrey says. "We wanted to be positive in a loving way, to show love in line with Christ' sway ... loving the mother as you love the child."

Feedback from the organizations receiving layettes is their reward. Agnes Driskell, long identified with Better Infant Births, says nurses and young women she works with say they can feel "all the love" the Loving Stitches put into their work. "The work is very beautiful."

Just recently, Mrs. Driskell says, six layettes were brought to the DeKalb County maternity clinic in Stone Mountain. "They are one of our favorite groups," Mrs. Driskell says. "They come regularly."

Kathleen Pyrce, administrator of volunteers as Crisis Pregnancy Services, says her office receives four or five layettes about every other month from the Loving Stitches. "We're able to give the women things that have the handmade touch." And when she sees this as fitting well with the Crisis Pregnancy mission of giving hope to impoverished expectant mothers.