LITCHFIELD — One of two quilts created as part of Hospital Sisters Health System's (HSHS) "Threads of Our Community" project is now on display at St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. Facilitated by Sister Monica Laws, OSF, vice president, Mission Integration, the quilt project celebrates the diversity of faiths and cultures among hospital patients, families, colleagues and health care professionals. St. Francis Hospital is one of 13 hospitals operated by Hospital Sisters Health System in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Each of the System's 13 hospitals, as well as its physician network (HSHS Medical Group), Foundation and partners, Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants and Prevea Health created two quilt blocks — one for each quilt — and provided the finished pieces to the System office to create the two "Threads of Our Community" quilts. One quilt is on display at the System office in Springfield, and the other is on traveling display at each of its 13 hospitals.

In Litchfield, St. Francis Hospital quilters' Shane Foster, Lorinda Hires, Kathryn Knobloch, Dottie Meyer, Barbara Powley, Ronita Rufus, Alice Tebbe and Sheila Stoneburner incorporated elements such as a dove, stained glass, farm equipment and a Route 66 sign to represent spirituality, the local community and history in their quilt blocks.

"We hope everyone will stop by to see the beautiful and creative quilt while it is on display in the St. Francis Outpatient Registration area through the end of this month," says quilter Knobloch, coordinator of Mission Integration activities at St. Francis. "The quilt blocks truly represent the hospitals, their rich traditions and diversity of faiths and cultures within each community."

"Each square is very unique," says Sister Monica. "Some are appliqué, some are needlepoint, some are photographs reproduced on fabric."

Sew Unique in Springfield pieced the squares together, chose a border for the quilt, and did the machine quilting, adding a dowel rod sleeve on the back, so it could be hung on display.