Caterina spins quite a yarn

Throughout this frigid winter, parishioners at Sacred Heart/St. Columba Church in Schenectady have been just a bit warmer, thanks to the caring attentions of an elderly woman.

Although most parishioners don't even know who she is, she has been lovingly knitting and crocheting items for them since the beginning of the year.

And thereby hangs a yarn.

Skein

In December, Sister Norina Mastro, MPV, who is a pastoral associate at the parish, put a notice in the weekly bulletin, asking parishioners for donations of yarn.

"I was looking for some yarn to keep an elderly, homebound woman busy," she explained. "I visit her each week. She lives with her brother and sister-in-law just two doors down from where I live. I found out that she loves to knit but had no yarn. I thought there might be a few parishioners that could help out."

She was right. "We had a number of parishioners respond to my request, donating all different colors and types of yarn," she told The Evangelist.

Knitting

The donations were for Caterina Citarelli, 88, who has Parkinson's disease. After her husband passed away, she relocated to Schenectady from Philadelphia in order to live with her brother and sister-in-law. Her brother is also homebound with a heart condition. Although the three seniors are able to move around inside their home and occasionally take car trips, going outside during the winter is difficult.

Mrs. Citarelli came to the U.S. from Italy in 1949 and brought her skills in knitting and crocheting with her.

"In Italy, all women know how to knit and crochet," she said with a laugh. "I have been knitting and crocheting all my life."

Taking her time

Parkinson's has slowed her down a bit, but it has not stopped Mrs. Citarelli from keeping up with her needlework.

"My hands shake a lot, and that has made me slower," she said, "but I want to keep busy if I can. It takes a long time to do the stitches, but I am patient. I go as slow as I have to go, but I keep at it until each piece is done."

Recently, her sister-in-law expressed an interest in learning how to knit.

"Knitting uses two needles," Mrs. Citarelli explained. "It is a little more complicated, so it is harder to learn than crocheting. It took a little time, but now she knows. Now we are both happy because we can knit together."

Gifts in return

The octogenarian said she was happy to recently receive small balls and partial skeins of colored wool and rayon from parishioners. She decided to make "small lap afghans and house slippers" for them. When she gets softer yarn, she likes to crochet baby items: "little hats and sweaters and blankets and booties."

As soon as the items are completed, she sends them back to the parish to hand out to parishioners.

"I get a little bit of this and a little bit of that," she said. "I use it all and give it back. I love to do it."

(3/20/03) [[In-content Ad]]