Sister Mimi displays the woven scarves she made during her Individualized Earth Sabbatical experience at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice.

Earthquake in Chile: Sisters Mimi and Ruth tell of the needs in Chile

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice has had a special connection with the Dianna Ortiz Ursuline Center for Women in Chillan, Chile since 2007 thanks to an Ascension Health Partnership in Ministry grant.

White Violet Center staff members and volunteers continue to share their knowledge and expertise in fiber arts with these women by having one of our instructors visit Casa Ursulina each year to teach the women new skills in the hopes of helping to create better futures for this community.

Susan Pugh, a volunteer instructor at White Violet Center, and Sister Maureen Freeman, CSJ, director of White Violet Center, have traveled to Casa Ursulina to teach.

Sister Mary Elizabeth Ballard, OSU, (Sister Mimi) is the director of Casa Ursulina (Ursuline House), as it is known.

Sister Mimi spent a three-month sabbatical at White Violet Center in 2006. During that time she shared stories and photos of her ministry with the staff and volunteers. Casa Usulina serves more than 200 women in a neighborhood of approximately 17,000 people, which to those in the United States looks like a vast government housing project.

The goal of the center is to be a place where women can learn skills to help the women support themselves and their families. Being a place of creativity, friendship and solidarity are the by-products of this amazing center.

One of the items the women produce at Casa Ursulina is woven scarves that are sold in the United States. This was one of the reasons Sister Mimi chose White Violet Center for a sabbatical — the fiber arts program. Although White Violet Center works primarily with alpaca fiber, Sister Mimi learned how to prepare, spin and weave sheep’s wool.

That’s because there are a number of sheep farmers in the Chillan area. She said the farmers raise the sheep for meat and throw away the wool. Sister Mimi began talking to the farmers about saving the wool so the women could spin it and use natural fibers to make their products.