Ashlar Celebrates 25 Years With Prayer, And An Eye To Future

By Kendra Bobowick

The weather brightened Sunday, May 4, in time for the Ashlar of Newtown 25th Anniversary Interfaith Service, celebrating life at the not-for-profit health care/independent living facility.

Shaded beneath canvas overhangs were Ashlar and the adjoining Lockwood Lodge residents who first heard from Chaplain Kurt Shaffert and President Thomas Gutner Sunday afternoon.

Smiling at his audience, which included residents and their visiting family members, Mr Gutner said, “It’s a really nice feeling with family members and residents and staff,” noting that the service helped bring them all together.

Reading through the list of songs and prayers marking the celebration, Veronica Jensen sat with her mother Stella Pogorzelski, who said, “I love it. I wouldn’t have gone any other place.” Looking at the guests assembled, freshly mulched garden beds, and her daughter beside her, Ms Pogorzelski called the service “beautiful,” adding, “They do things nicely.”

 Turning to look at a quilt on display behind them, she referred to the 25-year-old patchwork as “a nice tie to our origins.” In fact, the quilt, which coincidentally has 25 squares, recently resurfaced after staff looked for it. Its significance? Residents and volunteers made the quilt when Ashlar was founded.

Chaplain Shaffert spoke with encouragement about the small community formed by Ashlar’s residents.

“It’s great to have us all together today to celebrate a wonderful place where we live and work.” Enjoy and continue in the celebration of life, he told those gathered.

Offering a call to worship, the chaplain began, “The Spirit calls us into life … calls us to live, to plunge ourselves into the hurts and horrors and to be with those who are without love … the Spirit calls us to sing and to let out the joy and sadness, shed self consciousness and clothe ourselves in peace.”

Resident Anna Grace followed him with “Prayer for the Elderly,” asking, “Remember your old people, oh Lord.”

Kaleigh Finn and her soft soprano voice took turns with Bob Werme, who also sang to the guests.

Soon after was a Litany of Blessing and one after another speakers formed a line at the microphone, speaking words beginning with the phrase, “Bless this house…May this house be filled with love, may this house be filled with joy, forgiveness, generosity, serenity…”

In a final gesture, staff members Dana Dinho, Vjollca Cleary, and Sue Sonnati carried a banner through the crowd as residents pinned ribbons to the blue cloth printed with white doves. With the quilt fresh in the staff members’ minds while planning the anniversary and interfaith service, Chaplain Shaffert explained, they came up with the idea to make a banner of their own and “give it to the future.” The doves represent flight, hope is with them, he said.

After passing the cloth through the crowd, 25 ribbons were fixed to the banner. “The ribbons were collected over the years. Each is a different color, a different size,” the chaplain said. Among those pinning a ribbon was nine-year Lockwood Lodge resident Clara Maurielo, who said, “This is very nice, lovely.”