The Butterfly Release Celebration followed a site-wide Memorial Service where a resplendent quilt was unveiled and blessed. The quilt is 12 feet by 10 feet and has a gradient of dark blue to white fabric behind a cluster of butterflies in flight. It will be used in the end-of-life journey to cover a person’s body after they have passed from life to eternity. Covering a body with a quilt is a dignified way for a resident to leave Menno Place for the last time. This ritual of draping the body with a quilt is a way for Menno Place staff to say goodbye to people they get to know well during their final years and will bring a touch of warmth to a difficult time for families.

“What a joyful and wonderful event!” said Karen Baillie, CEO of Menno Place, “A care home does not need to be a place of depression and isolation. We create moments of joy for seniors every day! We provide excellent end-of-life care, both palliative and spiritual care. Our care and values shone through today in a big way.”

The Butterfly Quilt is a gift of love, skill and generosity by the Menno Positives Quilting Club who honour the long-held Mennonite tradition of quilting and found each other through Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, BC.