Springfield Dominican Sister Maristella Dunlavy made her mark on Illinois’ civic life decades ago when she was the official calligrapher for the State of Illinois, hand-lettering resolutions for the House and Senate for $10 per piece.
Each resolution took about three hours to letter with no “white out” and no errors allowed.
Now she spends part of her day designing cards meant to uplift and inspire.
Eleven new cards, in addition to her previous designs, are available now at springfieldop.org/cards.
“When I started this ministry almost twenty years ago, my sole purpose was to have a way to remind those who send the cards to friends and those who receive them that they are remembered daily in the prayers of all of our sisters,” she said. Her mission has not changed.
The new card designs are 5x7, with inspirational cover messages and are blank inside. “Nature is the art of God,” reads one, a quote from Dante Alighieri, the 13th century Italian poet. Another quotes Pope Francis: “All that is good, all that is true, all that is beautiful brings us to God.” General in scope, they can be used for a variety of occasions.
Those who would like to order cards can do so at the website. The suggested donation is one dollar for the 5x7 cards and 50 cents for the smaller, 4.5x5.5 cards.
The website includes a PDF catalogue of all the card selections and a downloadable, printable order form. You may also send a simple email requesting the cards you would like sent to you.
Read more about Sister Maristella’s card ministry here.
