By JULIE KEANE, Globe staff reporter
July 29, 2004

For the last 13 years, each baby or adult who has been baptized at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City has received two special gifts on their baptismal day - the grace of God and a special baptismal white garment sewn by parishioner Terri Niedergeses.

"I started in January of 1991," said Niedergeses, who is the diocesan tribunal secretary for the Chancery. "My children were all baptized at Blessed Sacrament in 1979, 1981 and 1983 and each received one on their special day. I always felt the pull to become involved and be able to give back some of the joy to others that our family has experienced at these events."

Not only were Niedergeses's three children baptized at Blessed Sacrament, so were her two grandchildren, which Niedergeses said makes sewing the garments even more special to her because she is passing on a tradition to her own family and to other people's families as well.

"It is a tradition that many families have shared and I feel the need to help continue," said Niedergeses. "My two grandchildren have been baptized at Blessed Sacrament and share in the legacy of their father as they have the same white garment that he received at his baptism."

Niedergeses said the joy of giving and her love for sewing has kept her making these garments for others all of these years.

"Sewing has always been a means of relaxation for me," she noted. "When our children were young, they had more clothing made by mom than store-bought items, and as they grew older, there was less opportunity to sew for them. My focus then changed to making doll and craft items via knitting and needlework, which I still make for gifts, but sewing the gowns keeps my sewing machine busy with something other than the occasional patch work now that there are just two of us at home."

Niedergeses makes the garments for everyone who is baptized at Blessed Sacrament. Babies and adults each receive one on their baptismal day. The baby gowns are made with sleeves, but anyone older than about a year receives a gown that drops over the head, which works especially well at special baptismal liturgies like Holy Saturday.

The baby gowns take about one hour to complete. Niedergeses said it takes more time to finish an adult gown. She sews between 45 and 70 baby gowns in one year. All of her work is on a volunteer basis. She also has volunteered in music ministry since 1985 and began cantoring in 1989, which she has continued to this day. She has been a member of the Liturgy Committee since 1990 and has worked on the parish bulletin since 1996.

Niedergeses noted her time volunteering brings her closer to God and she is grateful to be able sew the baptismal garments as well as participate in other types of ministry.

"Any time I spend with the Lord is enriching and I feel that the time I spend on each gown is prayer in thanksgiving for the skills he has given me," Niedergeses said.