by Patricia McGeever

When Fr. Deva Kuma says Mass at his 14 remote mission stations in India, he wears vestments made by volunteer seamstresses living here in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you so much for your Mass vestments,” he wrote, expressing his gratitude to the Notre Dame Tabernacle Society. “My heart is overfilled with joy and happiness just because of your generosity of heart in sending the Mass vestments and holy rosaries and holy pictures of Jesus and St. Anthony. You really made my day so joyful.”

For decades, the Society’s seamstresses, based out of Queen of Peace Parish in Hamilton and St. Henry Parish in Dayton, have sewn and sent vestments and Mass kits to missionary priests around the world. Each priest receives four chasubles and four matching stoles. Last year, they sent sets to priests in India, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda.

“We were able to fill over 109 requests in 2025,” said Tina Trimbach, president of the group. “We sent out 351 vestments, 11,765 rosaries, and 46 Mass kits.” To put this in perspective on an individual level, seamstress Teri Dean shared, “In just over four years, I’ve made 120 vestments. Since each priest receives four vestments, I’ve personally outfitted thirty of them.”

However, their work could soon be hampered as the seamstresses from Queen of Peace, who order the fabric and send the shipments overseas for both parishes, are losing their current meeting space in the basement of a parishioner’s home. The space was designed especially for this ministry, so the women are currently seeking  a new spot to set up shop this summer for their weekly meetings. 

Their counterparts at St. Henry each work primarily out of their own homes, meeting weekly in a donated space for adding the finishing touches to their vestments.

“We are very fortunate to have a location right across from the church that used to be the old township hall,” said Jean Stachler, a seamstress with St. Henry’s parish. The building’s owners generously allow the group to operate there at no cost, where four sergers and a sewing machine are set up.

The ministry’s work continues to spread by word of mouth among priests in need, and the volunteers enjoy hearing from those who receive a shipment. 

 “Thank you for your Mass vestments,” wrote Fr. Damien Seusi from his parish in Malinyi, Tanzania, adding, “God Bless your work and your ministry.” And from Uganda, Fr. Jude Onyango wrote, “Thank you, and God bless the work of your hands. I promise to pray for you always.” 

The women say the future of their ministry and its location are in God’s hands, and they have faith He will help them find a new space. They know they can count on the prayers of the hundreds of priests who’ve received their handiwork.

The Society also appreciates material support and seeks additional volunteers beyond the current members. “We can always use donations because we buy our own fabric, and that has gone up in price,” said Trimbach. “Our shipping costs have gone up substantially, [too]. The other thing we can use is additional sewers, whoever God sends our way.”

For more information on the Notre Dame Tabernacle Society or to support their work, visit http://www.notredametabernaclesociety.org/.

This article appeared in the March 2026 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.