After her son Army 1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich was killed by an improvised explosive device in Iraq last spring, Nancy Bacevich said an outpouring of support came from so many different people and places.
Now Bacevich wants to give back to one of the groups that helped the Walpole woman and her family.
An art auction, with proceeds to benefit the Mount Saint Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at the Blessed Sacrament School on East Street.
It will feature local and regional artists, including Bill St. George, Susan Kelley and Sue Sheridan, and work in various media. The Web site abbeyartauction.com has been established for the event.
According to Bacevich, around the time of her son's funeral in May 2007, the nuns at the Abbey "offered comfort, organized a liturgy on our family's behalf, provided lodging for our large, extended family, and offered their prayers."
Her sister is a member of the Trappistine order at the Abbey. She's known as Sister Robert, or Sister Robbie, Bacevich said.
The Abbey makes half of its income by manufacturing and selling Trappistine Quality Candy.
But the Abbey hasn't been able to break even since 2006. According to information provided by the Abbey, new funds would allow the construction of a production building, the buying of new equipment, and the building of a gift shop to sell more candy locally.
"The nuns need a new kitchen. The one they have worked in for over 40 years is more than outdated, decrepit, and beyond simple repairs. They have initiated a fund drive which I would like to support as a tribute to them and in gratitude for the gift they have given my family," Bacevich wrote in a letter requesting donations for the auction.
The Oct. 18 auction "is a way to honor (my son) and help the nuns that were so helpful to our family," Nancy Bacevich said.
But why an art auction, some may ask?
After Andrew Bacevich, 27, was killed on Mother's Day last year, his mother found strong support at a weekly art group she attends with seven other Walpole residents. They call themselves the Breton Bleu Art Collective.
The group meets every Thursday night at the United Church in Walpole, on Common Street.
"They helped me a lot," Bacevich said - whether it was producing art together or simply talking. "Art for me is a little therapeutic."
"This group and their creativity has been a lifeline for me, and that is how I got the idea," she wrote in the letter.
When she proposed the idea, "boy, they just jumped at it," she said. "I was just knocked out by the response."
The Abbey Art Auction will include a live auction and a silent auction, as well as a raffle. Those interested in helping out may donate original artwork, gift certificates, gift baskets, sports tickets or chef services.
There will be ample parking, and credit cards will be accepted.
For further information, call Nancy Bacevich at 508-660-2383 or email bacevich@verizon.net.
