By Thea Jarvis

Seventy-two year old Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Visitation Monastery in Snellville was making her once-in-awhile visit to the State Hospital in Milledgeville when she first met Jack.

He greeted Sister Mary and other visitors form the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women clad in bib overalls and wearing only pillowcases on his feet.

Jack, Sister Mary learned, is mentally retarded and suffers from elephantiasis, a chronic skin disease which often results in the enlargement of the legs and the hardening and cracking of the surrounding skin.

For Jack, whose feet were beyond the size of ordinary men, a choice of footwear was indeed limited. But thanks to Sister Mary Elizabeth and her community at the Visitation Monastery, Jack is now on his way to possessing a shoe wardrobe anyone would be proud of.

On the day of Sister Mary’s visit last February, ACCW members from Saint Oliver Plunkett Church in Snellville carefully traced the size of Jack’s feet, according to Eleanor O’Connor, ACCW’s Community Services Chairman.

Armed with her paper pattern, Sister Mary brought the project back to the Sisters of the Visitation, who met Jack’s need with enthusiasm and compassion.

Mother Maria Charitas Batista, superior of the Snellville monastery, took charge of the shoemaking and Jack Maddox, owner of Snellville Shoe Repair, was contacted. Maddox had previously made a pair of size 14 sandals for a customer and said the work wasn’t too difficult.

“The sandals were made with all adjustable straps since his feet would swell sometimes more than others,” he explained. The pattern used was nine inches wide by 15 inches long.

Although the sisters offered to pay Maddox for his work, which was spread out over several days and involved substantial cost, the kindly cobbler declined remuneration.

“I didn’t figure they had much money,” he said. “I felt real good when they called and said the sandals had worked out fine.”

Maddox’s wife, Heidi, who does custom leatherwork at the shop and helped to dye the sandals, said she felt sorry for Jack because he had no family or friends to supply him with proper footwear.

“It made me feel good to be able to help with something like this,” Mrs. Maddox said.

Back in Milledgeville, Jack is proudly wearing his new shoes and has augmented his wardrobe with a pair of corduroy slippers and woolen socks handmade by the Sisters of the Visitation. The slippers, designed by Sister Mary Regina, have zippers and are easy to open and close. The large socks were knitted by Mother Charitas and Sister Mary Josefa.

Jane Haddock, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at Central State Hospital, wrote to Mother Maria Charitas to express her gratitude for all the sisters had done for Jack.

The day after he received his new shoes, she recounted, he met one of the therapists at the door so that he might display his new acquisitions.

“No more pillowcases,” Jack said with pride.