An Integrated Parish Ecological Mission
“Glance at the sun. See the moon and the stars. Gaze at the beauty of earth’s greetings. Now think. What a delight God gives to humankind with all these things. All nature is at the disposal of humankind. We are to work with it. For without it, we cannot survive.”
Hildegard of Bingen
A sea of Black-eyed Susans keeping watch in the Meditation Garden at OLHC.
Jesus’ fluency with the splendor of the natural world may often be seen as too peripheral or unessential for those drawn to understand him. Jesus lived in an agricultural outdoor setting, and his experience with vineyards, wheat fields, and livestock serve as meaningful imagery that support his plentiful wisdom teachings. In more than a few instances, the Gospels reveal how Jesus’ teachings are expressively brought to life through imagery abstracted from the natural world. It can be no mere coincidence that one of Jesus’ images for the kingdom of God is a tree with birds nesting in its branches. Jesus’ teachings would not have the same mystery and effect without these essential connections with the natural world. It stands to reason that any follower of Jesus, whether he or she be a spiritual leader or apprentice of the faith, would stand in a diminished state of being, as well as a depleted understanding of Jesus without a similar bond with and appreciation for the natural wonders. As his holiness, Pope Francis states in his Encyclical Letter Ladauto Si’ to the whole world, “Man is not made to be surrounded by cement.” We discover the Creator through the forms of life that sustain us in many ways. This goodness of life, as we now know it—having been entrusted to humanity by the Creator for safe-keeping—is disappearing and more endangered with every passing day.
Meditation Garden
Praised be You my Lord with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day through whom you give us light, and he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor. Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness. Praised by You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars. In the heavens you have made them bright, precious, and fair. Praised by You my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and Fire and stormy, all weather’s moods, by which you cherish all that You have made.
St. Francis of Assisi
Meditation Garden, aka Sophia’s Butterfly Garden at OLHC. Black River Stone surrounded by Golden Rod, Culver Root, and a few friendly weeds.
In the fall of 2016, the Missouri Botanical Gardens provided an ecological plan for the green space on the campus of OLHC. The Botanical Gardens attained a grant that enabled us to install a butterfly/pollinator garden. All of the plants are indigenous to the state of Missouri. The following list of plants are included in the design of the garden: Purple cone flower, Prairie Blazing Star, Blue Star, Grey-headed Cone, Black-eyed Susan, Golden Rod, Bee Balm, Penstemon, Joe Pye Weed, Eastern Aster, Yarro, Culver Root, Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Sullivant’s Milkweed, Compass Plant, and Sand Phlox Wildflower. These plants provide for a rich and diverse ecosystem for many insects, all sorts of birds, and some occasional wildlife. Rabbits, a few rare wild turkeys, and hummingbirds can sometimes be spotted in the morning or evening.
We are grateful to have a few generous contributors that have enhanced the garden’s artistic merit. Gloria Gooden helped place 4 large black river stones in the garden, along with lava stones, paver stones, park benches, and an archway. Her grand daughter Kelis, an ascending artist, added a touch of style and grace to the garden with her painting. Donna Dittmer, whose ancestry became well known for their generous support to Fr. Augustus Tolton (first African-American priests in the U.S), donated a cement park bench. Donna also planted a Dutchman Pipe Vine in the garden, and it is doing well. We are grateful to St. Louis Composting for helping us supply the garden with mulch. We are also indebted to Connoco Coffee for supplying us with free burlap to hold the weeds at bay. The garden has still more potential, and is prepared for the next person to make their mark.
The positive effects that a garden may have on the human psyche, mind, heart, and body are well documented. Anyone entering a peaceful garden should experience rather immediately a dramatic decline in blood pressure. The mere experience of pulling weeds can also bring rest to one’s mental state. The renowned Medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen, often spoke of the physiological medicinal effects of plant life. His holiness Pope Francis speaks of the correlation between empathy for people who are suffering and the appreciation of something as simple as a flower, a leaf, or a blade of grass. St. Francis of Assisi embodied this correlation more than anyone else, praising God in all that God has created, but also also finding God while patiently attending to lepers and others having to carry a heavy cross.
In the Gospels, there are associations with Jesus and gardens. It is reported that Jesus liked to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, as he did leading up to those final hours before his passion in Jerusalem. Also in the resurrection account noted in the Gospel of John, Mary of Magdala comes to the empty tomb and is met by Jesus disguised as a gardener (John 15:20). We can only imagine and wonder, albeit constructively, as to why Jesus is disguised in this way. Mary is completely caught off her guard. Was it all mere coincidence, or could it be that Jesus’ identification as a gardener became the tipping point needed to expose that special quality fundamental to Jesus’ character? There could be more that meets the eye in this case, in the sense that the scene suggests Jesus’ closeness to the natural world, both during and after his earthly life.
