Members of St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Bloomfield, above, plant flowers around church signage earlier this month.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
BLOOMFIELD — Youths from St. Mary Magdalen Parish added a little color to their world this spring.
Religious education students donated money throughout Lent to purchase flowers for the parish’s flower bed. It’s a blend of tradition with a new twist, said Angela Hunter, the parish’s religious education coordinator. “While our Religious Education (RE) classes have a history of Lenten tithing and our flower beds are a perennial parish project, this is the first year we have bridged the two — allowing the children’s own contributions to fund the flowers they planted themselves.”
Hunter credits religious education teacher Joni Helton for developing the concept and helping it blossom. “We wanted the children to see the tangible fruit of their generosity,” Hunter said on behalf of the religious education team, which also includes teacher Debra Cox. The flower bed surrounds the parish’s monument sign along Highway 63.
The multi-step process began in the classroom where students decorated their own Lenten offertory envelopes. Throughout the season, they placed the envelopes in the offertory baskets during Mass.
The students spent two class sessions hand-painting accent rocks with encouraging messages and artwork. Parish adults later sealed the rocks with a weather-resistant coating “to ensure their artwork remains vibrant throughout the seasons,” Hunter said.
Last month, youths and their parents filled the beds with a rainbow of traditional parish favorites, including marigolds, zinnias, coleus plants, cannas and dahlias. The parish chose to source the plants from local greenhouses to support the larger community.
Hunter loved seeing intergenerational camaraderie during the planting process. “The energy was wonderful — the children were thrilled to get their hands in the dirt, and having parents and siblings join in turned it into a parish community event.” To keep that spirit alive, families will volunteer to serve as gardeners throughout the summer months, watering and tending the garden as needed.
The response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive, Hunter said. “Parishioners loved witnessing the students’ enthusiasm. Since the gardens sit right at the front of our church, they’ve become a point of pride for the whole neighborhood.” The project has been a powerful opportunity for youths “to see their stewardship come to life right in front of the church,” she added.
