Members of Divine Mercy Parish in Burlington/West Burlington mingle during a reception celebrating the new Garden of Divine Mercy at the parish’s St. John campus in downtown Burlington.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
BURLINGTON — Members of Divine Mercy Parish mingled and milled about in a new outdoor garden space behind St. John Church recently, enjoying home-cooked food and good conversation. “It just feels like a special place,” said Becky Anderson, parish council president.
The parish — composed of St. John and St. Paul campuses in Burlington and Ss. Mary & Patrick in West Burlington — celebrated the completion of the Garden of Divine Mercy with a prayer service, blessing and reception on Sept. 9. The community embarked on the project a couple years ago as a way to refresh and integrate vacant plots of land the parish had acquired over the years.
The idea first blossomed in Anderson’s imagination. “I have a flower garden, and I like that type of thing. I talked to Father Jake (Greiner, the pastor), and asked if my family could clean up the lot.”
The priest was supportive, and gave the family permission to move forward.
As more people got involved, possibilities for the land began to sprout. “The idea started with a vision, but not a plan,” Anderson said. Parishioner Joe Spillane suggested installing a ramp from the back parking lot to the garden below. Steve Brower, a retired landscape architect whom Anderson has worked with in the past, sketched out a rough layout. After cement for the ramp was laid, contractors Joey Daly, Tom Chicken and his son, Reid, all of whom are members of the parish, brainstormed what should be at the bottom of the ramp. They decided a flat, circular area in the middle of the garden would be ideal. However, “the lay of the lots was not ideal,” Anderson said.
Reid Chicken fixed the problem in one day by excavating the land to create a gentler slope and more flat space at the bottom. Later, contractors built a “grand staircase,” round patio, benches and stage out of concrete.
Volunteers and Scouts planted a variety of perennial plants such as roses, chrysanthemums, daffodils, tulips, salvia and more to ensure multi-season blooms. Parishioners planted a serviceberry tree in memory of their late pastor, Father Marty Goetz, along with other trees to provide plentiful shade.
Anderson sensed God’s guidance as the garden came to life. “(We were) working and praying about creating a place where people could feel close to God, a place to pray and feel his presence,” she said. “It ended up better than any of us could have imagined; it just seems like we always had the right people to plan it out and build it.”
Unrestricted memorial donations from parishioners made the project possible. Anderson assumed there would be resistance at some stage of the planning process, either from clergy or the community, but it never came. “It just seemed like everyone could see the vision of how we could make a positive addition to our church campus, and we were all working towards that vision,” she told guests at the celebration.
The parish soft-launched the space by hosting two potluck picnics earlier this summer. “It was nice to have time to visit and get to know other people,” Anderson said. Some people have used the space for quiet reflection and prayer. The possibilities for garden space are endless, she believes.
With continued care, the plants should continue to mature and add color to the land, Anderson said. “An ugly, blighted piece of ground has been transformed into a representation of the beauty of God’s creation.”
