Mary Mother of Priests Garden – Blessing and Installation of First Set of Names

A HandmaidHISTORY, PRIESTS, Priests Garden

Before concluding her second term of office as our Mother Prioress, Mother Marietta enjoyed one of her last ‘official’ acts as Mother in late September 2019: Taking a powered screw driver in hand and attaching the very first name plate of a priest we intended to honor in our Mary Mother of Priests Tribute Garden. Naturally, the priest in question was our Founder, Father Gerald. Other names also went up: some living, like Pope Benedict XVI, and some deceased, like Father Michal Los, FDP of Poland but all of them inspiring us in our vocations to strengthen the priesthood. The Knights of Columbus, whose personal sweat and tears (and yes, some blood too) provided most of the ‘sweat equity’ in physically constructing this first phase of the Mary Mother of Priests Garden, joined us for the day of blessing and installation, personally thanking all for this chance to honor priests in a unique and individual way.

This innovative phase of the construction, comprised of the Stations of the Cross, a Marian grotto, placard signs, arbors, and a pergola, is designed to be completely portable, anticipating the day when the final, larger garden of stone will take its place on this hill overlooking the surrounding valleys and hills and this humble beginning will be preserved and relocated deeper into the enclosure. These first names fixed to the display walls will not only be added to the permanent structure but will continue to be a focus of particular prayer for us as the years go on.