A Day of Liturgy, Remembrance and Blessings

In keeping with tradition, Sisters of Mercy in all regions of our community remembered our deceased Sisters, Associates, employees and donors’ prayer intentions at special liturgies in November 2005. For the third year, we invited donors to join us, along with other family members and friends.

This year in Hartsdale, New York, almost 150 gathered for the moving liturgy in the Marian Woods Chapel on Sunday, November 6. After mass, guests mingled with Sisters for light refreshments in the dining room.

Many came with donations of canned goods and other food items for Mercy Center in the South Bronx, in response to a request mailed in the invitation. We gathered more than 20 bags of food for Mercy Center’s Food Pantry that day.

Prayer Garden and Labyrinth Blessed and Open to Public

More than 50 individuals made the short trek up the hill from Marian Woods to Coolock House for the blessing of our new Mercy Prayer Garden and Labyrinth. The finished labyrinth and brick pathway—as well as the beautiful weather—seemed nothing short of miraculous, considering the weeks of torrential rain and mud that slowed the garden’s completion.

Sr. Patricia Vetrano, RSM, of the community’s leadership team, welcomed those gathered and led the blessing ceremony with the prayer, “Loving God, we gather in your presence today with hearts full of gratitude for the gift of your mercy and your abundant blessings to us. We remember all those, living and dead, who are memorialized in this Prayer Garden…” As Sr. Pat spoke the words of blessing on the labyrinth, Sr. Sharon Donohue, RSM, sprinkled the spiral walkway with holy water.

Sr. Pat also dedicated a statue of the Blessed Mother “in loving memory of Sr. Anne Kane, RSM, by devoted family, Sisters of Mercy and many friends” as Sr. Theresa Kane, RSM, showered the statue with blessed water. Sr. Pat also dedicated a pretty crabapple sapling in memory of Laurie Alessandrini, a longtime employee of the community, as the Alessandrini family looked on. Laurie’s oldest son, Michael, splashed the tree with the sacred water. Sr. Pat completed the ceremony with a blessing of the memorial bricks scattered throughout the pathways.

Visitors and Sisters were sincere in their delight over the project: the yard southeast of Coolock House had been transformed. The seven-circuit labyrinth is 45 feet wide, featuring a winding, dark grey, stone-dust path set with a polymer binder, which creates an all-weather, abrasion-resistant, hard surface. The labyrinth’s walking path is bordered on each side by terracotta colored bricks, which link the labyrinth visually to the adjacent brick pathways. The pathways, which lead directly from the Heritage Room out to the labyrinth, feature inscribed bricks dedicated by friends and supporters of the Sisters. Just beyond the labyrinth, a weathered teak arbor creates a visual bridge to the bordering woods. The arbor features a bench on either side, with a granite slab footrest beneath. Two handsome bluestone steps, donated by the garden’s contractor, connect the arbor to the labyrinth.

The Prayer Garden was installed by Timothy J. Kilgallon, CLT, president of CSI Landscaping, Inc., of Scarsdale, New York. Tim contracted with local landscape designer Gerrie Shapiro, APLD, to shape the overall vision of the garden and help us reach our goal of balance and tranquility, essential to the spiritual experience of a labyrinth. Tim and Gerrie became very personally invested in the design and creation of the garden and labyrinth because of its challenge, its spiritual dimension and its connection to Sisters of Mercy. Both gave generously of their time. CSI Landscaping also made extensive donations of labor and materials to the project, for which we are deeply grateful.

Earlier, Community President Sr. Suzanne Elliott, RSM, reiterated some of the community’s motivation for creating the Prayer Garden: “The walk to the center of the labyrinth represents a journey toward inner peace, wholeness, healing and connectedness,” she said. “Our Mercy community desires to help others along their spiritual journey, to help increase peace in our world one person at a time. We hope our labyrinth and Prayer Garden will facilitate this. It is our gift to our friends, neighbors and supporters.”

The labyrinth is now open during daylight hours to visitors who wish to explore the calming and centering effects of this ancient method of meditation and prayer.

Donors may dedicate flowers, trees or benches as well as bricks in the garden pathways by calling Kristina Papa Behar at 914-328-3200, extension 417 or by downloading an order form (click here).

Thank you to all who so generously support our Prayer Garden.