New Marian Prayer Garden, a place of peace

New Marian Garden offers open space to pray the Stations of the Cross and rosary around a pavilion topped with a smaller version of the blue dome. 

Contributed photo
 

At night, the path is gently lit, but even during the day there seems to be a glow that comes to those who enter the Marian Prayer Garden at Our Lady of Corpus Christi (OLCC). The garden, a result of great love, hard work, and a bit of divine inspiration, has finally reached its completion. The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), headquartered at OLCC, has created this garden as part of their mission to lead people to Jesus through Mary. 

The garden path follows three rings which represent the Holy Trinity as in the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The path diverges two ways to allow for visitors to pray the rosary or the Stations of the Cross, around a pavilion topped with a smaller version of the iconic blue dome that has become the identifying mark of OLCC. 

Inside the pavilion is a beautiful marble image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, lovingly carved in Italy and shipped with care to Texas to reside in the garden. True to the SOLT mission, the path eventually leads to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, present in their 24/7 adoration chapel. 

There are many reasons to visit OLCC. Adoration is the center and soul of their campus under the famous blue dome, and of course with so many priests on site, there are plenty of daily Masses and confession times. They also offer a robust retreat schedule for groups or individuals and a counseling center with a Gospel vision of healing. 

The campus also offers a gift shop and coffee shop. The special genius of the garden is that it doesn’t just meet a spiritual or a physical need but meets a physical and spiritual people in the right place. Those who are intimidated by going into a church building can still experience the benefits of meditative prayer in this outdoor sacred space. The space includes a picnic area and barbecue pit so that visitors can find refreshment and peace for both body and soul.

Father Samuel Medley, director of OLCC, envisions the garden drawing even more people to the already popular retreat center. “I think there’s a great need for people to have a place of peace,” he said. He envisions it as a place where people can wander to pray after their daily noon Masses or any time they happen to be on the OLCC campus. 

He is also excited about having a place parents can bring their children to pray. Because of the open space and the structures of the stations and the rosary, it allows children to use their natural inclination toward curiosity in a prayerful way. It “speaks a language to people of living theology,” Medley said.

Sister Mary Mediatrix of all Grace, Director of Mission Advancement at OLCC, is excited about the focus the garden will bring to the Blessed Mother and to the Trinity. “Fullness of relationship with God is a relationship with all three persons of the Holy Trinity,” she said. The celebration of Our Lady in the role of beloved daughter of the Father, mother of the Son, and spouse of the Holy Spirit contained in every aspect of the garden helps to highlight their mission of bringing people to Jesus through Mary. 

Sister Mediatrix was animated as she explained that this garden will be a beautiful centerpiece of the campus and community, an investment in SOLT headquarters. It also represents a great love and trust for Our Lady in the SOLT community.

The Marian Prayer Garden, like the adoration chapel, is available 24/7. At night the path is gently lit, but visitors just might find that the true light comes from imitation of Our Lady, who points to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.