Garden Details
Garden Details
The St. Francis Peace Garden, in memory of Andrew Colin McHardy, is located within a courtyard behind the Rectory/Parish Office. It is accessible through a walkway from 2nd Street as well as a gateway entrance from the church parking lot. The garden consists of a variety of seasonal annuals; perennials; rose bushes and assorted greenery. There are several benches scattered throughout allowing for reflection and meditation. The Cathedral’s Bell Towers are visible from the courtyard; adding another dimension to the aspect of peace and tranquility when walking through or sitting on one of the garden benches.
Garden Practices
Garden Practices
The garden requires very little care. Basic pruning and maintenance is needed due to the nature of the plants. There is one raised bed - a bricked area - containing sunflowers and a mixture of perennials surrounding the Crucifix. It is quite striking and a highlight of the garden; along with the Blessed Virgin Mary; a St. Thomas Parishioner's Wall of Remembrance and a beautiful statue of St. Francis.
Potted annuals; perennials; roses and greenery
As needed, on a volunteer basis.
Additional Information
Additional Information
We live in a heat/drought resistance climate. The garden requires a weekly watering.
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St. Thomas Aquinas Cathedral is a downtown, urban parish. In the early 1980’s the Dominican Friars came to lead the parish for several years. The first rector, Fr. Kieran Healy, O.P., is a lover of nature and decided early on that we needed more greenery on the campus. He embarked on a project of planting trees and shrubs that inspired what we have today. Along with dedicated parishioners, Catherine Hancock and Marion LaVoy, among others, the trees and shrubs were cared for with love into the time when the Franciscan Conventuals assumed the helm at the parish in the late 80’s. It was after that the Peace Garden was formed, additional rose bushes and statuary were added, along with the Wall of Remembrance. That vision in those beginning years lives on today and is a success story to make one smile!
