Beautifying the Woods

From Sister Mary Morley’s point of view, her latest ministry was about two things.

One, she desired to have something to do after moving back to the Woods. Two, she wanted to help spruce up the grounds.

So, she and some other Sisters of Providence, along with a Providence Associate, sprang forth to beautify the area.

“The whole plan was to refurbish the areas around the Sacred Heart Shrine, the cross area in the cemetery and the shrines within Providence Park (located south of Providence Hall),” Sister Mary said. “And the idea came from an offering to help take care of the flowers, replacing Sister Rose Ann Eaton and Sister Lucille Lechner.

“I also like to be outside. During my summers ministering in Cincinnati, I directed a camp. I spent a lot of summers there.”

The result? Sister Mary, along with Sister Terri Boland and Sister Linda Thompson began helping plant flowers in some of the areas. But they needed some more help. And the additional help came in the form of Providence Associate Robb Farris, whom Sister Mary companioned as a Candidate-Associate.

“Robb is so devoted to the Sisters of Providence,” Sister Mary said. “When I moved back here, he was here to help.

“When I came home to the Woods, I thought I’ve got to find something to do. I had taught for many years and later volunteered in a GED program in Cincinnati, a total of 48 years.”

Sister Mary said while some of the sisters were out planting new flowers, they – in addition to Robb – saw the condition of the Sacred Heart Shrine. He insisted it needed some touch-ups.

“We talked with our facilities department and they said that was OK,” Sister Mary said. “And the General Council gave us the OK to (to work within Providence Park).

“We really want to draw people into walking through Providence Park.”

So, they began by cleaning the statues with cleaning solution. From there, they placed new rock around them and then planted new flowers.

“It was a step-by-step process,” Sister Mary said. “Robb cleaned the cross (in the cemetery), which was mossy and had mildew on it. It was dark in color, instead of white. But he got it done in maybe two hours.”

Weeds had overtaken some of the grass around these statues, so they had to replace the vegetation. Sister Mary estimated at least 60 pots around the grounds have been filled with new flowers since they began the project. They also planted new flowers at St. Joseph’s Lake.

And many other Sisters of Providence have taken part as well. For example, Sister Regina Marie McIntyre has helped with additional planting while Sister Barbara Sheehan has taken the responsibility of watering the flowers often.

“I love doing this,” Sister Mary said. “I love being able to make Saint Mary-of-the-Woods more inviting. And we’ve received a lot of thank-you notes from the sisters for all the work Robb has done.”

The seasons are changing and with falling temperatures just around the corner, Sister Mary will probably spend more time volunteering at Providence Health Care with her dog, Mickey.