Ground broken for Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden

As someone who relished the great outdoors, the late Pope John Paul II would certainly be pleased with the outdoor prayer garden that is being carved out of the corner of Charles and Franklin streets in downtown Baltimore.

Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, Cardinal William H. Keeler and Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon were among the dignitaries who pressed gleaming golden shovels into a patch of soil not far from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary April 11 – breaking ground on the long-awaited Pope John Paul II Prayer Garden.

Heralding the 8,000-square-foot sanctuary as a future oasis of peace and contemplation, the leaders said the garden is meant for all people of all faiths.

Archbishop O’Brien said the garden will serve as a monument to the historic papacy of Pope John Paul II and a “living postcard” of the Polish pope’s 1995 visit to Baltimore.

It will also serve as a monument to religious freedom and to “the friendship with our sisters and brothers of other faiths – a brotherhood so richly rewarded by the service of our late pope and our own Cardinal Keeler,” said Archbishop O’Brien, who sprinkled holy water on the site.

“As gardens that have lain dormant all winter begin to come alive in spring, may this garden and the life it represents serve as a reminder to those who visit – no matter what time of year – that all human life is sacred – a belief that had no better champion than our late Pope John Paul II,” said Archbishop O’Brien.

Alluding to the violence reported in some Baltimore City public schools in recent days, Mayor Dixon said the garden will be a symbol of peace. Turmoil is not reflective of what the city is about, she said.

“This garden will also generate, hopefully, an opportunity for the generations that will come after us to realize that it is through love and peace that we really resolve all the turmoil that we face not only in the city, but in the country and in the world,” the mayor said.

Located on the grounds of the former Rochambeau apartment building, the prayer garden will feature a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of Pope John Paul II with two children. The art, already completed in Italy by Baltimore artist Joseph Sheppard, was inspired by a photo of the pope taken at his 1995 arrival to Baltimore at the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Mr. Sheppard told The Catholic Review the statue is awaiting shipment to Charm City and will arrive when the garden is completed in the fall. Catholic leaders estimate that the garden’s construction will take about six months.

Scott Rykiel of Mahan Rykiel Associates of Baltimore, said he was deeply honored to serve as the landscape architect for the project – especially as a Baltimore Catholic of Polish descent. The garden features an elliptical pathway, symbolic of the embracing quality of the pope’s legacy, Mr. Rykiel said.

“This pope was really one of the first popes to reach out to all religions and all people,” said Mr. Rykiel.

The garden will feature a variety of flowers and trees, along with seating areas and inscriptions of quotes from the pope related to religious freedom and Catholicism in Maryland. It will also include symbols of other faiths and the archdiocesan and papal seals.

Michael Ruck, chair of the Basilica of the Assumption Historic Trust board of trustees, said the garden will complement the basilica, a historic building that serves as a “living symbol” of religious freedom. Since the basilica’s restoration and reopening nearly two years ago, more than 200,000 people have visited the church, he said.

The $1.5 million garden is being funded through private donations raised by the Basilica of the Assumption Historic Trust, which will also be responsible for the park’s care and maintenance.

At the end of the groundbreaking ceremony, Mark Potter, executive director of the Basilica of the Assumption Historic Trust, thanked Cardinal Keeler for his “vision and courage” in restoring the basilica and establishing the prayer garden. The crowd responded by giving the cardinal a standing ovation.

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