Chat & Photos<PRE>

<H2>St. Matthias' Church Mary Garden, Dallas</H2>


<B>Jul 1, 2002, Brad Sandy</B>

Four years ago while mourning the sickness of the women who laid
out our basic garden, one of the women of the church mentioned
that she had found your web site.  Within a week we began to
change our garden to a Mary Garden.

The attached web link will show you one of the benefits we have
created.  It is potpourri using the lavender, rosemary and other
flowers from the garden.  Here is the link to our news letter (The
Antiphon) telling about this effort.

     http://www.stmatthias-dallas.org/Antiphon.html

In March our diocese newsletter ran a story about the Mary Garden.
They started with your statement about the manger having lavender,
rosemary and tansy.  These and many other of the Mediterranean
flowers are part of our choice for flowers that are from your
list.

In Lent and the Easter season we put out the stations of the cross
around the garden and we are now about to replace them with other
meditations.

During a Cursillo in November, I gave a talk on the Mary Garden,
how it is part of the efforts we in the Christian community must
make in order to be more than just nice people.  Another theme of
the talk is that the garden is a good example of God's work.  That
He decides what will grow and prosper not our efforts.  We may try
hard, but he has much to do with why one plant will grow this
year, but not next year.

Thank you for your work.  The Mary Garden has saved me by bringing
me closer to Christ and His mother.


                              o O o

http://www.stmatthias-dallas.org/Antiphon.html


THE ANTIPHON

Parish Newsletter of St. Matthias' Church

July/August 2002

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. . . . .

The Gift of Potpourri

We all admire and treasure the beautiful garden, dedicated to Our
Lady Mary, on the southside of our church, lovingly kept by Brad
Sandy and others. Not all of us remember that many of the plants
in the garden are plants associated with Our Lady. And less of us
know that a number of these plants effectively can be mixed
together to make a delightful potpourri! And so shall they be.

Some parishioners are already involved in making sachets of this
potpourri, and if you might be interested in assisting, speak to
the Rector. At present, plans for these include adding them as a
gift to our visitors in their Gift Bag, with a greeting and prayer
for God's blessing upon them and their assistance by Our Lady's
intercessions. Additionally, the parish priests will be taking
sachets to our shut-ins and hospitalized, to remind them of the
love of the Parish for them and our prayers on their behalf.
Whenever more sachets are available than are needed for these
ministries, they will be set out for parishioners to take and
enjoy.

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                            o O o


<B>Jul 2, 2002 - John Stokes, Mary's Gardens</B>


Many thanks for your message telling us of your St Matthias'
Church parish Mary Garden.

I have accessed your parish website and downloaded "The Gift of
Potpourri" and garden photo from the July-August 2002 Parish
Newsletter, which I am placing in our Chat & Photos, along with
our messages for sharing with the visitors to our website.

As gardeners, we have a special interest in Anglican Mary Gardens
because of of the richness of English gardening tradition which
are brought to them.  In this connection, I refer you to the
website articles:

     -  198? - "<A HREF = "JC-TCGOLC.html">Flowers of Our Lady planting in the</A>
                <A HREF = "JC-TCGOLC.html">Cloister Garden of Lincoln Cathedral</A>"

     -  1984  - "<A HREF = "JS-FOTVM-AVE.html">Flowers of the Virgin Mary</A>"
                  - from the Anglican Society of Mary Magazine,
                    AVE

     -  1999  - "<A HREF = "MG-CO-CIN.HTML">Tour of Convent Mary Garden</A>"
                  - Episcopal Convent of the Transfiguration,
                    Cincinnati

I note your mention of the story about your Mary Garden In your
March diocese newsletter.  Would you be able to send along a copy
of this article and any illustrating photos, for posting also?
Also, some other photos you may have at hand?  These could be sent
as digital scan/OCR attachments to an e-mail message; or as
photo-copies and prints via postal mail to:

     Mary's Gardens
     Box 30290
     Philadelphia, PA 19103

On the website, note postings of <A HREF = "3MGAFTCPS2002.html">4 recent articles on parish Mary
Gardens.</A>


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