It's a Quiet Little Spot
How does your Mary Garden grow?
Chat and Photos
Cortile Mary Garden
Lauretta Santarossa, Toronto, Canada
Mary's Gardens Note, Feb 2, 2002
We at Mary's Gardens stand ready to offer information, assistance
and suggestions from our experience to those communicating with us
by e-mail at:
marysgardens@mgardens.org
The following is one such correspondence which started regarding
the founding and development of a small cortile Mary Garden in 1977
and then developed into a series of significant contributions to the
restoration of the Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens to present
day religious and gardening culture generally.
Links to two 1999 articles about the Garden, with photos, are to
be found above.
The correspondence:
Lauretta Santarossa, 16 Jun 1997
I can't tell you what a time I've had the last hour downloading all
the wonderful information of your website. It's utterly amazing.
I've got a tiny little garden here in Toronto, Ontario and have
been fascinated by the theme of a Mary Garden ever since I had it
designed. It's a "cortile" - old brick pavement with beds around
the side. I've started the Mary Garden theme and want to keep
adding plants to it. What I'm really in search of, however, is an
appropriate statue, sculpture, tondo or whatever of Mary that is
beautiful, traditional yet modern at the same time - something
halfway medieval. Something that is not the traditional statue of
the Immaculate Conception.
So far, I have over 30 plants that I've labelled. I'm fascinated
by the whole thing. I don't know all that much about plant names
but I'm fascinated by the devotion and love people have had for Our
Lady throughout the ages and would be happy to send you my poor and
simple information on this northern Mary Garden if your are
interested.
Lauretta Santarossa
also Director of Sales and Marketing, Novalis (Canada's largest Catholic
publisher)
Lauretta Santarossa
Novalis
49 Front St. East (2nd floor)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5E 1B3
1-800-387-7164
(416) 363-3303
Fax: (416) 363-7164
novalis@interlog.com
Reply, John Stokes, Mary's Gardens, 26 Jun, 1997
Thank you for your kind words about our Mary's Gardens web site.
We think we have been blest to come upon "a pearl of great price",
and it's a joy to hear from someone who shares our view, as we
"toss our bread upon the waters" in an act of faith, hoping for
return and communion.
The medieval "Mary Garden" illustrations (from which we took our
name) are typically of cortile gardens, and we conjecture that they
were inspired by actual small gardens of this type - so you are in
the mainstream of tradition.
We are indeed interested in receiving your "poor and simple
information on this northern Mary Garden" and especially any
photos, and also any anecdotes about the garden, such as things
that have happened or things people have said, as well as any
special thoughts you have had about the garden. We learn so much
from others, within "the Communion of Saints".
John Stokes to Vincenzina Krymow, 18 Jun 1997
If you get bogged down with the publisher you are working with, and
want to contact Lauretta Santarossa - Mary-Gardener and publisher -
a copy of whose message I e-mailed you yesterday let me know and I
could let her know she would hear from you.
- John
Vincenzina Krymow, 19 Jun 1997
Thanks for your messages and for the suggestion about contacting
Lauretta Santarossa - I've just talked with my agent (James D.
Hornfischer, The Literary Group International) and he will be
contacting her.
We have not yet found a publisher, so again thanks for the lead.
It's exciting to have her interested!
Lauretta Santarossa, 30 Jun 1997
The garden continues to bloom and I have the plants almost all
named (I was waiting for more tags!) I've been putting the common
name and the Mary name on each of them - Mary name first of course.
Imagine my surprise when I got the book proposal by Vincenzina
Krymow. I like it very much and have already referred the matter
to our editorial director. I hope to be in touch in the not too
distant very soon.
I also know that other publishers may well be interested and we are
probably being narrow in our focus just on North America in terms
of the references and the appendix. We should certainly be talking
about Ireland, England, possibly even Australia - anywhere there
might be a Mary Garden in fact.
The illustration (I'm assuming they'll be as per the proposal) look
quite interesting.
This is all quite exciting. I hope to be back in touch with more
information by the end of this week beginning of next. As you
know, we celebrate our Canada Day tomorrow and you folks are
getting all geared up for the 4th of July.
If I can get organized to find my garden plan and plant layout,
I'll send it on.
One plant I haven't seen on your Mary Garden lists is a Jack-in
-the pulpit. I have four in my shade garden. They're lovely and
I've decided they're appropriate to Mary's Garden, because, after
all, many a priest or preacher has extolled her virtues from the
pulpit. There was a dear priest, Father Eugene Cullinane, who died
recently at Madonna House. He was 89. No matter what Father Gen's
sermon was about at the beginning, he always ended up talking about
Mary. Maybe we should call it "Fr Gene-in-the-pulpit" instead of
"Jack" for my Mary Garden.
John Stokes, Mary's Gardens, 26 Jun, 1997
Thank you for your thought-full message of June 30th, telling of
the progress in labeling the flowers in your Mary Garden. We used
to use a machine (Dymo?) which imprinted plastic labels with an
adhesive backing which could be adhered to T-shaped plastic plant
markers. More recently there has appeared some Panasonic
electronic labelers doing the same thing, but which are more
compact.
Labels are especially important in enabling Mary Garden visitors to
recognize the plant symbolism without a guide.
Vincencina Krymow came to us through the mail several years ago
after (if I recall correctly) coming upon the Mary Garden of an
Episcopal nun in the Dayton area. Learning that there was no
contemporary book on the Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens she
has undertaken the personal mission of writing such a book, with
the original concept of focusing on the beautiful legends
supporting a number of the symbols.
I was able to meet with her for a day at the Woods Hole "mother"
Mary Garden, together with our Associate, Jane McLaughlin, of St.
Joseph's Parish there, in the summer of 1995, and gave her an oral
history (tape recorded by both of us) of our work since the start
of Mary's Gardens by Edward A. G.McTague and myself in Philadelphia
in 1950. I later pulled this information together as "The Mary
Garden Story", available under "Developmental Articles" on our web
site.
Incidentally, I watch the accesses to our monthly "NEW" web site
postings - which a lot of people have now come to look for - and in
so doing on July 1st noted your access of our July "Niche Mary
Gardens" posting. I hope to receive further photos from our Irish
Associate, Bro. Seán, which I can add to it - substituting, for
example, a close-up of his focal figure for the somewhat fuzzy
enlargement I made of it from the larger photo. I regret I never
photographed the niche Mary Garden I mentioned at St. Helena's
Church in Philadelphia. I lacked the sense of the desireability of
photographically documenting for the record the "miracle a day" we
experienced - so reassuring for our work, which we undertook as an
act of faith.
I note your mention of the late Father Eugene Cullinane of Madonna
House, and refer you to the valued letter we received from
Catherine Doherty in 1951 (on the site under "testimonials"). See
also the note we received from Thomas Merton the same year. There
were also Mary Gardens in that period at the Grail headquarters (I
should check our voluminous correspondence files for their
"testimonial" letters), and at the Catholic Worker Farm (I was
aquainted with Dorothy Day, but it was several of her associates
who were the Mary-Gardeners).
Like everything else in Mary's Gardens, the publication of a book
awaits the emergence of an author and publisher both of whom "have
a sense for these things", as Ed McTague used to put it.
Vincenzina is the first prospective author who has appeared, but I
was concerned that her agent and any publishers he/she had
contacted seemed to lack this sense, and on hearing from you
suggested she contact you for any assistance you might be able to
give.
Starting with the concept of focusing on the legends (she sent me
the outline and initial drafts of the first two chapters a year
ago, and I agreed to write an introduction) she then visited the
three major U.S. parish Mary Gardens (Woods Hole, Annapolis and
Portage (MI) and enlarged her concept to include materials on these
three gardens, which she was also able to photograph as well as
obtaining first-hand information from our Associates at all three.
Then this year she wrote me her agent wanted her to drop everything
but the legends, which I could see was discouraging to her.
I agree that an enlargement of the book concept to an international
scope would be desireable, but from my viewpoint further research
and contacts are needed to do full justice to this. It has taken
me two years to get up just our long buried basic materials on the
Internet, and I am just now dusting off my own research, which has
been practically inactive since 1965. I took off a "sabbatical"
year in 1964-1965 from my business work (engineering, corporate
management) to develop this, but was prevailed upon in the midst of
this to undertake the founding executive directorship of an
interfaith (Christian and Jewish) store front ecumenical center in
Philadelphia, undertaken by Protestant initiative - which quickly
moved into the social areas of war, racism, sexism etc. as well,
and as a result of this, and subsequent developments such as
consulting, involvement in the production of 60 1 Hr.
religious/social TV programs for the local CBS affiliate, was
diverted from my own primary focus on Mary's Gardens until I picked
it us again in 1980. From then until 1995, when I undertook the
internet project, my entire focus (100's of letters) was an in
depth one on the Mary Gardens at Woods Hole, Lincoln, Knock,
Annapolis, Dublin and Portage - with a focus on the elements
required for the vital perpetuation of public or institutional Mary
Gardens, once started.
There has to be some sort of solid continuity supporting the Mary
Garden when there comes to be an absence of inspired Mary Gardeners
- such as the Bell Tower and trust fund at Woods Hole for 30 years
until Jane McLaughlin came forward in 1981, and the major focal
sculptures at Annapolis and Portage. Also, piped and
electronically controlled watering systems, such as were installed
at Annapolis and then Woods Hole, are important to keep the gardens
from drying up during summer dry spells in the absence of people to
water them. The most desireable support is, of course, a
self-perpetuating Mary Garden Society or Guild which sustains the
continuity of love of the Mary Garden in the hearts of parishioners
or community members, with supporting library.)
I have recently established an email contact in Germany (with the
help of my college German and computer translation software), and
just the other day dusted off my Spanish/Portugese research - so
important as the foundation for tracing the carrying of the Flowers
of Our Lady tradition to Latin America through the missions. Also.
after 47 years there has emerged some solid initiative in Mary
Gardening in the UK, through a Mary-Gardening nun and the editor of
a Catholic weekly, which I am pursuing actively. The initial
inspiration for the Woods Hole Mary Garden came from a 1930 English
book, "The Mary Calendar", and there is the cloister Mary Garden at
Lincoln Cathedral (mentioned in the site materials on
Mary-Gardening in Ireland ("1972 Initiatives"), but we are still
hoping for a committed UK "Associate(s)", which these people may
well turn out to be. (What we term "Mary's Gardens Associates" are
very simply a persons who make an on-going commitment to actively
further our work in some way. We have had a number of priest and
religious associates in the past, practically all of whom are now
diseased - except for Father Thomas Stanley, SM, who founded the
first Shrine Mary Garden in Dayton in 1954, and whom Vincencina
located in Portage - see his "Garden Way of the Cross" under
"Overview" on our site. Also, Father Charest, Editor of QUEEN
magazine, who has published numerous Mary Gardens articles, by
myself and others, through the years. Prior to the Internet,
magazine articles were the principal formal means of perpetuating
our work, although the hope is that it will ultimately be
perpeuated through incorporation in cultural tradition).
With all these developmental things to keep up with, you can see
why I haven't stepped back far enough to write a book myself. and
in this respect I consider the emergence of the Internet as a God
send in enabling me to dust off all the articles through the years,
and inspiring me to write some more to fill in some of the gaps.
In our research we have noted that a given flower symbolism has
often been extended to numerous flower species, such as a dozen or
so MaryGolds. Thus, the european marigiold, Calendula officinalis,
called by gardeners Scottish or pot marigold, was the original
MaryGold (we have a 13th century reference), and the symbolism was
evidently then applied to all the others - including what we
commonly term "Marigold" (Tagetes), which is a New World plant, as
is the Passion Flower, etc. .
In keeping with this tradition, we consider it appropriate (while
keeping it distinct from the research) to make such symbolic
extensions ourselves, and in this have extended the "Lady-Lords"
symbolism from the Arum maculatum of the research (English) to
other "spathe and spadix" plants, especially the popular "Peace
Lily" (Spathophillium hybrids), of shopping malls and public
buildings. In this, mindful of the medieval frontal Virgin
Enthroned statues, the spathe symbolizes Mary and the vertical
spadix symbolizes the Christ child seated in her lap, viz "Our Lady
and Our Lord", shortened to "Lady-Lords". See "NEW - Jan 1996"
under our "Archive of Monthly NEWS" under "Overview" on our web
site (I see I mistakenly called the spadix the pistel, there, which
I will correct). This spathe and spadix symbolism is found in the
Jack-in-the-Pulpit, although the spathe curls a little more
downwards at the top.
Thanks, again for all,
John Stokes, Mary's Gardens, 22 Jul, 1997
Today while going though some research notes from the 1950's I came
across the following:
Skinner, Charles M.; Myths and Legends of Flowers, Trees, Fruits
and Plants; J. B.Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, 1913
p 17-18
"The purple of jack-in-the-pulpit...marks where the blood of Christ
fell in the hour of agony."
Lauretta Santarossa, 21 Aug 1997
Thanks for keeping me up on your sight happenings. I think my
friend at Canterbury Press (Christine Smith, publisher) is in touch
with the Carmelite sister your spoke about in your last letter.
In fact, she may have commissioned her to do a book on English Mary
Gardens. It seems everything old is new again (beauty ever
ancient, ever new) with Mary on the cover of Newsweek. Everybody
I've talked to about Mary Gardens is fascinated and I've been
giving them copies of the info downloaded from your website.
Thank you for putting us (Novalis) in touch with Vincenzina. We
hope to publish her book with St. Anthony Messenger Press. I'll
keep you posted on the details.
You asked about my garden - which is doing all right all things
considered. I spent last weekend digging out the bed and changing
the soil in the back bed and a little one (if I ever can figure out
how to send you a sketch, I will).
The shady south part of my garden (there's a huge tall butternut
tree two doors down and an 8 story building behind me - my house
faces west) is fine - in it I have: Solomon's seal, ladyfern,
white and red trillium, jack-in-the pulpit, tree ferns, orange
day lilies, virginia creeper, a wild grapevine going up the
electricity pole, lily of the valley, one Rose of Sharon - colour
yet to be determined (given to me by one of my neighbours who has a
garden full of them - all different colours), Bleeding Heart, blue,
white edges and white in the centre hostas, Jacob's ladder,
fern-leafed bleeding heart, a variegated red/green coleus, violets.
In my wet plot (2 x 4 feet) I have daffodils, irises and pink field
poppies. In my sunny plot (2 feet by 10 feet) in the middle of the
garden, I have: columbines, miniature, lemon geranium , hens and
chicks, a cherry tree, some irises that haven't bloomed yet, a
peony bush, bachelor's buttons and more poppies (I let them
self-sow)
In the back plot (3 ft by 23) I have (l to r)Clematis viriginiana,
a burning bush, vinca, white edged hosta, 2 12 ft cedars, a lilac
tree (did poorly this year), spearmint, delphiums, bee balm, some
daisies, wild genaniums, "Mary's milk", oriental poppies, delphinium,
hollyhocks, and a vine I don't know the name of.
Actually, I've "Mary"ed 35 different plants but everything escapes
me just now. If I can ever find my drawing, I'll send it to you.
Oh, and I went to a wonderful "Pick your own" wildflower farm north
of Toronto and they had so many wonderful flowers and in the spring
they sell the seeds. I found...Love in the Mist which has those
spectacular seed pods.
John Stokes, 23 Aug, 1997
Thanks for the news about Canterbury Press and our new English
Associate, Sr. Lynn Marie. Every so many years a marvellous person
shows up providentially, and lets hope this time it is she. Here
are a couple of paragraphs from one of her email messages a while
back, which reveal some of her depth:
o O o
"I have recently made my solemn commitment to a more eremitical way
of life which means that I am much more tied to the monastery. I
spent twenty years working as a missionary (in Taiwan) before
transferring to the Carmelites and now have made a more specific
dedication to live the original spirit of Carmel in its solitary
nature (hermit).
"I will try to keep up the work with Mary's Gardens but will need
to depend more on the help of other members keen to do some of the
personal contact work. My work in the monastery is with the gardens
but involves much in the kitchen garden at this time of the year.
"Please do not despair that things are not moving very quickly. We
are trying to build a solid foundation but this takes time. We
British tend to be skeptics by nature but a sure way to the English
heart is through our garden so we will gradually make Mary's
Gardens better known. This being the hundredth anniversary of the
re-dedication of the Catholic Shrine in Walsingham may see things
move forward. Our bishop is also quite supportive so...next year
at this time we may have even more to share with you."
o O o
It was with her in mind that I posted with the U.K. materials the
passage from Rosetta Clarkson's "Green Enchantment" on the
Mary-Gardening monk at Melrose Abbey in Scotland. I especially
value her phrase, "Nature and our gardens speak to our
contemplative heart."
I'm now working on the German research. About 2,000 card files I
recorded the flower information on back in 1965 (for MARIANA II,
never completed), and now 32 years later I'm putting the
information in a form for the web similar to the format of the
Irish Gaelic research. Each plant will have both the German
religious name and the English translation. Eventually, I'll have
both English and German accompanying texts. What a difference
between the continuity of Catholic culture in Bavaria and southern
Germany - where the names from oral tradition all got in print - as
compared to the Reformation suppression in England just as
gardening books started to be published. There are a lot of German
accesses to the web site, and we have one German correspondent
(academic, not gardening), and of course the hope is for the
emergence of an eventual German Bro. Sean (Ireland) or Sr.Lynn
Marie. One woman wrote some years ago that her grandmother had a
Mary Garden in Germany. I have photo copies of a number of
marvellous German texts (from the folklore stacks in Harvard's
Widener Library. All the Harvard library catalogs are on-line, so
I can line up in advance what to look for when I am in
Boston/Cambridge.) I had 3 years of high school German, and one
year at college level. And then there's excellent German<->English
computer translation software. Ditto with French, but no Spanish
familiarity, although I have the Spanish software. I have the
Spanish (Iberian Pininsula) research on cards, and also that from
Latin America, which it will be instructive to correlate vis a vis
the missions, etc.
We have a number of accesses from French Canada, but no
collaborating person. This could be a jumping off point for
France. I have the French sources, but haven't got it on card
file.
Many thanks for the description for your garden planting. As I am
in urban nomadic mode and have no outdoor Mary Garden at this
point, your description had a most nostalgic impact on me. I
really appreciate your thoughtfulness in listing all the plants.
And I was pleased to hear of the favorable response you receive
from others. While we've been at it 50 years, we're in a way also
just beginning. The change in Marian climate, per NEWSWEEK, is
most heartening - compared to the desert in the years following
Vatican II. I made a long re-examination of the basis of our work
in 1965-66, and consider that we are ready for the new era (per the
web article, "Flower Theology", etc.). Re. NEWSWEEK, I've always
sensed that I should know more about Our Lady's Amsterdam
appearances. Is there now a book in English about these? I recall
reading that a book was published in France in the 1940's called
something like "La Dame Pour Tous Les Peuples", but I wasn't able
to get my hands on a copy.
For the web site in September we'll have a "NEW" on Wayside Mary
Gardens, with highway photos. Then, hopefully, the German
materials for October.
Love in the Mist, with its "spectacular seed pods", has been found
in the research to have the names "Our Lady in the Shade" (of the
overshadowing Holy Spirit) and "Our Lady in the Woods".
John Stokes 20 Nov 1997
In browsing through our old correspondence files today (1000's of
pages, mostly forgotten) I came across a 1961 letter from a Florida
priest stating, re. the establishment of his parish Mary Garden,
that he had read all the literature, but that in viewing our
introductory slide lecture just then (of which we had sent him the
slides and narration text) it all really came together for him for
the first time.
I regard this as a synchronicity corroborating my thought in
spending the past two weeks updating the lecture and posting it
yesterday to the web site - under "Developmental Articles",
prepratory to linking it from our coming "December NEW". It had
seemed initially that the Home Page "Overview" list of articles,
etc. supported the accessor's freedom in choosing what items to
browse, but then I came to sense the need for a more focused
comprehensive introduction - which the slide lecture is.
If you have time to access the long files, I would appreciate your
appraisal of this, as both Mary Gardener showing the garden to your
friends, and also as Editor.
Vincenzina Krymow to John Stokes, 21 Oct 1997
. . . . . .
Re: the book - St. Anthony Messenger Press is interested in
publishing it with Novalis buying copies from them and issuing them
under their imprint. The St. A. M. Press editor returns from book
fair in Frankfurt tomorrow; she was hoping to get some
international contracts for the book. So I expect to be signing a
contract soon. Thanks again for the Novalis lead - that led to the
St. A. M. Press interest, and I hope, commitment. I believe Novalis
contacted St. A.M. Press about co-publishing. I had been waiting to
see what happened, in case I had to revise the proposal again, but
since we're so close, I will send the proposal and 3 sample
expanded legends I'd sent the agent. They are representative of
what the book will be like. I will begin work soon on the other
legends. I have missed doing that and look forward to more
research.
Vincenzina Kymow to John Stokes, 8 Dec 1997
. . . . . . .
Things are moving along on the book. I have a contract to sign and
return to St. Anthony Messenger Press in Cincinnati; they will
publish the book and Novalis will buy copies from them, issuing
them under their own imprint. The publisher also hopes to get
contracts from foreign publishers at the Frankfurt book fair next
Oct. The book will have 30 full-page color illustrations for the
legends (also other illustrations, particularly of the Mary
Gardens) and hard cover and is expensive to produce, so they are
hoping to have enough contracts to do a large press run to keep the
cost down so they can sell it for under $20.00. Brother Joe, my
illustrator, and I, met with the editors (managing editor, the
editor for my book, and the art editor) last Thursday morning for a
preliminary discussion. It's convenient that they are in
Cincinnati.
They are very interested in the fact that you will write the
foreward and will let me know approx. how many words/pages that
should be.
That's the good news; the down side is that the book won't be out
till Aug. 1999. Fall is apparently the best time to bring a book
out. Since Mary has been guiding me and the project, I trust that
this is the way it's meant to be. The book will be out just before
the new millenium!
John Stokes to Vincenzina Krymow, 8 Dec 1997
Thanks for the further information.
Let me know when you have actually signed the contract.
Also, how many words they want for the foreward, when they let you
know. I would prefer to write it after having read a fairly
complete draft of the book, so it can be totally relevant and
appreciative. I will be fully open and sanguine about any
revisions you might wish me to make
The year and a half 'til publication will give you time to do as
thorough a job on the whole book as you did on the proposal
segments. When will be your deadline for the first full MS
submission (with forward)? I would appreciate having the fairly
complete draft far enough before this so we will have time to get
the foreward to your complete satisfaction before your first full
draft submission.
The 30 full color pages are very exciting, as is the millenium
timing.
. . . . . .
Lauretta Santarossa, 22 Sep 1998
This is Lauretta Santarossa. Hope all is well. . . . .
My garden was not bad this year even though I didn't have much
time. But I finally got a statue to suit me - for the time being.
It looks like a little shrine made out of wood although it's
probably resin of some sort. It looks folksy and was made in the
Philippines. It's painted in muted but primary colours and is of
Our Lady holding Jesus. Looks 16th century. I like it and will
set it up in the Garden soon.
John Stokes, 23 Sep 1998
Good to hear from you - about your Mary Garden and the new statue.
I hope you'll send a photo of the statue when you have it installed
in the garden next year.
Suitable outdoor statues are hard to come by. We still have the
molds for the Mary, Seat of Wisdom and St Joseph, Garden Workman
statues Adé Bethune did for us back in the 50's, but the pottery
companies that cast and fired copies for us have gone out of
business and that type of mold doesn't seem to be used any more.
Just heard from Adé (now in her 80's) the other day, that she's now
on line with AOL. We had joint St. Leo Shop/Mary's Gardens booths
at a couple of Liturgical Week conventions back in the 60's.
This has been a blest year for Mary's Gardens, with growth on the
Internet, and two new books published, each with a chapter on Mary
Gardens ("Rooted in the Spirit" and "Catholic Traditions in
Gardening" - reviewed on the website). Also, a cover page with
centerfold article in Our Sunday Visitor in May - all giving our
website address, and bringing many accesses and inquiries.
Perhaps the most important event has been the emergence of a new
Associate who has joined in our work as a major personal
avocational commitment - Lisa Creamer of Olney, MD., a young mother
of three children. With those of us who have been carrying forward
this work all well along in years, it is most heartening to have
input and continuity from the younger generation. We have arranged
to have our founding archives and correspondence files, and also
our website, transferred to the Marian Library in Dayton as a
repository (they already have several of our files on their
website, established the exact same date as ours), but the hope, of
course, is for new, younger committed Associates who will carry
things forward with initative until the custom is more firmly
re-established in Catholic culture.
Carmelite Sister and kitchen gardener, Lynn Marie, who promoted
Mary Gardening so vigorously in England last year has disappeared
into an eremitic hermitage on the monastery grounds a la Thomas
Merton; has dropped her email address; and postal letters to her
are returned - so the "reapers are few" in England, although there
are website accesses from there every day. (In general, 100's of
accesses overall every day, 30 or so from foreign countries, even
China, but little sense or feedback of what kind of ground the seed
falls on). Our Irish Associate, Bro. Seàn MacNamara is retired and
much slowed down. Then, every two or three years someone like Lisa
providentially shows up.
I wrote a web site article, "Patio Container Mary Gardens",
describing Lisa's work; and the booklet she designed for her
container gardens inspired me to redo our introductory pamphlet,
per the September "NEW". She just emailed me yesterday saying that
her parish committee and pastor have approved the establishment of
a major Mary Garden at her parish, for which she had submitted a
detailed proposal, and for which fund-raising events have now been
scheduled, etc..
I wish you well with your iMac. Macs have been a valued part of
our family and of Mary's Gardens since they were introduced in
1984, and we have upgraded to iMac. We have been transferring
files from it via infrared to a G3 laptop for printing, but note
that a "UConnect" converter is available from Momentum for $84
which connects Macintosh serial printers to the iMac's new USB
ports - which may be the "special print converter" you mention.
Momentum has a web page at http://www.momentuminc.net.
In case you don't have it, I recommend that you get a copy of
FLOWERscape garden design software described on the MG website
(comes on a CD-ROM which can be loaded on your computer). It is
easy to use, so easy that children call it the "Flower Game", and
inexpensive. I have used it for the new Introductory Pamphlet, and
the couple of other virtual Mary Gardens on the website - with
plans for another with bulbs and plants for fall planting, as the
October NEW.
Lauretta Santarossa, 21 Dec 1998
Did I tell you that my Easter (Madonna) Lily decided to bloom again
right around December 8. You can imagine how strange it is for us
in Canada to have anything unfrozen much less blooming in December.
John Stokes, 21 Dec 1988
The Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum) is different from other lilies
and most bulbous plants in that its primary period of foliage
growth each year is in the fall (so it is best planted in early
September here), but this is the first I have heard of a
pre-freezing bloom. Providential to have it in bloom at Immaculate
Conception time. Here we hope it is warm enough so roses are still
in bloom for the feast - as they were profusely this year.
The weather has been similarly warm in the N.E. U.S.. I'm
wondering how the Candlemas Bells (snowdrops) will react this year
(65 deg. F today). I presume that unlike the Madonna Lily they
require some freezing as a pre-growth condition, rather than just
cool. Last year in a very warm winter there was one freeze in
December and then the snowdrops first bloomed on Jan 10th instead
of in Feb or March when they usually bloom. I watch the snowdrop
blooms closely each year to see if they make it for Candlemas. In
England, where they received the name they always do, but here we
get buds half the years by Candlemas, and blooms maybe one year out
of five - with last year being "off the chart".
Frances Crane Lillie, founder of the Woods Hole mother Mary Garden,
died on Candlemas.
Lauretta Santarossa, 05 Mar 1999
Thanks for passing on the information about Mary Plants in Israel.
I remember from my Madonna House days when there was a Madonna
House Israel called Um Namur (I think) in Haifa which meant "Our
Lady of Light"...there was a desert flower or cactus that was
probably a type of bromeliad or air plant. This plant only flowered
when there was water or rain. the rest of the time it looked like a
dead stick. I think it was called "Desert Rose" or "Resurrection
Rose" or something like that because it was cruciform and looked
dead and then came back to life. I had one given to me put then
passed it on. But every time you would put the bud in water, it
would come back to life.
John Stokes, 5 Mar 1999
Must be "Resurrection Rose" week! This is one of the two Israeli
plants I mentioned to Yigal Granot, Anastatica hierochuntica -
giving the Mary-name, "Mary's Hand," in keeping with his inquiry.
And I had just learned this name from a librarian from California
who had been asked about the plant by someone who saw it mentioned
on the TV Discovery Channel. You're the first person I know who
has actually seen it.
There's been a qualitative change with the website this season -
lots of email inquiries like these, and about parish gardens and
Rosary Walks started etc. Lots of hyperlinks from other Catholic
and gardening websites.
One bit of promising news - a Mary Garden is being considered for
the U.S. National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in
Washington, per Fr. Roten, S.M., "webmaster" of the Dayton Marian
Library website, who just picked up a brochure about it, which he
is postal mailing to us. Mary Gardens are becoming so much a part
of the culture (our objective) that often we are the last to hear
about new ones.
Fr. Roten has posted two "Mary Garden Tour" articles by Vincencina
to their website, and also set up a number of hyperlinks to ours.
We have arranged for the Library to be the ultimate repository for
our files, archives, etc.. Their website was launched the same day
as ours, Sep. 8, 1995. Fr, is one of the few who appreciates the
theological thought behind our work - recently setting up a link
for our new Trinity article.
After a warm January - the snowdrops bloomed Jan. 15th - it's been
on the cold side in Phila/Boston. After we discussed the warm
Fall, I found a December budding Lenten Rose - didn't quite make it
to bloom, and n ow won't to later.
Lauretta Santarossa, 14 Sep 1999
As you may know, Novalis is the Canadian publisher of the new book
on Mary Gardens to be published in the US by St. Anthony's
Messenger Press.
The other news is that an article was published in Catholic New
Times, a Canadian Catholic national newspaper on my Mary Garden in
particular but with a lot of information from your website (I told
the author to get all her good info from there). I don't think they
have their article online or on the web but I'm sure they would
send you a copy if you sent them the address. Their address is
cnt@total.net. I'm going to copy this e-mail to them. They may be
able to e-mail you the article.
If you have a street address, I'm sure they wouldn't mind sending
you a hard copy of the piece.
If you get the hard copy, you may notice a work called "Our Lady
of East Timor". It's part of my own "Madonna" collection. Of
course, it is especially poignant now with all the trouble they are
having there. And I was not aware of the large Catholic population
in East Timor. she sits in my parlor at home. Actually "she" is a
door, most likely teak, from an indigenous house in East Timor I
don't know much about the style of house or the carving except that
when I saw this piece in a store importing things from Indonesia, I
felt drawn to her. It's a primitive piece but very moving, at
least for me.
Lauretta Santarrosa, 24 Sep 1999
One of these days I will get organized and get you those garden
photos. I'm afraid you might be disappointed because, as I lamented
in the article, I don't yet have the knack of getting all the
flowers to bloom in due season. So it's greener more often than not
with spots of colours here and there. And it is eclectic, be
forewarned.
It must be a real joy for you personally to see this "revival"
happening. Our Lady's protection and care is so needed in today's
world.
John Stokes, 15 Sep 1999
For Mary Garden color, what I used to do (I'm an urban nomad,
now) was to put in pansy and English daisy borders in early spring,
and then replace them with the summer annual borders for bloom til
fall. Then I placed the perennials and other biennials in the
inner sections of the beds to distribute the blooms through the
season - roses being pretty ever-blooming summer and fall. The
most photographable time (in mid-atlantic climate) was late April
and early May - see web site photo of OMC School Mary Garden.
What those viewing photos with only seasonal blooms don't
appreciate is our virtual Mary Gardens of the heart, which enable
us at any season to see our outdoor Mary Gardens with
"heart-colored glasses".
Lauretta Santarossa, 16 Sep 1999
Thanks for your advise too with the annuals and the pansies. I had
wonderful stuffed window boxes this spring with the pansies. And my
cousin had given me some daisies and some white Veronica (at least,
I think it's Veronica!). Pink and blue forget-me-nots were
scattered too. I'm coming to the realization that I might have to
put pots around. the lobelia is still blooming by my iris "bed"
(around 18 in by 36 in!) the columbines here lovely and I just let
them self-seed.
The wonderful thing about the garden - at least to me- is that it
is composed in large part of plants given to me by dear friends-
like my neighbour Brian who passed away from AIDS over 2 years ago
now. He gave me two types of hosta, ferns, the jack-in-the-pulpits,
trilliums, pulmonaria, lily of the valley and Solomon's seal.
And I have something called "everlasting daisy" at least that's
what he called it, that actually doesn't bloom until autumn. White
flowers with a woody stem. It forms almost a bush. The two Roses of
Sharon - one white, another lilac, are blooming now and the giant
monkshood will come soon. I do have a Christmas Rose and a Lenten
rose and the primroses are starting to bloom again.
Lauretta Santarossa, 29 Sep 1999
Just a little update. Today a reporter from the National Post came
to the house to interview me about Mary Gardens and my garden in
particular. Then a photographer came to take pictures. All as a
result of the original Catholic New Times story. So it should be in
one of our two national papers in a week or so. Circulation
300,000. Expect a lot of "hits" on your site and publicity for
Vincenzina's (and our!) new book as a result.
People - not necessarily the ones you'd expect - are fascinated by
the whole idea. It warms the cockles of my old Italian heart. You
know we have a special affection for La Madonna that is absolutely
inbred and inculcated from the time we are babes in arms. It's
always a compassionate, tender thing.
Lauretta Santarossa, 01 Oct 1999
I'm interested in your MaryStore idea and the possibilities of
doing it thru the internet. We/I could be the Canadian connection.
I notice too that you are in contact with Ade de Bethune. I've
always admired her work.
It would be interesting to develop images/statuary etc of our Lady
other than the generic Our Lady of Grace which is so ubiquitous. I
have, as I've mentioned, a large and somewhat eclectic collection
myself. But I remember at Madonna House, we had wonderful statues
of our Lady. One that I loved particularly was Our Lady of Silence
given to the house by a Mrs. Toomey of Boston (at least, I think it
was Boston!). It's of Our Lady without Jesus but with a shawl not
unlike a Benediction Stole and it almost seems as if she is
carrying a chalice/the Eucharist/Jesus under it, close to her
heart. B knew the donor very well and it was always in the
library. At one point, I know they made a mold of it and made
terra-cotta copies for all the Madonna Houses. Another one, of
course, is the wonderful Hummel figurine of a seated Mary with
Jesus in her arms reading a book which she is holding on her lap.
John Stokes, 01 Oct 1999
Re. your several mentions of Madonna House, have you seen the two
excerpts from 1950's letters from Catherine Doherty in the
"Testimonials"; linked near the end of the home page listings? Also
the note from Thomas Merton.
I think of myself as a junior member of the Catherine Doherty,
Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton generation who somehow made it into the
post Vatican II world (which was quite a spiritual transition - I
have an 80 page transcription of some eight or so taped letters to
Mary's Gardens partner, Bonnie Roberson, in 1965, 1966, helping her
through).
My major reading was in the 50's - Chesterton, the Maritains, Leon
Bloy, etc. The priest brother of Ann Duffy, one of the Annapolis
Mary Garden pioneers, who has done a lot in the Carribian, is
closely associated with Madonna House and is working on the
archives for her presentation for sainthood canidacy. At his
request, after he read the yestimonials, I sent him photocopies of
the letters.
Great about the coming National Post article. I think we're on the
verge of a new/old Marian devotion that, building the warmth and
affection of interior and tender personal devotion, now more fully
perceives Mary's queenly interceding role in the divine plan for
the building and coming of God's Kingdom on earth as it is in
heaven.
According to St. Louis de Montfort's teaching, true devotion to
Mary in addition to being interior, tender and holy, is constant
and disinterested. Mary Garden devotion is constant in that in its
garden care it is continuing, and not just a turning to Mary when
special needs arise; and in the diversity and comprehensiveness of
its symbolism, reflection and meditation it is focused basically on
Mary rather than self-interest. Yet at the same time, always, Mary
remains our spiritual Mother - Lourdes, and Fatima.
Re. Lady-Lords, these are an English wildflower which I have never
grown horticulturally. The symbolism resides in the spathe and
spadix form, which, as you say, is found in Jack-in-the-Pulpit. I
see it every day in the Peace Lillies of public buildings and
malls.
I have just downloaded the announcement and cover photo of
Vincenzina's book from the Marian Library Mary Page. Great cover.
Interesting that the quality of the book is such that they went
from paperback to hardcover, even though it delayed publication a
month and increased the price. I have just re-read Vincenzina's
introductory chapters, and tingled with the excitement of realizing
that is now about to appear in print. I can even live with my
Introductikon. (My copy is of the pre-finally submitted MS
Vincenzina sent me for checking.)
Vincenzina, with her "common touch", was just the person to write
this book. After sending this message, I'll e-mail her, with
copies to you and all our group.
Lauretta Santarossa, 04 Oct 1999
Yes, I had seen the testimonials on the web page. I noted with
interest your mention of Anne Duffy. I may even have met her. She
is probably the sister of Fr. Jim Duffy who is a Madonna House
priest and did indeed spend many years in Carriacou, a little
island in the Grenada area. In fact, I think he's stationed at the
Madonna House here in Toronto. In our case, six degrees of
separation are probably 5 too many. What a marvelous place the
world is and how amazing the convergences, links, cross overs,
interconnecting web-like links are that bind us all together.
I tried to find the Mary cover on the Marian Library web page but
wasn't able to find it. I did find all sorts of art however and a
whole section of crËches Did I ever tell you I have over 60 crËches
in my collection from all over the world. My personal one of my own
"invention" is the one I call "All the world, real or imagined,
comes to the stable..." I constantly add little pieces from my
travels. The latest will be a little Orca whale made out of cedar
from Vancouver island...
I'll let you know when the National Post article appears. They may
have a website that you can download, you never know...
As always, I enjoy you e-letters.
John Stokes, 01 Oct 1999
Vincenzina told me a while back that she made some promotional
recommendations we had discussed to St.Anthony Messenger Press re.
publicity and review copies of her book, but in response to my
recent message she indicates she is not informed of the details of
their actual promotion.
As I have indicated - and especially just now with the
controversial painting of the Blessed Virgin at the Brooklyn Museum
exhibit so much in the news - I think review copies should be sent
to Time, Newsweek, US News & World Report, the New York Times, etc.
for reasons of general interest. Also review copies to the major
gardening magazines (of which I have a list, with addresses) - as
well as the press releases they no doubt send out through the
regular promotional channels for religious books, and to the book
chain stores. Review copies also to the National Council of
Catholic Women and the U.S. National Shrine - on account of the
Mary Garden being planted at the Shrine, which no doubt has a gift
shop.
In this I have always followed Mary's Gardens co-founder Ed
McTague's counsel that in Mary's Gardens we should "think big" and
take a world view - and in this I constantly pray the Legion of
Mary Prayer:
"Confer, O Lord, on us who serve beneath the
Standard of Mary that fullness of faith in you and trust
in her to which it is given to conquer the world . . . .
a faith firm and immovable as a rock, through which we shall
rest tranquil and steadfast as a rock amid the crosses, trials
and disappointments of life, a courageous faith which will
inspire us to undertake and carry out without hesitation great
things for the salvation of souls, a faith which will be our
pillar of fire...to kindle everywhere the fires of divine
love, to enlighten those who are in darkness and the shadow of
death, to inflame those who are lukewarm, and to bring back to
life those who ae dead to sin . . ."
On numerous occasions through the years, just the right person
has responded which has opened up a whole new area - such as, for
example, Dan Foley, Editor of Horticulture magazine in 1951, and
Fr. Roger Charest, Editor of Queen Magazine - and one day someone
one on one of the secular news magazines or metropolian Sunday
paper gardening sections will respond.
So, are you in a position to find out the details of their
promotional program so I can pick up where they leave off?
In starting to email this I received your message of this morning.
The address of the Mary Page announcement of the book is:
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/gallery/cexhibit/author.html/
This will be posted to the MG home page as a link under Oct NEW,
along with the Springfield Diocese article, but I can't put new
files up for a couple of days as my server is in process of moving
the website to another larger, faster computer. Regular access is
ok, but I'can't put up new files or get access statistics.
To keep up with the coming posting of the book's colored "medieval
woodcut" illustrations, go to the Mary Page at:
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/
and do a search for "Krymow".
Lauretta Santarossa, 07 Oct 1999
One thing I'm happy about is that (probably unwittingly for them)
the National Post article appeared today, on the Feast of the
Rosary. I was hoping that would happen. You never know when she
will touch someone's heart even if the way seems not quite perfect
to us -- like the article and the garden and the gardener.
But you'll probably be getting a few more interested parties logging
on to the site. The miracle continues...
John Stokes, 14 Oct 1999
I found the National Post article a most delightful article - a
real gem! Personal interest has so much more warmth and depth and
goes a lot farther than just garden descriptions and photos. I
feel I know you much better.
A couple of comments. You no doubt know this, but since it wasn't
mentioned in the article - because of the little water pearls that
form on Lady's Mantle it is also known as "Our Lady's Tears", as in
my Mother of Sorrows dish Mary Garden on the website.
To your knowledge, was an actual Mary Garden was ever planted at
Madonna House (and if so, did anyone ever photograph it)? Dorothy
Day never showed any particular interest in the Mary Garden, but
they had one for a while at the Catholic Worker Farm - but no
photos. I wasn't so thorough in those days in documenting things.
There was a miracle a day and I just lived with them in joy. My
close contact at the Catholic Worker was with Ammon Hennacy, the
"One Man Revolution." After he first met Dorothy Day, he came down
to Philadelphia to find out how I, a Quaker pacifist, could have
become a Catholic.
I like your thoughts about a more informal Mary Garden. Bro Seán's
little niche Mary Garden in Ireland appeals to me.
With Vincenzina's book about to appear, can you check to see that I
receive an early copy (Mary's Gardens, Box 30290, Philadelphia, PA
19103)? I plan a review for the website "November NEW".
And the miracle a day is continuing today - escalating.
John Stokes to Associates, Correspondents, 07 Oct 1999
A lovely article, "How does your Mary Garden grow?" - about the Mary
Garden of our colleague, Lauretta Santarossa of Toronto - has been
published today by the (Canadian) "National Post" - fittingly for
todays's feast of the Rosary, and the 4th anniversary of the
announcement of our Mary's Gardens Internet website.
The article can be accessed on the National Post's website at the
address
http://www.nationalpost.com/network.asp?f=991007/96638
John Stokes to Associates, Correspondents, 07 Oct 1999
Today's feast of the Rosary has indeed been a joyous one!
A while back Vincenzina Krymow had mentioned to me that the colored
"medieval woodcut" illustrations by A. Joseph Barrish, S.M. for her
book, "Mary's Flowers: Gardens, Legends and Meditations", to be
published October 15th would be posted to the Mary Page of the
Marian Library website, and I had been looking for them by a search
under "Krymow".
Just after sending you the message about today's National Post
article, "How does your Mary Garden grow?" about Lauretta
Santarossa's Mary Garden, the spirit moved me to do a Mary Page
search under "Barrish" - and there were all 30 of the beautiful
seriographs - together with the accompanying legends and also
insightful remarks about them by the artist (under "About the
Artist") at:
http://www.udayton.edu/mary/current-exhibit.html
How I look foward to seeing the actual book - with Vincenzina's
narrative, and Sr. M. Jean Frisk's garden meditations for each
flower. A great blessing for the Mary Garden restoration movement!
Vincenzina Krymow to John Stokes, 08 Oct 1999
These certainly are glorious days for Mary! So many ways that people
have now to get to know her and honor her!
Another way to access information on the Mary Page is to go to
gallery, then current exhibit, then there are choices - about the
artist, about the book or author (don't remember which) which talks
about the book, then about the exhibit and a slide show. It's
beautifully done.
Thanks for keeping us all posted on developments - so many right
now!
John Stokes to Michael Holden, 08 Oct 1999
The quality of the seriograph flower "woodcuts" for Vincenzina's
book is superb!
I haven't seen the whole book yet, but the artistic quality of the
cover and prints will do so much to attract people to buy the book
and to read the contents.
I do have a copy of the MS, which Vincenzina sent me for checking
and the writing of the forward. I also supplied some color photos,
which may also be in it in the last chapter, on five Mary Gardens,
along with some of hers.
The 30 flower meditations by Sr. M .Jean Frisk are of like quality
and give the reader a fresh approach to meditation on and spiritual
communion with Mary based on flower symbolism.
How this book found a publisher is a providential story in itself,
in which the key person was Mary-Gardening publisher, Lauretta
Santarossa.
With much joy,
Lauretta Santarossa, 16 Oct 1999
I'm glad you enjoyed the article. I caved in and ordered the picture
that came with it. Everybody said "You've got to!". I doubt I'll
ever make it into the paper again!
The miracle does go on - I got a call from a friend at St.
Mike's (St Michael's - the Catholic college of the University of
Toronto - run by the Basilian Fathers) saying she'd read the
article and thought it was great and would I be interested in doing
something for the Continuing Ed series on Mary Garden's. It will
probably be just a one day seminar type thing. I'm going to say yes
and I'll be calling for your insights and ideas. So here's hoping
it will happen because it could be fun.
John Stokes, 18 Oct 1999
With your permission, I would like to put up the "National Post"
article on the website for wider distribution, and since my
mailboxes are unstable just now, and since you have contacts at the
Post, would you, assuming this is OK with you, be willing to request
permission from them to reprint, including the photo? - with credits
to them, the author and the photographer. The permission would be
granted to Mary's Gardens (which is registered in 1951 under the
Pennsylvania a Fictitious Names Act to do business as a
partnership). You could say you are requesting this as a Mary's
Garden's Associate. I have downloaded the text and BW photo
electronically.
You mentioned you ordered a copy of the photo. Could you send me a
scan of it as an email jpeg or gif attachment file? - as I assume
the print they will send you will be larger than the posting with
the article - and also hopefully in color. (And for your own use,
did you consider asking the photographer for copies of any
unpublished photos?)
The seminar sounds great. Have you considered the slide lecture
photos. I can send them in larger format for use with your
Clarisworks (Appleworks) software "Slide Lecture" and a computer
projector.
John Stokes, 19 Oct 1999
In her October 7th National Post article about your Mary Garden,
Jeanie Marshall quotes you,
"'I would love to have a Japanese-style garden, but I'm too
Italian. I love colour,' jokes Santarossa as she shifts wet
vines along a fence to allow the few remaining Rose of Sharon
blossoms more room."
And in your message of Oct.16th, you say,
"The Zen temples in Japan just confirmed my love for the
intensity and control found in the Zen garden. It's always
a fine line between true freedom and true discipline."
Japanese Zen gardens and Chinese Taoist/Confucian gardens (which
include color) have many precedents supportive of garden symbolism
and meditation - basic elements of the Mary Garden - as distinct
from the romantic naturalism of the English gardening tradition,
prevalent in our popular culture, which welcomes "interesting"
garden lore and the sentimental Victorian "language of flowers", but
resists the more formal instructive, devotional and meditative
flower symblism of medieval tradition. In this the Flowers of Our
Lady have the true discipline of scriptural and theologican
grounding, with the true freedom of individual devotion, reflection,
meditation and prayer.
If you have not read it, check the article, "China Trade" in the
just out November issue of "Garden Design" (p.72ff), about the 1
acre New York Chinese Scholar's Garden at the edge of the Staten
Island Botanical Garden.
Zen and Chinese Scholar's Gardens instruct us to seek the basic
religious symbolism of stones, water, air and fire, and of seeds,
plants, flowers, trees and fruit as such - the foundation and
setting for our more specific Christian garden symbolism. Chinese
garden tradition also includes buildings - just as the medieval Mary
Gardens of religious art were usually "Gardens Enclosed" with walls,
often parts of adjacent buildings, as symbols of the "City of God"
With the help of these Eastern gardening traditions, we can better
meditate, for example, on the scriptural tree symbols of wisdom,
applied to Mary - "Fair Olive Tree", "Cedar of Lebanon", etc.; and
on "Wisdom has built herslf a house": the "House of Gold" and "Tower
of David" (cf. St. Teresa's "Spiritual Castle" of the soul, etc.)
Descending spiritual wisdom grows up in our hearts and minds as
subtle spiritual trees, whereas our spiritual acts of wisdom build
up subtle houses and towers of the soul - and the buildings of
heaven.
And miniature Chinese Scholar's Gardens are the precedent for our
meditative indoor Dish Mary Gardens.
A few thoughts "off the top",
Lauretta Satarossa, Oct 20, 1999
I just got the copies of Mary's Flowers today. It looks great.
Congratulations to Vincenzina and thanks to you for being so
instrumental in getting it done!
I'll send you a copy of our edition (exactly the same but with our
logo on the cover) for your library.
St. Anthony's should send you a review copy from their offices. I'll
forward this note to Lisa Biedenbach, the managing editor who saw
the project through.
Vincenzina Kymow to Lauretta Santarossa, Oct 31, 1999
Belatedly, I want to thank you for your early interest in the
concept of the book - that led to the arrangement with St. Anthony
Messenger Press and the product which was released this week - a
beautiful book that I know Mary in heaven must be so happy about. I
feel honored that Mary chose me to be the person to help create this
wonderful tribute to her.
My husband and I have enjoyed visits to Toronto in the past (I am
originally from Detroit, which is only a short trip away from
Toronto) and I would be happy to return for a book signing or
similar event to help promote the book. I now live in Centerville,
Ohio, a suburb of Dayton, just north of Cincinnati.
Congratulations to you also on your Mary Garden and the newspaper
story about it.
I will be out of the country Nov. 4-18 (a trip to Peru).
John Stokes to Vincenzina Krymow, Nov 1, 1999
I am pleased you are very pleased with the book. This is a great
moment when an author can say this. I'm sure Sister Jean and
Brother Joe must feel the same! (Does Brother Joe have an e-mail
address?)
I have my rave review half finished and hope to have it posted to
the MG website late this evening as the "November NEW". My favorite
way of opening the book is browse through Sr. Jean's meditations.
In your trip to Peru, see what you can find out about the garden of
St. Rose of Lima, and, if you will, get me copies of any leaflets
about it. An old booklet I have says its open to the public one day
a year. Bon voyage:
Vincenzina Krymow to John Stokes, Nov 1, 1999
I look forward to your "rave review" on the MG website.
Brother Joe does not have e-mail.
Thanks for the info. about the garden of St. Rose of Lima - I will
look for it in Lima.
Re: review copies: one has been sent to NCCW and I will check on
copy for Msgr. Bransfield - can't determine if I already submitted
his name.
I have marked the June 10 date on my calendar and hope to attend.
John Stokes, Nov 1, 1999
Knowing of your key providential "link" in the bringing of the book
to publication, I would have liked to have seen an acknowledgement
in the "Acknowledgements".
Please feel free to use any of my comments or editings thereof in
your promotions, etc..
Will try to get my review together this evening.
Lauretta Santarossa, Nov 1, 1999
What a wonderful synopsis of the book and highlighting of all it's
merits. Would you mind if we quoted parts in some of our publicity?
I got a lovely not from Vincenzina and will see about getting her up
her for a signing in the winter - maybe for our Canada Blooms show
in February.
By the way, I met a fellow named Joe Cunningham from Philadelphia
who was up here for the dedication of a beautiful stained glass
window in our Newman Chapel dedicated to Blessed Gianna Beretta
Molla, a young doctor (pediatrician), wife and mother who died after
she gave birth to her last child, also named Gianna and now a
doctor..She and her brother Pier Luigi were there too. Blessed
Gianna gave her life for her daughter in that when she was two
months pregnant, the doctors discovered she had an ovarian cyst. The
option was to have it removed but resulting in the abortion of the
child. She chose instead to go through with the pregnancy after a
less threatening surgeryto save the baby.Unfortunately she died in
much pain seven days after giving birth.
Anyway, Joe Cunningham, an attorney who works a lot with religious
communities, has a radio show in Philadelphia on Fridays initially
because he gave an interview as the president of the Blessed Gianna
Society. They gave him a radio show and told him he could talk about
anything he wanted to talk about. I told him about you and the Mary
Garden movement and that you were in the Philadelphia. I think
would make a wonderful topic for a radio show, don't you?
Let me know what you think and I'll pass your e-mail on to him.
Books, now maybe radio, tomorrow....who knows!
John Stokes, Nov 3, 1999
Thanks for the information about Joe Cunningham. I will of course
be happy for him to have any and all info re. Mary's Gardens, with
the reservation that for various reasons I now keep a Zero personal
profile re. Mary's Gardens in Phila.
In the past I gave much time to this, for example a 1-hr segment,
"Flower Power", of the CBS Affiliate TV discussion program, INPUT
(of which I was a consultant co-producer, on religious and social
issues) in 1969. This segment - with the head of the Penna.
Horticultural Society, a local newspaper columnist, a Black militant
and myself - received more viewer mail than any of the other 60
programs in the 3-year series.
I also gave many lectures and presented exhibit booths at various
Catholic conferences, etc., but now, although "retired", I just
barely have time and energy for my family, the web site and e-mail.
I rejoice that others are now picking up this work and are make good
use of the input I am able to give them. For this reason my
Birthday Surprise was so deeply appreciated, and I especially
appreciate your contribution to it.
With all the work through the years so little happened "above
ground", but now the period of underground germination appears be
completed, and so much is emerging. I especially hope that V's
"Mary's Flowers" will have a major impact on the NCCW and the U.S.
National Shrine to "do right" with their "Mary's Garden".
John Stokes to Vincenzina Krymow, Nov 3, 1999
Bon voyage to you and Jo for your trip to Peru!
On further reflection, I recall that the garden of St. Rose of Lima
is opened to the public just on her feast day. Perhaps if you
arrive as the author of "Mary's Flowers", with a copy of the book in
hand, they will let you in.
You will recall that in the Mary Garden Prayer we invoke:
"St. Rose of Lima , to whom the boy Jesus and his Mother
were present in the garden."
I haven't had time to add the graphics and links to the MG website
review of "Mary's Flowers", but did smooth it out considerably and
add some further information about the chapters, etc.. Also, I used
headings to distinguish between the review proper and the following
two sections on "Further Considerations For Marian Devotion Today"
and "Historical Note" to place it in context for critical and
academic visitors to the website.
Lauretta Santarossa, Nov 4, 1999
Thanks for your reply. I don't know what may come of the Joe
Cunningham link. He seemed to be on cloud nine while he was here, so
close to Blessed Gianna herself. I'm so glad you enjoyed your
"birthday surprise". Paula did such a great job of putting it
together. She was good enough to send us all a copy and it was very
touching to link with all those other people whose lives you've
touched. This morning the paper had a report on a study that shows
people with heart problems who have people praying for them heal
better than those who don't. While that's no surprise really it's
good to know that science is acknowledging the power of the spirit.
So do I in my link to you and all the other Marian gardeners. It's
a bit like a rosary when you think about it.
John Stokes, Nov 6, 1999
Thanks for your message of Nov. 4th and your discernment of the
power of the spirit in the links among our group of Marian
gardeners.
In the Creed we daily affirm the "Communion of Saints", but this is
all too often considered - possibly as a matter of translation - as
applied only to the saints or "holy ones" in heaven, rather than to
the potential and called for communion(s) among all who are in the
holy state of grace, as we commune with God, and with Mary and one
another in God, as the Spirit processes, spirates and circulates
among us, in renewal of the face of the earth. As you say, it is
like the Rosary - like our praying of the Rosary beads, around and
around.
In respect to the circulations of the Spirit, I wonder if you could
share with me confidentially the promotional program and
distribution statistics (such as the size of the original printing,
for starters) of "Mary's Flowers" - as such information will be
helpful in envisaging future books (just as web site access
statistics are important to the continuing crafting of the MG web
site). I recall your mention, when you were first considering its
publication, a sounding out of the potential European market at some
book fairs. Do you anticipate possible translation into other
languages? I always have in mind Germany, southern Germany, where
the Flowers of Our Lady tradition was (is?) so strong and continuous
from medieval times.
Sister M. Jean Frisk just wrote me:
o O o
"You asked whether the sisters have Mary Gardens. Yes and no. We
have extensive gardens dedicated to Mary wherever we go and
especially around our little shrines. However, we do not plant only
"Mary" flowers. We plant whatever will be available, will enhance,
is received as gifts.
"One of the most remarkable places we have is in a town near
Koblenz, Germany (on the Rhine and Mosel), the town of Metternich.
There we have a sister who is a master gardener and trains gardeners
professionally. The grounds are like a dream world of beauty with a
wonderful Immaculata statue in its midst atop a flowing fountain.
"I lived in Germany as a pilgrimage sister for 12 years, and I
delighted to take people through our wonderful gardens. Here in the
states the weather makes the gardening much more difficult, but we
still make a great effort to have gardens at our shrines and central
places. I currently live "extern" in Dayton, and yes -- I do my best
to keep up a little garden in honor of our Blessed Mother. Aren't we
a network of "lovers" of an original and unique type?"
o O o
It isn't quite clear to me (and I'll ask her) whether the symbolic
association of flowers with Mary is so much a part of the religious
culture (as in Italy) that gardening and Mary-gardening are somewhat
synonymous (so why promote Mary-Gardening?)
Would appreciate your thoughts on this re. Italy. France?
Lauretta Santarossa, Nov 6, 1999
Thank you for your, as always, insightful note. It's a pleasure to
have this kind of correspondence with someone. And I learn so much
from you on so many levels.
Re: the book. Please do know that it is confidential information. I
think SAMP printed 10,000 and we did 1,500.
The US market is so much bigger, I thought they would do a better
job. Lisa Biedenbach did bring it to Frankfurt but didn't get a lot
of interest. But translations in other languages do take time. Also,
maybe "gardening" isn't done with the same freshness and frenzy that
seizes people in North America in their middle Martha Stewarty
years. In any case, it is really a matter of wait and see and there
may be things brewing that I have not idea about. Lisa usually is
cautious so it may be that foreign publishers have asked for options
but haven't got back to her yet.
Other than that, I don't know how they plan to promote the book
other than through catalogues, review copies possible signing etc.
Vincenzina is probably more up on that than I am. I do know that she
has volunteered to come to Canada if we need to get something done
here. I might send it to a CBC Radio producer whom I know for the
Tapestry program on Sunday afternoon and I'll talk to Kathy our
publicity person about contacting HGTV (Home and Gardening channel)
and pitching the idea to them. We might even be able to do something
with the Vision TV (multi-denominational religious TV).
I will certainly let you know how its going.
John Stokes, Nov 16, 1999
You will recall that a few weeks back you were checking with the
"National Post" to see if they would grant permission for the
reprinting of "How Does You Mary Garden Grow?" on the Mary's Gardens
web site - with color copy of the illustrating photo of you in the
garden.
Have you heard from them on this? (If you let me know before, your
message may not have gotten through due to the e-mail difficulties I
was having at the time - for which I apologize.)
If you are able to give me any non-confidential indications from
time to time as to how reviews and sales of V's "Mary's Flowers" are
going, I'd appreciate it. I am ever learning of the effectiveness of
various presentations of the Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Gardens.
Does SAM Press and/or Novalis have some sort of book review clipping
service to collect reviews?
From the start, and continuingly, as MG founding co-partner, Ed
McTague, used to say, "Mary's Gardens is an act of faith" -
regardless of "results" or feed-back - but I ever continue with the
act, and strive to perfect the ways in which it is made.
Late November is always a full time with U.S. Thanksgiving, two
family birthdays and a wedding anniversary. In addition to which we
have been blest with third and fourth grandchildren in the past
weeks, and are undertaking basic renovations of our residence. So I
will not be undertaking much new input into Mary's Gardens for the
balance of the year. For me the new Mary Garden year, our 50th this
year, begins with the snowdrops of Candlemas.
Lauretta Santarossa, Nov 17, 1999
No I haven't heard from the National Post. But I'll try to go to
their website to see how I can obtain permission. I don't think it
will be a problem as long as we credit them excessively.
I also never heard back from the fellow that took the pictures. I
was up in Combermere this week for a funeral (I think I already told
you about that) and apparently they had copies of the article which
appeared with a colour photo in some editions of the paper (it
prints across the country so I'm not sure which edition had the
colour photo- not the one in Toronto, that much I know!).
Did I mention my HortSoc wants my garden to be in their Millennial
Garden Tour on Sunday,June 3, 2000? They've chosen 10 or 12 gardens
in my neighbourhood (Parkdale). the Parkdale Hort is one of the
oldest in Toronto and very active, full of English gardeners who
are very keen and knowledgeable and know all the Latin names for the
flowers. I asked them if they'd provide an expert gardener to shape
my poor little garden up and make it snappy! Oh dear.
I don't know if I'm in town that weekend, But it would be fun.
Someone's coming to see it tomorrow, dead as it is, so that they can
do the write-up. Only the giant monkshood is still in bloom. I'll
make her a cup of coffee and hope for the best.
I'll be in Boston this week for the AAR/SBL (American Academy of
Religion/Society for Biblical Literature) meeting from Nov 19 to Nov
23. Will you be close by?
Congratulations on your new additions to the family. Grandchildren
are beautiful and wonderful. I have to content myself with being a
crazy aunt (or "Zia" in Italian). Although I have only one sister
who has only one boy, my darling Paolo, I have a slew of "nieces"
and "nephews", the children of my first cousins (who are like
brothers and sisters practically - we all grew up together, lived
together etc etc) here in Canada. At Christmas, I always have a
party with the whole kit and caboodle and one of the favourite games
for the kids is they have to count all the angels, Baby Jesuses,
sheep, donkeys etc in all the crËches (I don't do a tree because I
have at least 60 crËches perched here and there all over the house!)
And I don't cook because, well, I just can't compete and we all
bring the new President's Choice products (a house brand of a big
grocery store called Loblaws). I get all the main food (lasagne,
pasta, whatever) and drink and they all bring whatever else they
want. It's the PC-PC-CP - the Post-Christmas President's Choice
Cousin's Party. I usually try to stage it for December 27, the Feast
of St. John the Beloved. We used to celebrate that in a big way at
Madonna House. There's a special blessing of bread and wine - but
you probably know all about that John!
I will keep you posted on all and any book news and get Kathy to
send you any reviews.
Lauretta Santarossa, Dec 7, 1999
I hope you are having a good Advent.
I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed Mary's Flowers. I was
able to read it cover to cover, uninterrupted on my train ride to
and from Montreal on the weekend.
It really cheered me which was good since I was feeling a bit under
the weather. Vincenzina has really written a wonderful useful book
but I know how instrumental you were in the whole process. It was
charming, really and the little meditations were quite lovely. It
is a gentle book and so I hope it will weave itself into people's
hearts. I haven't got any details on how well it's doing here but
here's hoping we can bring it out in paperback for the next edition.
I'll let you know.
Tomorrow we're having a book launch for a book called The Twentieth
Century: A Theological Overview. It is edited by one of our great
scholars, Gregory Baum. I hope I'll be able to be there.
John Stokes, Dec 7, 1999
Thanks for your message after your cover to cover reading of "Mary's
Flowers".
As I've mentioned, Mary's Gardens has always been undertaken as an
act of faith, and "results" always seem to come unpredictably
through grace and providence, rather than through immediate,
predictable cause and effect. I share your view that Vincenzina has
written a wonderful book - and an important one in historical
context, as I outlined at the end of my "review" - but I have no
sense of what to expect regarding its reception. The one thing I do
know from experience is that whenever a major Mary's Gardens input
is made, as with this book, there is always a major consequence, but
we have to wait to see what it is.
I regret that Barnes & Noble and Borders do not carry it in stock.
Maybe they would if it were presented to them as a "gardening lore"
book. They do carry a number of these books, such as, for example,
the following which I have found in stock at Borders in the past
several years:
"Theme Gardens" by Barbara Damrosh, which contains a chapter on
"Medieval Paradise Gardens"
"Magical Gardens - Myth, Mulch and Marigolds" by Patricia Monaghan
"Gardens of the Spirit" by Roni Jay
"The Impressionist Garden" by Derek Fell
"The Romantic Garden" by Graham Rose
"Contemplative Gardens" by Julie Moir Messervy
And most importantly, which they keep in stock,
"Rooted in the Spirit" by Maureen Gilmer, which is "about as
Catholic as you can get", but in lore context, with other traditions
mentioned.
The difference with "Mary's Flowers" is that it is not "idle and
foolish" (as Ed McTague used to say) lore for wealthy gardeners,
but serious stuff for everybody and the world. Before I was able to
self-publish on the web, I had the constant problem with magazine
editors that my articles were "too gardening" for religious editors,
and "too religious" for gardening editors. V's book may have the
same problem with bookstores.
Then, I don't know just how the U.S. National Shrine Mary Garden is
going to be presented when dedicated next spring, but if it is
presented as a serious expression of faith, the Shrine gift shop,
with their half-million visitors a year, could be a major outlet. I
noted from their website that they have book signings by Catholic
authors, and called this to V's attention.
I keep sending them print-outs of selected website articles, such
as, currently, the December NEW (which is a kind of culmination of
4 years of web articles), and will send them a copy of "The Blessing
of Mary Gardens as Holy Places" prior to the dedication next June.
I hope you have shaken your cold. I take Echinacea root for viruses
and Golden Seal for bacteria regularly as a preventive measure, and
have had about one cold a year.
As a Mary Gardener I always hope, in the Eastern U.S. climate, that
a few roses will make it for tomorrow's feast - and a few have this
year. Then, the start of the new outdoor year with the snowdrops of
Candlemas.
Lauretta Santarossa, 05 Jan 2000
I never got around to planting my bulbs this year. Do you think I
might still have a chance if I set them out in deep pots? With lots
of new earth and mulch? I doubt we'll see snowdrops here until
March!!
John Stokes, 5 Jan 2000
Yes, with the exception of Madonna Lilies, which require late
summer planting for fall foliage growth for the next year's blooms
(June, July), the other fall bulbs can be planted at any time -
their requirement being a period of dryness or cold
(horticulturally equivalent) and then warmth, moisture and light.
Lauretta Santarossa, 02 Feb 2000
Tomorrow I'll be meeting with Mimi Marocco, the head of Continuing
Ed at St Michael's / university of Toronto. They'd like me to do a
one day seminar on Mary Gardens on May 6. 10 am-3pm with an hour
for lunch. Of course, I need all the help I can get!
John Stokes, 02 Feb 2000
The one-day Mary Garden seminar you have been asked to give at St.
Michaels College on May 6 is a new format in my experience, and I'll
look forward to helping out with ideas and slides, etc. Your
concept of presenting the history and spirituality in the morning
and the practical spirituality of garden stewardship with meditation
in the afternoon sounds excellent.
I recall that you have an iMac, and I assume that you have
Clarisworks, probably v. 4 (now renamed as Appleworks - 5) which has
a "slide show" feature, in the "View" menu, for use with a computer
projector, which probably could be rented.
For use with this feature I re-scanned the slides of my Slide
Lecture #3 (on the web site) in 6" size for projection; and also the
slides of lecture #1 (1960) - not on the website, but available as
35mm slides with printed narration text, and also taped narration
with Gregorian chant background. I am sending the two texts as
e-mail attachments to this message. You will note that the flower
slides 20-40 (roughly) are the same or similar, but the first slides
of (pre-Vatican II) #1 start with Mary as the Worthy Mother of God,
and ends with some home gardening instructions
These 6" photos are on a ZIP disk, of which I could send you a copy,
if you have a ZIP drive for your Mac.
In presenting the (#1) slide lecture myself, I used to at the end
re-show the slides silently so the audience would see the flowers
with their silent symbolism as actually experienced in the Mary
Garden.
In the early days of our work the very fact of the medieval flower
symbols, and the visual experience of their symbolism was a focus
for my presentations; but now that they are more generally known I
place emphasis: on the view of them more as providentially
revelatory signatures (originally, for the illiterate): on the
rediscovery or restoration of this view today as an intuitive
quickening to spirituality; on the sacramental holiness of their
blessing, enhancing this spirituality; and on the preservation of
these qualities in the integrity of an enclosed garden, in
attributive plantings around a focal Marian figure - as distinct
from flowers just as interesting symbols, or plantings as "settings"
for statuary, etc..
I elaborated on flowers as signatures in my "Mary Gardens as
Creative Endeavors of Faith" draft, attached to my forwarded message
re. the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington.
I hope this is helpful, and will be interested in your further ideas
for the presentation.
John Stokes, 03 Feb 2000
We have a G3 Mac Laptop (the original, 1998, one, thicker, with Mac
OS 8.5) . I can't remember whether Clarisworks was bundled with it
or not - in the Hard Disk "Applications" folder. Apple is "on
again, off again" on this, with different models. The Slide Show
is easy to use.
What word processing software to you customarily use?
For e-mail we use Eudora Pro 4.2, which includes SpellsWell spelling
checker for outgoing messages. It has the capability of sending and
receiving attachment files - text or graphics. On receiving files
with attachments it notes the attachment filename at the end of the
message, and if the attachment is a graphics file it is opened
automatically at the of the message. The actual attachment file is
saved in an "Attachments Folder" in the "Eudora Folder" placed in
the "System Folder" when the Eudora application is installed, and
remains there until deleted. It can be opened from there with text
or graphics software, as required.
Lauretta Santarossa, 04 Feb 2000
I think we have the same model. I have the thicker, 8.5 system at
running 266 MHz and it came bundled with Outlook Express. Thats what
I use for all my e-mail. I also have Stuffit Deluxe and tons of
stuff I don't ever even use although I try to disable all that. I
use both Explorer and Netscape when I'm trying to get information on
the web.
I think ClarisWorks was bundled with my stuff. I might just try
re-installing just in case. sometimes things seem to disappear and
I'm not sure why!
but thanks for the text copy. I'm getting excited about this. Did I
tell you my good friend Fr. Ron Cafeo (a great amateur gardener!)
and Mary Davis, the gardener at Madonna House may come and help me
with the gardening part of the Seminar? It should be fun.
John Stokes, 12 Feb 2000
A notable Mary Garden in the i950's was a roof garden at the Ambos
Mundos Hotel - then a famous hotel.
I understand the area is now a slum.
You might check if you have a chance.
Bon voyage,
Lauretta Santarossa, 21 Feb 2000
I'm back happy and tanned from Cuba. It was wonderful. We stayed at
a place that included Al Capone's old villa (now a restaurant) in
Punt Blanca, Varadero about 140 km from Havana.
The Cubans are a beautiful looking, charming people. The beach was
stunning - "azul" - azure - strands of cobalt, turquoise, -deep
exotic hues.
Old Havana is slowly being restored and, if it all works, it will be
one of the jewels of the continent. Beautiful colonial architecture
that is just waiting for restoration. It hasn't been destroyed, just
let go.
I did buy a little cast-iron Madonna, Virgen de la Caridad, Cobre -
apparently the Patroness of Cuba. so, she'll have a place of honour
along with my other Madonnas. The famous hotel you mentioned is I
think being restored. We went to Havan for a one-day tour but barely
got a whiff of the city. It's a huge city - 3 million plus.
But thanks for your info. The Cathedral square is completely
resotred and the Cathedral had a little side chapel with a statue of
the Virgen and Child around which people had left all sorts of
little houses and prayers. Couldn't get any info on it however.
Everything was rush rush.
John Stokes to Lisa Creamer, 17 Mar 2000
Thank you for your message of March 16th telling of the interest of
Karen Strong, of Salve Regina Books in purchasing copies of the
Teacher's Guide for sale by her at an upcoming book fair.
By way of a copy of this message I am asking Lauretta Santarossa of
Novalis Books, if she will advise you as to how to proceed in this,
to protect your interest in respect to possible eventual publication
through a publisher.
I am not experienced in publication matters, but I assume you have
copyrighted the Guide in your name and that you would sell copies to
her, a dealer, at the usual 40% less than list price. For pilot
sales like this I would expect it would be in order for you to ask
her to order a quantity based on an agreement of no provision for
returns with refund. If she proposes to sell it in the $10-20
range, your 40% discount price would be in the $6-12 range,
accordingly, as required for you to receive a profit above
production costs, for the quantity which is run. As I believe I
wrote before I would see all self-publication profits, or royalties
from publication by others, as going to yourself, as is the case
with Vincenzina's book.
I have had no dealings with Karen, other than to acknowledge an
inquiry she sent me and to bring your Guide to her attention in my
reply.
Thanks for the St. Patty's Day greeting.
Have you had an opportunity to check out the National Shrine Mary
Garden installation recently?
Lauretta Santarossa to Lisa Creamer, 22 Mar 2000
This is what I would suggest..
1. Copyright your work/title etc. I don't think this is a
complicated big procedure but it is important that you feel your
work is protected.
2. Send us an outline of your proposal and a sample chapter. It can
be just a photocopy of something in your binder. You can either
e-mail it or fax it to Novalis at (416)363-9409.
3. Do continue to pilot/refine etc. You could decide to self-publish
and could probably sell a good number of copies via your web-site.
But then, you could do that in any case, even if you did publish for
other markets.
Obviously, right now all this is simply at the discussion stage
process, but the project certainly sound unique and interesting
enough to merit serious consideration.
FYI, I'm also copying this to our Managing Editor, Anne Louise
Mahoney, who thought the whole project sounded very intriguing. That
way, we all know who's said what to whom.
Lauretta Santarossa, 02 Apr 2000
I know I have been remiss in communicating with you. I'll get the
poster for my Mary Garden day scanned and send it to you.
But a big huge huge favour if it would be possible - I'd like to do
a slide show for the morning with the history and so on of Mary
Gardens. I will do my own script of course although you had sent an
attachment to me once which I was unable to open. I hope to glean as
much info from the site and make it fun and interesting. There is
just so much to say. What I would like, however, is slides. I would
pay for you to send them to me by FedEx or whatever and return them
promptly. If it's too much to ask, please know I will understand.
But I remember you telling me you used to do that. Since some of the
folks will be apartment dwellers, I will include "container Mary
Gardens" too. As I mentioned before, my good friends Fr Ron Cafeo
and Mary Davis from Madonna House will be coming to give the
"gardening" part of the day. Fr. Ron is here visiting with me this
weekend on his way back to MH and we hope to visit the site today to
plan our workshop.
Hope all is well and I hope to get in touch with Lisa soon.
John Stokes, 02 Apr 2000
Have your message of 4PM today Sunday
Assume that "for the morning" refers to Tuesday . Will send set of
slides fastest FedEx tomorrow, Monday, for arrival Tuesday AM.
These are for an earlier slide lecture, #1 1962, than #3, on the
web site, but slides 11 - 40 are pretty much the same. (slides 1 -
10 and 41 - 50 on #3 were digital photos and not (yet) in 35mm film
transparency format.
Lauretta Santarossa, 03 Apr 2000
Here's a low res .pdf of the poster for the workshop.
John Stokes, 03 Apr 2000
Thanks for the beautiful poster.
This looks like the photo from the article (which I still propose to
reprint, soon).
Slides FedExed today. Printing of narration text somewhat hurried
John Stokes to Lisa Creamer, 04 Apr 2000
Two things.
First. Taking a fresh overall view of the Teacher's Guide, I
suggest, for your consideration: to include a Flower Prayer Appendix
following the Traditional Marian Prayer Appendix B, such as that
below - written in 1962 as an addition for the reprints we had made
of "A Garden Full of Aves" (about Bonnie Roberson), and simpler than
the 12 Meditations for the Introductory Annuals pamphlet. In the
Guide the Marian flower names are listed, and you have the appealing
simple faith shown forth in the children's illustrations - but I
suggest that some actual examples of simple flower prayers would be
a further help to first-time readers in entering into the spirit of
the Mary Garden.
I was struck this spring, as I may have mentioned before, at what a
recurring quickening to prayer I experienced each time I looked at
some daffodils, with their inclined blooms - "Mary looking down from
heaven" - as opposed to having in memory, but not recalling all the
time, the tradition al Marian prayers, beautiful and unctioned as
they are. The Flower Prayers, though in writing, too, would give a
sense to readers of the Teacher's Guide, when they read them, of how
one is quickened to prayer each time one beholds the flowers in the
garden or in nature..
Second, Lauretta Santarossa is giving a Mary Garden workshop at St.
Michael's College in Toronto on Saturday May 6th - per the poster
attached to this message - and I suggest you send her a copy of the
present Teacher's Guide to have at hand, along with Vincenzina's
book (which she published in Canada).
Lauretta Santarossa, 18 Apr 2000
Thanks for forwarding the letter re DC. I'll be in Baltimore next
week myself and hope to get into Washington for a visit. Also, I
really want to thank you for the slides. I have taken a look at them
and gone through the script. You've done such a wonderful job with
the slide show and the whole website. So, I do sense your
disappointment with the National Shrine Garden not taking up the
"torch" as it were of passing on the lore and tradition just in the
flowers themselves. It makes it just another pretty garden and
doesn't draw the viewer deeper. Too bad. But it's not over yet so
maybe things will still happen on that score.
My friend, Fr. Ron Cafeo is getting very excited and wants me to fax
him my "course outline". I think I'll start with a few minutes of
introduction, then the slide show and then a little about how a Mary
Garden can help us deepen our own life with God. I'll have a full
house the May 6 weekend! It should be fun.
On Saturday, some good friends came and helped me dig out my
dormant pond (the one that ended up as a squirrel trap!) and we
framed three mirrors and put them on the back fence. They look like
windows and should help expand the garden. I'm also concentrating
on getting the garden ready for the Parkdale Millennial Garden Tour
(sounds bigger than it is!) and an old tile table that
disintegrated with the weather (the tiles split and lifted - but I
never liked then anyway) is now maybe going to be transformed into
a "rose window". The best thing about the table was the iron rim
around it. That will serve as the frame and we'll mosaic pieces of
old pottery, mirror, glass etc into a pattern. One of my artist
friends is going to help me (thank God!) And we still have to get a
statue or statues into the garden. Plus I'm going to have new
markers with both the Mary name and maybe common name or genus name
(or all three?) for the people so they can identify the plants.
We'll see how much of this gets done.
John Stokes, 19 Apr 2000
I'm pleased the slides will be useful to you. Yes, you may indeed
have them duplicated to have a set permanently at hand. The ones
you have are "second generation", and I hope the "third generation"
copies will be ok.
Things are looking up a bit re the National Shrine Mary Garden, per
the copy I will send you of a message to Paula. While they are
emphasizing simple color symbolism, the statement that "All flower
plants have been chosen for their connotations of Mary" is a valued
statement of intention, which I hope will be posted at the garden on
a plaque or sign for visitors.
One is not quickened to prayer and meditation by symbolic colors
only, the way one is with plants of symbolic forms and names, but
the stated intention of Marian connotation is an important beginning
on which further symbolism can be built. Further, the simplicity of
color symbolism is something readily maintainable on a "landscaping"
basis, whereas the formal symbolism concept can get get lost, as it
did at Woods Hole in the 50's, 60's and 70's until Jane McLaughlin's
restoration for the Jubilee in 1982 - and as may be happening at
Knock, per my recent e-mail query to them.
I very much look forward to your expression of the Mary Garden
concept etc., and hope you will send me a copy of the outline you
are preparing for Fr. Ron Cafeo, as well as an eventual audio tape
of the actual workshop. It is through the varied expressions of the
concept, as seen through many eyes, that that broader acceptance
will come. I consider that we are still at the "earlier adopter"
stage.
I would hope to hear of your evaluations at this juncture, personal
and as publisher, of Vincenzina's book. It seems to me to be
crafted for popular acceptance, plus it has a definite unction of
her personal spirituality which I judge should evoke a spiritual
response in others.
It's hard for me to judge these things first hand. I have few
personal Catholic contacts, other than on the Net, and am not able
to be active in parish life, etc. any more. It's about all I can do
to walk to my present parish Church, although it is clearly visible
from our studio windows. There is a unique lower church, used for
all masses except special ones for Christmas and Easter etc. It has
stained glass windows for each of a dozen or so of Our Lady's
appearances, and an indoor Lourdes grotto with stones, etc. For
example the first three stained glass windows on your left as you
enter are a tryptic of Lourdes, Knock and Guadalupe, with a brief
quote, such as "I am the Immaculate Conception" for Lourdes, and "I
am the Ever Virgin Mary" for Guadalupe, etc. The Pastor, a Msgr. is
someone I have known for 35 years, and who, as former Chairman of
the Cardinal's Commission on Ecumenical and Social Relations,
appeared as a panelist on two of a series of 60 1-hr TV programs I
was involved with as consultant producer. An important association
if our project of independent lay initiative ever gets challenged.
The artifacts of your home Mary Garden sound superb, making the
garden so much more of a personal expression of devotion.
Lauretta Santarossa, 07 May 2000
We had a wonderful day yesterday at St. Michael's College for the
"Grow a Mary Garden" workshop. It was an absolutely beautiful
gardening day here which may have accounted for the fact that not
all the registered participants showed up. Plus the fact that they
switched the classroom at the last minute. As it was, we had 9 women
who were absolutely lovely and quite enthused, including two women
from a parent's group for a new Catholic High School north of
Toronto in a town called Nobleton. The new School will be called
"St. Mary's" and so someone suggested they come to the workshop
because they would very much like to have a Mary Garden at the new
school, possibly using the students to do the work etc. The
participants ran the gamut from a Master Gardener to an 80 year old
lady who said she try and try for years and stuff would never work.
she was quite funny really.
Your slide lecture worked beautifully. Of course, I did not read it
verbatim but there was so much good stuff there that I ran with the
whole thing adding comments here and there throughout the
presentation so that I didn't completely steal all your words and
gave you appropriate acknowledgement when necessary. I also made
sure they took down the address of the website.
Along with Vincenzina's book (all the copies I had - 8 - sold
immediately!) I brought my own books on gardening - one just bought
the day before called Spiritual Gardening by Peg Streep and a book
on the Goddess by Jalaya Bonheim which had great photos plus a
wonderful 8th C. Irish Litany to our Lady. Als, a wonderful little
book of I picked up in Washington last week called In a Japanese
Garden with a truly deeply poetic and spiritual text by Charmaine
Aserappa with absolutely wonderful woodcuts by Akiko Naomura. I
picked it up at the Discovery store in Union Station - a real little
gem.
For me, the highlight of the whole weekend was having my good
friends from Madonna House help me in the afternoon - they are the
real gardeners, I told the class, while I was merely an
"enthusiast". All of which is true. Fr. Ron Cafeo gave a
spirituality of gardening and taking care of the earth from the
Madonna House perspective. He did a dish planting of cactuses with
my little wooden statue of O L of Guadelupe. Mary Davis, who has
been a Madonna House staff worker since 1953(!) gave a great talk on
composting, seed germination and ecology.
The class were very appreciative and the evaluation sheets said
among other things - all very positive - that "This was an
opportunity not to be missed. An excellent presentation appreciated
by a friendly and co-operative group". The day went from 10 to 3
with a one hour break for lunch. We gave the participants plane of
time to look through the materials we had brought.
And the Madonna House people had brought a Rosemary Plant as a
little gift for each participant!
So we had a wonderful time - teachers and students. There was also
quite an interest in planting with native species so we talked a
bit about that too. As you know, between Mary and gardening, there
is never enough or too much to say.
I can't thank you enough for the slides and will return them
tomorrow. I did not get them duplicated but I will copy the notes
in case I am ever called to do this again. I would actually like to
assemble my own.
Did I mention I went to Annapolis to look at the Mary Garden there
and took a few photos. Of course, hardly anything was out so it
wasn't in it's glory. I liked how they had the plant names on the
stones and they do have a really lovely fountain of Mary and the
Christ child as the focus. Then the next day we went to the National
Shrine in DC to see how the Mary Garden was shaping up and it was
still all just dug up dirt. But I think they'll have plenty of time
before 10th of June.
If I get a chance, tomorrow I will ask Maria, on of our staff, to
scan some of the photos I took while away. One interesting series
was of a mural on the side of a building just a block down from the
Cathedral in Baltimore. It is of "My Sister's Garden" , a garden of
over 100 flowers, painted on the wall, each designed by a homeless
woman. I used it to illustrate the idea that even if you don't have
a real garden, or any space, you could always paint a Mary Garden.
Didn't one of your slide mention paintings called "Mary Gardens"?
I'll be sending you a copy of the poster with the returned slides
and anything else that I hope you might find of interest.
With heartfelt thanks,
John Stokes, 10 May 2000
Many thanks for the great photos.
Your Lenten Rose indeed bloomed beautifully. As urban nomad, I am
dependent on the plantings of others for my outdoor Mary Gardens,
and when in Phila. I view as my Mary Garden a little patch in a
public square containing 2 each Our Lady's milkdrops (and tears),
Pulmonaria; Lenten Rose; and Assumption Lily, Hosta plantaginea.
The square also has extensive plantings of daffodils, crocus,
tulips, iris, bluebells , pansies and impatiens, but the three in
the patch are the only little Mary Garden niche.
John Stokes, 10 May 2000
Thanks for the joyous report on your Mary Garden workshop at St.
Michael's College. Congratulations on such a beautiful event. I'll
look forward to receiving a copy of the poster.
Did you audiotape any of the sessions? We've done this from the
very start of our lectures and conferences since 1951. (I recall
those days of reel tape recorder hum, uneven tape speed, etc.) In
the early '80's I copied all the earlier tapes to better quality,
longer lasting tapes, and will have to listen to them all again.
(They're in storage in Massachusetts.)
It is great that a new school Mary Garden will be one result of the
workshop! I hope that the Madonna House participants with you in
giving the workshop will restore or renew their Mary Garden at
Combermere, which went back to the days of Catherine Doherty in
1951.
Thanks for the book recommendations: Spiritual Gardening by Peg
Streep; the Goddess by Jalaya Bonheim and In a Japanese Garden by
Charmaine Aserappa. I'll try to purchase or borrow them.
Can you send me a photo showing the stone plant markers from the
Annapolis Mary Garden?
I have sent you copies of messages relating to the National Shrine
Mary's Garden. I don't know whether visitors will learn of the
Flowers of Our Lady from it or not. Prayers. I do hope
Vincenzina's book will be featured in the Shrine bookstore.
Yes, I'd be most interested in the Baltimore "My Sister's Garden".
It seems from my research that virtual Mary Garden paintings (so
labeled) preceded actual medieval Mary Gardens of Flowers. There
just aren't records of medieval gardens, while paintings have
survived, so we don't know. What we do have are the names and
plants of the Flowers of Our Lady.
Congratulations again on the workshop!
Lauretta Santarossa, 10 May 2000
Thanks for the lovely letter. No, I didn't even think of taping it.
And I should have. Fr. Ron was wonderful on the spirituality of
living things. And Mary has been gardeningat MH for 47 years so you
can just imagine! Interestingly enough, as a aside, there are many
gardens at MH but no specific Mary Garden. There is the famous
beautiful statue of the Questing Madonna by Francis Rich but the
artist requested specifically that it be kept in a natural setting
and it always has. I forearded your letter to me to Fr. Ron. I'll
try to send the Annapolis pictures ans MY SISTER'S GARDEN in the
next few days.Plus one of the state of the Natiuonal Shrine Garden
as we saw it APRIL 30!
Lauretta Santarossa, 10 May 2000
I am sending pdf. files of the various gardens we spoke about.
The one entitled Mural is My Sisters Garden - over 100 flowers, each
designed by a homeless woman. As I mentioned it's jsut down the
street from the Catholic cathedral in Baltimore. In fact, it may be
on the wall of one of the Catholic Charity buildings but I'm not
sure.
Flower.pdf is my Lenten Rose - beautifully blooming in its season.
Garden1 is the Anapolis Mary Garden. I had Maria gang the pictures.
Garden2 is the National Shrine!
I might send you some more of my garden later on. You'll get an idea
of the size of it then.
Mary-ly yours,
John Stokes, 10 May 2000
Many thanks for the great photos.
Your Lenten Rose indeed bloomed beautifully. As urban nomad, I am
dependent on the plantings of others for my outdoor Mary Gardens,
and when in Phila. I view as my Mary Garden a little patch in a
public square containing 2 each Our Lady's milkdrops (and tears),
Pulmonaria; Lenten Rose; and Assumption Lily, Hosta plantaginea.
The square also has extensive plantings of daffodils, crocus,
tulips, iris, bluebells , pansies and impatiens, but the three in
the patch are the only little Mary Garden niche.
I especially appreciate at this time the photo of the digging of the
U. S National Shrine Mary's Garden.
Lauretta Santarossa, 12 May 2000
I just asked our receptionist to send your slides and assorted
goodies.
Thanks again for all you have done and your encouragement. Very
glad to hear of the book signing for Vincenzina. That book would
probably sell scads more copies at $19.95. Maybe in the paperback
edition!
Don't be too upset about the National Shrine not twigging to
importance of identification and explaining the symbolism. People
often "just don't get it" as they say and once you have done all in
your power to let them know, there is not often much one can do. But
SHE will still work and weave her magic when people visit that
garden, I do believe that.
I have had this pinned to every bulletin board I own. And it is
taped to the front page of a journal going back now over twenty five
years. It is a mantra for me. Every time I read it, I am more than
ever convinced that this is truth I should make real in my life. I
first came across it in the Catholic Worker. I believe Rita Corbin
did the calligraphy:
"I am done with great things and big things, great institutions
and big success, and I am for those tiny invisible molecular
moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping
through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or
like the capillary oozing of water, yet which, if you give them
time, will rend the hardest monuments of man's pride."
William James (1842-1910)
Varieties of Religious Experience
So will she who is the Fount of the Water of Life work in our
hearts, all hearts, regardless of obstacles. It is also a great
quote for gardeners, though, don't you think?
John Stokes, 13 May 2000
Thanks for letting me know about the FedEx shipment of the slides
and goodies.
Vincenzina tells me "The book is nowhere near a second printing.
Probably about 5,000 copies sold so far." Somewhere I had the
impression the original printing was 5,000.
I do hope things are set up for a second, paperback, printing in a
hurry if things suddenly take off. How well it is displayed by the
Shrine bookstore will be key in this.
Thanks for the William James quote. I know that this was very much
the focus of Catherine Doherty and Dorothy Day. However, my Mary's
Gardens founding partner, and Catholic mentor, Ed McTague, used to
say "both think big and think little"; and "plan for 5 years, and
plan for tomorrow." I spend much of my time answering every little
e-mail and postal inquiry that comes through. At the same time I am
mindful of the call of the Legion of Mary Prayer, "Grant us . . . a
courageous faith which will inspire us to undertake and carry out
without hesitation great things for God and the salvation of souls."
My spiritual director of many years used to counsel, "never assume
there are any limits to what God will give you or do for you, but
each time he does something take on another mortification."
My close Mary's Gardens partner of many years, Bonnie Roberson (See
1997 website article - under "Developmental Articles" - "Mary
Gardener of Love", and linked articles) noted that whenever we
intensely, but always "disinterestedly" as to particular results,
pursued some Mary's Gardens objective, there was always some great
blessing, but usually somewhere else - which we learned to watch
for, and to rejoice in, with awe and thanksgiving.
In emulation of Mary we are called to share, to the fullest, in
God's action - creating, redeeming, sanctifying, merciful,
kingdomal. Always according to "Not my will, but thine, be done" -
yet ever seeking to act, fully, as well as to accept, according to
God's will. "We propose, but God disposes." Etc.
Thus, from experience, I have confidence that my concern about a
representative planting of Flowers of Our Lady at the National
Shrine Mary's Garden - with suitable notice at the Garden for
visitors - will bear rich fruit wherever and however Our Lady sees
fit, in the union of the Immaculate and Sacred Hearts. Yet, I will
also continue to pursue it, according to the need I discern.
Lauretta Santarossa, 13 May 2000
Yes, you are so right about all the things you said. Thank you for
sharing those insights. They mean a lot to me.
Who was it that said: Work as it everything depended on you, pray as
if everything depended on God. (That doesn't sound quite right, but
you get my drift). We have to do it all, work and trust that God
will work through us - even when we can't see it or feel it. Its so
Catholic, don't you think? It also let's us get on with the business
of doing what we need to do and letting God work where God wants,
without interference. We try to be the way, the conduit, through
which God works without prejudice or without blocking his grace.
You have done so much and continue to do so much. Know that we all
appreciate it.
John Stokes, 17 May 2000
As I see it, there is another dimension of our acting with respect
to God's will. Thus, in the creation of the world to share with us
the divine goodness and action, God not only calls upon us to act in
accordance with "Not my will, but thine be done", and "Man proposes
and God disposes", but, further, calls and enables us, for a fuller
sharing, and for our more effective movement towards sanctification,
justice, mercy and Kingdom, to act with assured discernment of what
in fact is God's will for us in each given situation.
This is set forth as the culmination of St. Ignatius of Loyola's
"Spiritual Exercises" wherein when our natural faculties become
sufficiently mortified (through the Exercises, self examens, the
sacrament of penance, etc.) we are enabled to discern the differing
movements (the "consolations" or desolations) of grace in our souls
as we consider various alternatives of action as envisaged through
our natural reason.
In considering the various alternatives, we are, according to St.
Ignatius (I don't have the text at hand) first of all simply to
consider each alternative envisaged in itself, to discern if the
consideration of one is accompanied by experienced consolations of
grace, through which we then know we can elect it as the alternative
which is in accordance with God's will.
If there are no such consolations of grace, we then re-consider the
alternatives in the broader context of sacred history and the
over-all purpose of Creation. Or, if still none, we are then to
consider the them in the light of the Divine Love. If this fails,
we are to understand that we are to seek further mortification in
the hope of then becoming better attuned to the movements of grace.
This may go back to St. Augustin, as suggested by the traditional
Augustinian veneration of "Our Mother of Consolation" - consolation
being understood as an experience of the consolations of grace, as
distinct from the contemporary meaning of consolation as a human
comforting.
If we succeed, with God's help, in achieving the degree of
mortification and sanctifying grace necessary for such electional
discernment of the consolations of actual graces, we may then aspire
(we are told) to attain, with God's further help, the degree of
perfection whereby we are enabled, in emulation of Mary, our model,
continuously to live and act in according to the graces of the
promptings of the Holy Spirit. "This is the will of God, your
perfection."
St. Ignatius, according to his autobiography, discovered this
through the consolations of grace experienced accompanying religious
thoughts, and the absence of these - the desolations - accompanying
fleshly or worldly thoughts; and then extended this to spiritual
elections for action.
This is pretty elementary, Lauretta, but I though it should be
included in our mutual review of these matters.
Lauretta Santarossa, 17 May 2000
Thank you for explaining or outlining what is anything but
elementary to me. After reading through a couple of times, I think I
do understand what you were saying about the Spiritual Exercises. I
don't think I am the best candidate for Ignatian spirituality, only
because it doesn't quite move me the way some other forms of prayer
or meditation do. Perhaps I don't like the discipline of it. Too
many steps. But that's probably because I don't know anything about
it really - I am being quite candid here - although I realize many,
many people find them absolutely essential for their spiritual
growth and well-being.
That being said, the "rules" if you will, still apply...the need for
self-emptying, for death to self, before issues of discernment. That
is a great discipline whatever tradition we embrace, or, as I find,
embraces us. Our individual hearts tune in to various frequencies on
many counts. We connect with certain types of people, we connect
with certain ways of being before God. I can't say that I have ever
followed much of a path that way except, because of my experience
and years at Madonna House, the Jesus Prayer. It has a way of
working itself into one's being. It has always made the most sense
to me and the prayer that compels me to go deeper. That and, believe
it or not, the Hail Mary. And the Hail Holy Queen. Simple prayers,
really. The rest is to give the heart and mind over to God, somehow.
In attentive silence. At least for me. Does this make any sense?
All that is to say, I am not so articulate about this sort of thing
and I don't particularly read much about ways of praying except now
and again. Usually I find I go to "texts" or "manuals" on prayer
when I seem to be at a crossroads or a point of indecision. I am
also much more of an intuitive sort versus a step-by-step person, so
too many steps tend to make me lose interest. I find I "leap" to
things - of course, when you do that, you often don't know how you
got there!
When I do make a decision after praying/discerning, I too am
"certain" that I have done the best thing I could do and don't have
many qualms about any actions. I was very interested and intrigued
about how it works with the exercises and was fascinated by the
explanation and the "language" of the exercises which seems a bit
remote to me and almost quaint - we so rarely talk of consolation
and desolation and grace these days. I do appreciate you taking the
time to explain this process to me. It was very enlightening.
John Stokes, 18 May 2000
I guess we've pretty much "said it all" now. I much appreciate the
exchange.
It's been a long time since I practiced any spiritual exercises
myself, although they were very helpful, purgatively, at one time.
I read all the basic stuff back in the 50's, under the guidance of
my then spiritual director, professor of ascetical/mystical theology
at the Phila. Archdiocesan Seminary, who was also the spiritual
director and confessor of cloistered nuns.
Then I re-read it all in the early 80's when I got stuck about 90%
of the way through the MS of a book, "Mystics With Hands" (from a
Daniel Berrigan poem). This led me away from the book (never
completed: too discursive and complicated) and to a re-dedication to
Mary's Gardens, after diversions of almost 15 years.
As you say, it all leads back to the simplicity of the Jesus Prayer,
the Hail Mary, the Hail Holy Queen, etc.; and in my case from these
to the further simplicity of time-unctioned flower symbols,
quickening me to "pray always". Thus, as I may have mentioned in an
earlier message this spring, each time I would walk by all the
inclined flower heads of daffodils ("Our Lady Looking Down From
Heaven") in a nearby park my thoughts were repeatedly raised
directly to Mary in affective spiritual communion and prayer,
without recourse to even the simplest formal prayers from memory.
Then, by up-reaching tulips to emulation of her spiritual openness
to God when on earth, etc..
John Stokes, 24 May 2000
Have been delayed in acknowledging while getting my background
materials out to Washington for the June 10th Mary's Garden blessing
(per the copy of my May 20th postal letter to Washington e-mailed to
our group just now).
While it's been important to get the full Mary Garden view out to
the NCCW for their approach to the planting and "narrative" for the
dedication, after the dedication it will be out of their hands into
the hands of the Shrine administration. The Shrine acceptance of
the SAMP proposal for the booksigning is an important beginning. I
hope they make a "take one" item available at the Garden. Prayers!
Thanks especially for the copy of Christine Granger's "Mary, Mother
of My Lord". I have needed such a little booklet so I can readily
move through Mary's traditional prayers much as one walks through a
garden of her flower symbols. I very much treasure Hildegard of
Bingen's "Symphonia", with which I was not previously familiar.
By all means, keep the copy of the slide lecture text. In addition
to this lecture #1 text, and the #3 on the website, there is a
longer #2 developed in 1982 at the time of the Woods Hole jubilee,
of which I will send you a copy when I retrieve it with some
archives from Woods Hole this summer. When I gave slide lectures, I
would silently re-show show all the slides, a few seconds each, at
the end, so the audience could re-experience the symbolism at the
silent level, as in the Mary Garden
I am very much preoccupied with the Washington Mary's Garden, and
hope and pray someone there will be inspired to develop and present
it as an on-going quickener of Marian spirituality.
The note attached to the Annapolis "take-one" article, enclosed with
my letter to Msgr. Bransfield, Shrine Rector, is especially
rewarding as, although I have never visited Annapolis, it was my one
in depth opportunity for extended counsel, through some 50 letters
to Nan over a 6 year period - shared by her with their working
colleagues. Nan, at 82, is very much sidelined now, and I pray
other parishioners will carry on - and keep carrying on, until the
end of the world.
Lauretta Santarossa, 24 May 2000
Last Friday, wouldn't you know it, Mimi Marrocco, the head of the
Continuing Ed programme at St. Michael's, phoned to thank me for the
day and Fr. Ron Cafeo and Mary Davis. She would also like me to do
it again next year. I said yes, because it really was fun and I'd
like to do things a bit differently and maybe even more in depth.
So, of course, now I can really kick myself for not having your
slides duplicated as I first hoped! We have an extensive slide
library here at the University (we have PIME here, the Pontifical
Institute of Medieval Studies) and I could probably cobble a good
little show together in the next 9 months but...where could I
possibly get those wonderful English holy cards with Our Lady's
Pincushion and Our Lady's Earrings. Impossible, I fear!
At any rate, I would be more than happy to send you a cheque for
whatever it would cost to duplicate the slides if they could be done
at your end. I am very interested too in the Lecture #3 re the Woods
Hole garden. I'll be going down to Ogoquit this summer in Maine and
staying down perhaps a bit longer so, since I've never been to Woods
Hole, maybe I'll get there this year.
Thanks for copying the correspondence re the National Shrine. I'm
hoping they really do take it on and follow your very good
suggestions about the history and naming and flower symbolism. Those
connectors are so important for people. It is such an opportunity
for learning and for leading people to a greater depth in their
thinking not only about flowers, of course, but about all the
mysteries and spiritual realities that a Mary Garden can explore and
point to in such a beautiful way.
My friend Kenneth St. Onge and I (I feed him dinner and pass him
the bits of china!) are working on a Mystical Rose mandala mosaic
made of broken bits of cobalt blue glass and white and blue china
and crockery. It's a geometric rose. I'll send you a picture when
it's done. It's going to be beautiful and it will be ready, we
hope, for the Hort's Millennial Garden tour on June 4! Say a little
prayer that it all works out. It's the first time either or us have
attempted such a thing.
And all of this is in a very real way thanks to you, dear John. So
there you have it!
John Stokes, 24 May 2000
Congratulations on the workshop return engagement for next year!
Audiotape it next time so I can be enriched by it.
As I recall, when I had the slide duplicates made last year it ran
around $1.00 a piece at local rates here, or $50.00 for the set. If
you can do better there, I'll send them back; or if you want to go
with this, let me know.
Another alternative is to use a computer projector and run them as a
slide show on your Mac using Appleworks (Clarisworks) software,
which I assume you have. I can send you a file of 6" copies of the
photos, one per page, for such slide show use.
I've been trying for almost 50 years now to get a set of get those
wonderful English holy cards. From the serial numbers on the cards
it would appear that there may have been 10 or so in the set. They
were given to me in 1951 by Martha Foster Stearns, then editor of
The Herbarist mag of the herb Society of America, who got them in
England. There was a miracle a day in those years (as today), and I
didn 't have the sense to follow through at the time to learn where
she got them, and if there were more, etc. I was even dumb enough
to lend a fifth one she gave me, "Our Lady's Slipper", to someone in
Des Moines (who put on a wonderful early Mary Garden exhibit) who
never returned it to me. She was somewhat older that I was, and
probably is no longer with us. I wrote her two or three times, but
she never sent it back. Maybe I could track down one of her
children, who m ight still have it. Even a color photocopy would be
a treasure. The Medeci Press who published them is no longer in
existence. Their archives probably exist somewhere.
If you get down to Woods Hole, phone Jane McLaughlin there so you
can visit the Garden of Our Lady with her. As you may have noted
from the various Woods Hole articles, she restored the Garden for
the 1982 50th Jubilee, and has headed up the care of it, with
varying support from successive pastors. She's written a chapter on
it for a number of books on Woods Hole. She sent the basic
information for getting the Knock and Annapolis gardens started.
Did I send you a copy of the monograph on the Angelus Tower and
Garden she wrote for the Historical Collection (Society) some years
ago? She's 80 now, and had a serious illness a few years back.
She's hard of hearing, so you have to speak up a bit over the phone.
I send her print copies of important letters, etc., and last heard
from her via a card this past Christmas. I last saw her in a
one-day visit to Woods Hole in 1955, when she and I met with
Vincenzina to help Vin get started with her book. She is a very
dear friend.
The National Shrine Garden, if it is to attain fullness, will, like
others, be dependent on persons who hopefully providentially emerge
with "a sense for these things", as Ed McTGague used to say, and who
thus are naturally predisposed to respond to graces sent for action
on it. One thing I have learned, as I mentioned before, is that as
the work of Mary's Gardens continues with our all-out prayers, hard
work and redemptive acceptance and application of mortifications
encountered, Mary, in response, mediates the Providence and grace
for its growth - in places of her selection. In each instance, such
as this, I send appropriate information which can provide a context
for inspired action if there is a sense and receptivity for it, when
the inspiration comes.
The Holy Father speaks of the (prior) "Church of Mary", and of the
"Church of Peter". One ever hopes that through the Flowers of Our
Lady and Mary Gardens those of the sacraments and morality of the
organzational, institutional, secular, political Church of Peter, so
necessary to the preservation of the sacraments and the deposit and
teaching of Faith in the world through the centuries, will be
inspired to embrace the interior, ascetical, mystical "religious"
Church of Mary, so necessary to the conversion of the world to the
Commun ion of Saints for the building of God's Peaceable Kingdom on
earth as it is in heaven"
The lesson from this, as you mentioned you have embraced, is that
the "little" prayers and acts are as important as the "big" ones -
and this applies to world peace, justice and mercy, etc. - for God
created us to share in his creative, redemptive, sanctifying and
kingdomal action, and thus when we share in it according to the
events and opportunities of our lives, he, through Mary, through her
mediated providence and grace, utilizes the input of our sharing
where most needed in the carrying forward of the Divine Plan for the
world.
The Mystical Rose mandala mosaic made of broken bits of cobalt blue
glass and white and blue china and crockery sounds beautiful and
inspiring. Your sense for the use of artifacts in the garden to
augment and introduce the overall prayerful sense and focus of the
flowers is sublime. In my daily praying of the Mary Garden Prayer -
pausing in a city park midst the trees, shrubs, flowers and
grass...and buildings - I add the words:
"...and through the crafted artifacts of the earthly city -
co-creations further discovering, showing forth and sharing
the divine wisdom - (we commune with you in awe and rapture,
and pray that...)" etc
It is indeed awesome and rapturous to contemplate that in creating
us to show forth and share with us - senses, intellect, will and
soul - in love, his infinite being, goodness, beauty and action, God
has specifically chosen to do so through these very animals,
vegetables, minerals, humans and artifacts before us; through these
trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses; and through the arts, crafts and
sciences creating the modern world.
Lauretta Santarossa, 06 Jun 2000
Just to let you know what a resounding success my little Mary
Garden was on the Millennial Garden Tour of Parkdale. There were 12
gardens featured - some quite spectacular in terms of design and
plant selection but many people loved my little garden best. It was
gratifying and I know know know there was divine intervention. The
columbines were spectacular and the pelargoniums decided to start
blooming that very morning. The leaves of the Solomon's seal were
giving off an opalescent gold sheen. I'd never remarked that
before.
The weather was perfect and one of the volunteers to whom I had
given the book to read while she sat at the front door (you have to
come through my house to get to the garden - it really is a garden
enclosed) was so delighted and enthused that she was giving tours
and telling legends to all who wanted to hear. At the post-tour
party for the gardeners and friends, one of the committee members
said that when the weather turned sunny in the morning (it looked
like the rain that had been predicted) " You know Lauretta, some of
us thought we had this perfect weather because your Mary Garden was
included in the tour". She may well have been right!
Over 200-250 people came through the garden. I had an old guest
book out and the comments were wonderful. A lady (High Anglican!)
even knocked on my door at 9:30 at night because her friend had
bought a book and she wanted one too because she'd always wanted to
have her own Mary Garden in her garden. It was an altogether
transporting experience, I tell you. And the Garden columnist from
Chapters on-line came and took pictures and promises to review the
book for the website (Chapters is our borders/Barnes and Noble type
bookstore). When I get all the slides developed, I'd e-mail them
to you.
John Stokes, 9 Jun 2000
Thanks for sharing with me the joys of the Garden tour. I've been
delayed in responding due to prayerful absortion with the U. S.
National Shrine Mary's Garden dedication and blessing tomorow, June
10th, and Vincincina's and Lisa's participation by way of the Shrine
Book Shop book signing and dish Mary Garden exhibit - which have
such high providential potential for furthering restoration of
Flowers of Our Lady and Mary Garden spirituality.
The special prayerful hope for Washington is that some hearts of
high officialdom will be moved as was that of your front door
volunteer at the tour. This is so fully in Our Lady's universally
mediating heart and hands - just as is the critically needed moving
of hearts at key meetings of the political "peace process" - all in
accordance with God's Creational and Redemptive desire for our, and
Mary's, fullest advocative and mediational sharing in the work of
Kingdom.
The weather, and the first blooming and special characteristics of
certain flowers you experienced, are representative of the little
"miracles" which so joyfully occur in Mary Gardens. I recall the
first blooming of certain flowers for the dedicatio