BY PENNY WIEGERT Editor
ROCKFORD-One of the many things delayed by the coronavirus outbreak, spread and subsequent stay-at-home or- der was construction of a prayer garden honoring the Blessed Mother on the Cathedral of St. Peter campus. After the former chancery and convent buildings were razed in June 2019, preparations moved forward for a Marian prayer garden and additional parking for the Cathedral of St. Peter. Art renderings by ARC De- signs of Rockford were pro- posed and displayed in the nar- thex of the cathedral. Planning meetings were held to make necessary revisions, - nalize the construction plan and secure the necessary permits in the beginning of 2020. A ve foot bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to be the centerpiece of the Garden, was selected and ordered The project entered the bid- ding process with an original target for completion by ordina- tion day, which was June 6 this year. Then COVID-19 put a virtual hold on the lives and business of everything and everyone. Now that the State of Illinois is opening for more and more business, plans for the Cathe- dral campus can resume. Pat Winn, director of Catholic Charities and part of the project leadership team, said Stenstrom Contracting will begin this week grading the grounds for the parking expansion and pre- paring the site for the garden. and Landscaping preparation and planting is the bulk of the proj- ect, Winn added. There also will be new light- ing installed along with new pavement for an additional 24 parking spaces. Part of the site preparation will include removing the porti- co outside the former Cathedral of St. Peter School. Removing the old school circle and re- freshing the landscaping there will enhance foot traffic from the cathedral to the garden and improve access to the former school for any new tenants in the building. The general site preparation, installation of lighting, pav- ers, benches and most planting should be complete in about 10- 12 weeks, Winn said. The original timeline would have allowed for all landscap- ing to be completed at once, but now some plants will be put in when it is more seasonable. The garden will honor Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patron- ess of the Unborn. The original plan was to have two gardens, one for the Im- maculate Conception and one for Our Lady of Guadalupe. Af- ter site survey, it was decided to make one central garden with a good traffic ow to and from the cathedral. The garden will honor the Catholic commitment to life us- ing Our Lady of Guadalupe un- der her title as Patroness of the Unborn, a title given to her by St. Pope John Paul II in 1999, in addition to the unity she repre- sents under her title as Patroness of the Americas, according to Msgr. Glenn Nelson, vicar gen- eral and moderator of the Curia. The site will also feature large trees, including those already on site, for each bishop serving the diocese since its founding in 1908. All plantings to be used are native to this area of the Midwest and include a variety of roses to honor Our Lady. The goal is to have colorful plants in most all seasons of the year to enhance the prayer that will take place in the garden, Winn said. Donations and funds for the approximately $120,000 garden were received and set aside in early 2019. A dedication date will be announced as the garden nears completion. Besides the status of the coro- navirus and the ability to have large gatherings, the only other unknown that could aect the dedication of the project is sta- tus of the Our Lady of Guada- lupe statue, Winn said. Our friend Carol Giambalvo director of Catholic Cemeteries and part of the project leader- ship team, who is familiar with statuary, found and ordered a very appropriate image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. But because of the business shut- downs caused by the pandemic, delivery of the statue will be delayed. How long that delay will be is unknown right now, Winn said.
(Photo provided)
The statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe ordered for the garden will resemble this one, but will be entirely in bronze.
(Photo provided)
Volunteers carry a light pole into the lower level of the Cathedral of St. Peter. Holy Family Parish in Rockford, which is undergoing remodel- ing, donated several poles for the garden project.
(Observer photo/courtesy ARC Designs)
This is the initial drawing of the prayer garden under construc- tion at the Cathedral of St. Peter.
Work Begins on Prayer Garden Delayed by COVID
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Bishop Malloy's Public Schedule
ROCKFORD- July 18, Transitional Diaconate Ordination at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 11 a.m. ROCKFORD- July 19, Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 7:30 a.m. ONLINE- Sunday, July 19 at 9 a.m., Mass, https:// www.rockforddiocese. org/ and https://www. facebook.com/Diocese-of- Rockford-107823162598914/ ONLINE- Wednesday, July 22, 12 noon, a devotion and reflection, https:// www.rockforddiocese. org/ and https://www. facebook.com/Diocese-of- Rockford-107823162598914/ BELLEVILLE - July 22, Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Michael McGovern, Bishop of Belleville, 2 p.m. PEORIA - July 23, Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Louis Tylka, Coadjutor Bishop of Peoria, 2 p.m.
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Retreat Schedule 2020
Contact the Retreat Center to register or for more information. Guided/Contemplative Silent Preached Retreat July 27 - August 2, 2020
Theme: The Holy Trinity Daily Eucharist and Reconciliation is oered. Presenter: Br Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R.
Private Together Silent Retreat for Women August 3 - 8, 2020
A private retreat, while at the same time share community with other women at Eucharist and Evening Prayer. Reconciliation is also oered. Presenters: The Retreat Team
Weekend Silent Preached Retreat for Men September 18 - 20, 2020
Living in a Time of Plentiful Redemption Presenters: The Retreat Team
Weekend Silent Preached Retreat for Women October 2 - 4, 2020
Living in a Time of Plentiful Redemption Presenters: The Retreat Team
The Observer
FRIDAY JULY 17, 2020
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