by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
LEAWOOD — “We wanted to build something that was magnificent in honor of the Blessed Mother,” said Rob Lisch.
In 2020, Lisch, the parish manager at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, raised the idea of creating a rosary garden outside the church.
Four years later, that dream has come to fruition — and is even bigger and better than originally planned.
On Nov. 1, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blessed and dedicated the Our Lady of Grace Rosary Garden at St. Michael following an all-school Mass for All Saints’ Day.
“I commend the parish on creating this beautiful space to pray the rosary,” said Archbishop Naumann. “And when we honor Mary, nothing pleases Jesus more.
“Our Lord is very happy today.”
Sacred space
St. Michael broke ground on the Our Lady of Grace Rosary Garden on July 24. It’s located just north of the church building.
The garden includes a walking path with markers indicating each prayer of the rosary, pergolas at each of the five decades with stone benches, a stream of water surrounded by rocks that runs through it, and an Our Lady of Grace statue perched atop a small waterfall.
It has vegetation native to Kansas and was designed to be easily maintained by parishioners.
“Something that was very important to us was that it be sustainable and be able to be enjoyed for generations to come,” said Lisch.
The parish took its time with the planning and implementation of the garden in order to get it right the first time, he explained.
The final touches will be an exterior fence around the garden’s perimeter, an entrance archway, nightscaping to light the path and a light on the Our Lady of Grace statue.
Lisch said the space connects the beauty of the parish buildings with the beauty of nature and will be a place for families, individuals and the school community to pray the rosary, receive spiritual direction and find solace.
Father Brian Schieber, pastor of St. Michael, called the garden “the fruit of the work and sacrifices of so many parishioners” and said “it speaks to parishioners’ love and devotion for Our Blessed Mother.”
“In an increasingly busy and often chaotic world, the rosary garden will be an oasis of peace,” he said. “What a gift to have this sacred space to come together as God’s family to pray the rosary with Our Mother Mary!”
Barb Trum, whose husband Deacon Greg Trum was a key leader in planning the garden, is amazed by the transformed space.
“It’s a glorious masterpiece,” she said. “I’m so excited for St. Michael’s to have this on their campus.
“It’s a legacy for all the children coming to St. Michael’s and the parishioners.”
Shared vision
When Lisch reached out to Deacon Trum for his help with the garden, he was thrilled.
“It’s not a normal project where you’re building a building,” said Deacon Trum. “You’re building something for the glory of God, and that’s so exciting.”
Deacon Trum said the input of parishioners was vital, and the first step organizers took was hosting town hall meetings to hear what they wanted in a rosary garden.
The goal was to keep the space natural, “something that would be very serene,” he said.
“The water features are quiet,” he continued, “but they have a very meditative background noise to them, so it shuts out some of the parking lot and adjacent areas.
“When you go there, its intent is to be very peaceful and allow you to just focus on some prayer.”
Deacon Trum has already witnessed the fruits of the garden.
“It’s amazing how many families you see coming by and excited for this to be completed, so that they can be in there with their children praying the rosary,” he said.
Growing devotion
So far, more than 80 people have financially supported the rosary garden, and more than 100 have committed to praying for its success.
Lisch’s wife Tracey organized a living rosary, where one person commits to praying one decade of one of the mysteries of the rosary each day.
“We know Our Lady hears our prayers,” said Tracey, “and trust she answers in ways better than we could ever imagine or hope for.
“We don’t always immediately realize the fruits of our prayer, but in this case, we certainly see the fruits through the love and support we have witnessed, and in the beauty of the garden as it unfolds.”
Lisch believes the garden is the perfect addition to St. Michael and the wider community.
“There has been an increased devotion to Our Mother Mary over the recent years at St. Michael,” he said, “and I think this is going to be a wonderful outlet for people to be able to continue and grow their devotion to the Blessed Mother.”
“It’s going to be open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day,” he added. “Everybody is welcome to come and partake in the beauty that is this rosary garden.”
To learn more about the Our Lady of Grace Rosary Garden, visit the website at: stmichaelcp.org/rosary-garden.
