The Cultural Arts Committee at St. Mary's Church in Auburn has created a new festival to coincide with church's 140th anniversary. Called the Flower Festival, the church was filled with flowers for a three-day weekend. Bouquets of flowers of all sizes, shapes and colors adorned the sanctuary from the altar to the baptismal font to the upper balcony of the choir loft.
Sam Tenney / The Citizen
Chris Molloy plays the harp at St. Mary's in Auburn Aug. 22, during the church's Flower Festival. The festival was held to mark the 140th anniversary of the parish.
Chris Molloy plays the harp at St. Mary's in Auburn Aug. 22, during the church's Flower Festival. The festival was held to mark the 140th anniversary of the parish.
Guest books were placed by each of the entrances for visitors to sign and to leave comments. The remarks were all positive, including accolades such as pretty, beautiful, spectacular and a wonder.
Music was also an important component of the celebration. Fourteen local musicians donated their time and talent to play at different times over the weekend, playing piano, harp and guitar.
Sally Corcoran, a member of the committee, said that the Rev. Frank Lioi mentioned that he would like to see a display of flowers in the church. He asked Corcoran if she would see if there was enough interest to support the project.
“That I did,” Corcoran said, “and it appeared that we could make a go of it. However, it was everyone's thought that we wanted to start small.”
Plans were put into place to schedule a festival from Aug. 22 through 24, where flowers would be on display. In addition to celebrating the anniversary, the committee wanted the people of the church to be involved while exhibiting the flowers of the area. The name of the festival has been called “Our Lady's Garden,” in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the patron saint of the church. The committee notified the congregation about their planned “small” festival.
“The response has been overwhelming,” Corcoran said. “Parishioners and members of the community are bringing flower arrangements, flowers from their gardens, plants, porch boxes, hanging plants and so it goes.”
The ornate stone structure that is St. Mary's Church, which serves the largest Catholic congregation in Auburn, had a very humble origin. In March 1868, Pope Pius IX appointed the Rev. Bernard McQuaid as the first Bishop of the new Diocese of Rochester, of which Auburn was a part. Six months later, a new parish was established called St. Mary of the Assumption with Father Thomas Maher as its first pastor.
Sandy Lent, another member of the committee, also credits Lioi for being the inspiration for the festival. She said he had seen flower gardens and festivals in some of the Catholic churches in Europe. Some of these were called Mary's Gardens.
“These (gardens) were designed to be a place of beauty,” she said, “and to remind us of our Lord and Mary and to invite us to prayer and contemplation of God's beauty in a garden setting.”
According to a brochure published by the committee, a plant historian named John Stokes founded a Mary Garden movement in the United States in 1951. He identified more than 700 flowers, herbs and plants that have an association with Mary. The brochure encourages families to set up their own Mary Gardens, however small, in their homes. Helpful information is provided on the Web site mgardens.org.
“Flowers are inseparable form worship,” reads a paragraph from the brochure. “Flowers are a symbol of giving. Flowers, clearly, bring the interior of a church alive and reflect the glory of creation.”
Music was also an important component of the celebration. Fourteen local musicians donated their time and talent to play at different times over the weekend, playing piano, harp and guitar.
Sally Corcoran, a member of the committee, said that the Rev. Frank Lioi mentioned that he would like to see a display of flowers in the church. He asked Corcoran if she would see if there was enough interest to support the project.
“That I did,” Corcoran said, “and it appeared that we could make a go of it. However, it was everyone's thought that we wanted to start small.”
Plans were put into place to schedule a festival from Aug. 22 through 24, where flowers would be on display. In addition to celebrating the anniversary, the committee wanted the people of the church to be involved while exhibiting the flowers of the area. The name of the festival has been called “Our Lady's Garden,” in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus and the patron saint of the church. The committee notified the congregation about their planned “small” festival.
“The response has been overwhelming,” Corcoran said. “Parishioners and members of the community are bringing flower arrangements, flowers from their gardens, plants, porch boxes, hanging plants and so it goes.”
The ornate stone structure that is St. Mary's Church, which serves the largest Catholic congregation in Auburn, had a very humble origin. In March 1868, Pope Pius IX appointed the Rev. Bernard McQuaid as the first Bishop of the new Diocese of Rochester, of which Auburn was a part. Six months later, a new parish was established called St. Mary of the Assumption with Father Thomas Maher as its first pastor.
Sandy Lent, another member of the committee, also credits Lioi for being the inspiration for the festival. She said he had seen flower gardens and festivals in some of the Catholic churches in Europe. Some of these were called Mary's Gardens.
“These (gardens) were designed to be a place of beauty,” she said, “and to remind us of our Lord and Mary and to invite us to prayer and contemplation of God's beauty in a garden setting.”
According to a brochure published by the committee, a plant historian named John Stokes founded a Mary Garden movement in the United States in 1951. He identified more than 700 flowers, herbs and plants that have an association with Mary. The brochure encourages families to set up their own Mary Gardens, however small, in their homes. Helpful information is provided on the Web site mgardens.org.
“Flowers are inseparable form worship,” reads a paragraph from the brochure. “Flowers are a symbol of giving. Flowers, clearly, bring the interior of a church alive and reflect the glory of creation.”
