A Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Rt. Rev. Don Wimberly, D.D. Bishop

Labyrinth & Meditation Garden on Sacred Places Tour

The tour also includes a lecture by Frances Gale, School of Architecture at University of Texas, titled “Preserving Historic Cemeteries” at 9 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church.

Also Included on the tour for 2008 are:

St. Joseph’s Church, Moody Memorial First United Methodist Church, St. Augustine Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s Methodist Church, Ursuline Chapel, Saints Constantine & Helen Serbian, Orthodox Church, Grace Episcopal Church, Sait Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Galveston Bible Church, Swedish Lutheran Church, and Rosewood Cemetery.

Upcoming Walks...

Full Moon Labyrinth Walks 2008
(Approximately one hour after sunset)

Wolf Moon, Tuesday, January 22 (6:50 PM)
Opening Buds Moon, Wednesday, February 20 (7:15 PM)
Worm Moon, Friday, March 21 (8:30 PM)
Pink Moon, Sunday, April 20 (8:50 PM)
Flower Moon, Tuesday, May 19 (9:00 PM)
Hot Moon, Wednesday, June 18 (9:30 PM)
Buck Moon, Friday, July 18 (9:15 PM)
Sturgeon Moon, Saturday, August 16 (9:00 PM)
Harvest Moon, Monday, September 15 (8:30 PM)
Hunter’s Moon, Tuesday, October 14 (7:50 PM)
Beaver Moon, Thursday, November 13 (6:30 PM)
Cold Moon, Friday, December 12 (6:30 PM)

Seasonal Sunrise Walks 2008*
(Minutes before Sunrise)

Vernal Equinox, Thursday, March 20, 2008 (6:15 AM)
Summer Solstice, Friday, June 20, 2008 (6:15 AM)
Autumnal Equinox, Monday, September 22, 2008 (7:00 AM)
Winter Solstice, Sunday, December 21, 2008 (7:00 AM)

*Borland, H. (1979). The twelve months of the year. New York: Alfred A. Knopf (Native American full moon names used by Borland in his nature editorials in the New York Times.)

Whether you are concerned with the world Peace situation, or just have a yearning for peace in your life here and now, you are invited to come join us for a meditative walk on the Rotary Labyrinth at William Temple Episcopal Center, 427 Market St., 4-5:30 p.m. the first Sunday of each month. The walk does not always have a facilitator present. Brochures are available at the entrance to the Labyrinth. For more information on this walk or other scheduled labyrinth walks, call 762-8641. Ample free parking is available.

The Labyrinth

An interactive sculpture known to inspire reflection and relaxation, the labyrinth is a powerful process tool which offers an opportunity for people to open to the deeper dimensions of human experience. Because its appeal is universal, it embraces people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, whether they are students, teachers, patients, caregivers, community citizens or island visitors.

On any given day, evening or night, its not unusual to see people strolling the gardens or walking the labyrinth at the Rotary Labyrinth and Meditation Garden at 427 Market Street in Galveston. The magnificent, 40-foot, stone labyrinth, a replica of the 13th Century labyrinth found in the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France, was completed in March 2001.

Made possible by a generous donation of $80,000.00 from the Rotary Club of Galveston, it was crafted by stonemason and artist Marty Kermeen. More info...

Since then many people have walked the labyrinth. Some people enjoy walking with others - some like the solitude of walking alone. One day a young mother walked the labyrinth pushing her baby in a stroller. At the center she lifted him from the stroller and sat him on the pavers. Joining him there, they had a little picnic. She then continued her walk out. This particular woman said it gave her a time for reflection and helped her relax from the busy schedule of being a mother and wife.

People in wheel chairs, professors with their classes of medical and nursing students, and many other groups have walked the labyrinth. Some walk it every day, others weekly, and some only when they feel the need or have the time.

Trained facilitators introduce labyrinth to others . . .

Dr. Kay Sandor, Veriditas trained as a labyrinth facilitator with The Rev. Canon Dr. Lauren Artress, Pastor of Grace Cathedral, and author of "Walking a Sacred Path; Rediscovering the Labyrinth As a Spiritual Tool", is also the UTMB labyrinth liason/coordinator to the William Temple Episcopal Center. She has led several labyrinth walks and leads a popular full moon labyrinth walk each month. An associate professor in the UTMB School of Nursing, she is conducting a pilot study to document the physiological (blood pressure, pulse, respirations) and emotional changes before and after walking the labyrinth.

The healing qualities of nature have been recognized and relied on for centuries as a valuable part of convalescence. In recent years it has sometimes been overshadowed by the far-reaching medical and technological advances seen in modern medicine.

Today, however, more and more people are finding labyrinths and healing gardens emerging as supplements to drug or technology-based treatments.

Labyrinth Garden

Although the stone labyrinth was completed in 2001, the surrounding landscaped garden was not complete until early 2003, just in time for the Sacred Places Tour presented by the Galveston Historical Foundation on Jan. 25, 2003. The Rotary Labyrinth and Meditation Garden was one of 11 Sacred Sites featured on the tour and approximately 200-250 visitors came to walk the labyrinth or learn more about the ancient centering tool, once trod by pilgrims in the Middle Ages.

"Planned as an environmentally sound habitat garden, The Rotary Labyrinth Meditation Garden will be a habitat for both humans and wildlife, especially songbirds and butterflies," said Mark Fox, who designed and landscaped the garden that surrounds the Labyrinth.

"The trees will provide cover and food for the migrating birds that pass through the area every spring," he noted, adding that one of the pathways opens onto the sidewalk on Market Street and another onto the walking area on 4th Street, welcoming the community.

The multi-trunked live oaks were chosen to replicate in some way the groves of live oaks that occur naturally on the West End of the island as well as along most of the Upper Gulf coast. These trees, as well as the Dahoon and Savannah hollys will also provide a sense of enclosure to those who sit in the garden or walk the Labyrinth path.

The pathways and garden beds amplify the concentric circles and the north-south, east-west axis of the labyrinth. Bordering the flower beds are cedar logs, chosen because they resist rot, are not chemically treated and can be substantially harvested.

Although pathways are covered with mulch which makes it easy to walk in the winter, early spring, will bring a mix of mowed-high wildflowers and grass. The precedent for this is the abundance of wildflowers in Galveston and the mixed lawns that occur on much of "neglected" (i.e. not poisoned with weed killers and chemical fertilizers) lawns of many Galveston houses.

"The landscape is planned with aesthetics as well as the environment in mind," said Fox. "There is a mix of shape, form, color and textures, with an abundance of seeds and berries to attract songbirds, fragrant plants to attract humans, and nectar plants for the hummingbirds. The trees and shrubs will provide cover for wildlife and there is enough diversity in the garden to support populations of predator insects. Organic fertilizers were used in the bed preparation and will be used in maintenance of the garden."

427 Market St. Galveston TX 77550

Office: (409)-762-8641 | Fax: (409)-762-0244