29 September 2023

The Marian Garden of Hope

By Marist Brother Linmeyer

Paul tells us in Thessalonians, “Pray always”.

On Friday, 8 September, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we gathered to bless one such reminder, the Marian Garden of Hope. When one wanders around the school, The Marian Garden of Hope will serve as a call to prayer, a statement about God’s abiding presence in our lives and a reminder of God’s gift to us in the powerful intercession of Mary, the Mother of His Son and our Mother as well.

Whether you gaze at the garden as you walk by, or Mary’s statue catches the corner of your eye, whether you sit on a bench in silent prayer or in conversation with a friend or a colleague, may Mary’s intercession accompany you and obtain for you the peace and hope that you seek.  May it also become for us a place where we seek to deepen our relationship with God, a space where we can silently and prayerfully encounter our personal rebellion against God, a place where we can silently and reflectively come to terms with God’s will for us and a Garden of Hope, where the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands as a reminder of our hope in our personal resurrection.

We would like to thank everyone who worked or donated towards The Marian Garden of Hope.  We appreciate and pray that our garden will be a place where everyone will find a sense of calm and peacefulness.

Ms Joyce Coertze

High School Religion Coordinator

Photo 1: Fr Tshepo Duik blessing the Marian Garden

Photo 2:  Mrs Koch, Fr Eduardo Gabriel, Fr Tshepo Duik, Mr Ndlovu, Fr. Thabo Mothibe and Mr Williams

Photo 3: Fr Eduardo Gabriel, Fr Tshepo Duik, Mr Ndlovu, Ms Coertze and Fr. Thabo Mothibe