During the warm month of September, 2012, The Reverend Janice Lowell, in her office, said a prayer. The focus of the prayer was HOPE. While Janice was praying, Nate Orasuk, a Horseshoe Bay Landscape Designer, and St. Monica’s parishioner, was digging. Apparently, he got the message. Nate was digging a garden of HOPE for St. Monica’s: an outward and visible sign of what is growing within.
St. Monica’s has a lot of hope for the future, with a very active group of parishioners who donate as much time and energy as they can afford, being a slightly older and small congregation. The church has an annual harvest dinner in October, and this year, a Silent Auction is planned for November 15, 2012. Several AA groups (four at the last count) find a home there, as well as yoga, Boy Scouts and other community groups. The addictions groups in particular are essential to the community and without St. Monica’s the other community groups would need to find other locations.
How many lives have been changed or saved because those AA groups are there? And how many new members would St. Monica’s not have added to the community, if it weren’t for these groups? HOPE is alive and well - and growing inwardly and outwardly - at St. Monica’s.
Images: Top the HOPE garden. Below and homepage, Nate planting flowers beside the "O" of HOPE.