Memorial Peace Garden
Land Acknowledgement:
This church is on the unceded homeland of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the People of the Dawnland who tended it for generations. We are grateful for their presence among us and aspire to learn from their example.
Memorial Garden:
A few years ago, when a homeless person we knew disappeared. When his brother contacted us for help with what to do with his ashes, we decided to create a memorial garden in our tiny, neglected church yard. We now provide a memorial service and burial of ashes for anyone who can’t afford a funeral.
Peace Garden:
The area is now also a peace garden. After a murder in the park next door, we added a peace pole to the space, created by local artist Melanie Therrien. Written on it is the word peace, in a dozen languages that are spoken in the neighborhood. This was funded through a shared gifting mini-grant from Healthy Neighborhoods.
Bringing Nature Home:
More recently, as part of our mission of having the churchyard be a nurturing and restorative space in our busy downtown neighborhood, we have been working to make it a pollinator-friendly, habitat garden, offering critical resources for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
In partnership with the BTS Center and Maine Audubon’s Bringing Nature Home program, and with help from the Lew Crew at the Root Cellar, and Sprout Lewiston youth empowerment team, we are putting native plants in the ground such as swamp milkweed, wild bee-balm, blue violets, asters, and sedge. We hope to welcome monarchs, other butterflies, and maybe some songbirds soon!
