Garden honors Presentation Sisters, enriches students at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

Kelly Love

SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Parish School community, led by Father Sam Dinsdale, gathered June 21 to celebrate the blessing of their new Presentation Sisters Garden. The garden was named after the Presentation Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Ireland. Five Presentation Sisters came to St. Vincent’s in 1965 at the invitation of Bishop Joseph L. Federal to help run and staff the school. The Sisters continued to work in and build up the St. Vincent Community until 1994, when they were moved to other ministries out of state. 

Despite having been gone for more than 30 years, the Sisters are still beloved in the St. Vincent community.   

During the garden blessing, Chef Debora Crandall read an excerpt from the book Frog and Toad Together that told of Frog advising Toad on how to grow a garden. When the seeds sprout, Toad realizes a successful garden is hard but fulfilling work.  

Glenda Gurney, a former third-grade teacher, told many stories about the Presentation Sisters that showed the love shared by the students, teachers and the Sisters. 

The vision for the garden began many years ago, and this past spring, the school community raised the needed funds. With the creativity and guidance of Chef Debora, the dream quickly took root. Thanks to the generous donations, what began as eight garden beds expanded into more than 24. In the middle of the garden stands a cross that once had been on the roof of Holy Family Hall, and now serves as a reminder of faith and gratitude. At the foot of the cross is a plaque with the names of all the Presentation Sisters who worked at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School.

The perennial beds are now becoming well-established and will bring even more benefits next year. Many are designed to support pollinators, while others are filled with tasty plants like thornless blackberries, strawberries, artichokes, asparagus, grapes and a variety of herbs. The vegetable beds are also ready for action, complete with a drip irrigation system to ensure the plants get the water they need to flourish.

The Presentation Sisters Garden is designed to grow not only vegetables and plants, but also to develop students’ knowledge and sense of community. Every student at St. Vincent’s had the opportunity to participate in the garden this past spring, whether by planting seeds, bringing in soil or mulch, or weeding or watering. 

This special space is more than just a garden to the school; it is a living classroom and a sacred place where faith, learning and love come together. It is a gift to see the garden growing, not just in plants, but in the experiences it will offer the students.

Kelly Love is the advancement and development director at St. Vincent de Paul Parish School.