Prayer garden to offer peaceful space at school

Friday, Jul. 18, 2025

RIVERTON — St. Andrew Catholic School has begun a special summer project – construction of a prayer garden.

Principal Holly Groves has felt the need to create a prayerful space at the school since she began there last year, she said.

“From the very beginning, I felt called to create a special space on our campus – a place where students, teachers and parishioners could come together to pray, reflect and find peace in God’s creation,” Groves said, adding that the idea for a prayer garden came “from a desire to offer our community a sacred and serene environment that would be both spiritually enriching and uniquely our own.”

As a new principal, Groves visited other Catholic schools across the diocese and was inspired “by the beautiful outdoor prayer spaces I encountered,” she said.

“Being someone who has always loved gardens, I began dreaming of how we could bring something similar to life at Saint Andrew,” she said.

She especially wanted to include the ability for the garden “to serve as an outdoor classroom – a meaningful extension of our religion curriculum and a special space for our teachers to enrich their lessons,” she said.

Although the initial idea was hers, the project itself has been a collaborative effort. 

“I’ve been grateful to work alongside Father [Joseph] Delka, our dedicated teachers, staff members and parishioners to gather ideas and shape a vision for this space that feels deeply personal to our community,” Groves said.

Fr. Delka, pastor, said that the garden will be a way to put prayer first.

“Our day-to-day lives are noisy and full of distractions,” he said. “We live in a broken world filled with destructive forces clamoring for possession of our hearts and minds,” and when people set aside the noise and distraction and give their time in prayer to God, “then we can rediscover our purpose to give meaning and direction to our lives. We are made by God and for God. Our purpose is to live as free sons and daughters of the Father.”

His hope is that the prayer garden “will be a peaceful place where one can step away from the chaos and foster that encounter with God,” he said.

The prayer garden will be dedicated to the Blessed Mother Mary; a statue of her will be the focal point. 

“Above her, a custom wooden arch covered in blooming wisteria will frame her presence, while white roses behind her will symbolize her immaculate nature,” Groves said.

The garden will also feature an outdoor Stations of the Cross.

Groves is also excited about the water fountain, “which will offer a gentle, calming sound and further enhance the sense of peace in the space,” she said. “A few large lilac trees will also be planted – an homage to a special moment this spring when our librarian brought lilac blooms to school. Their beauty and fragrance brought joy to so many, and it felt fitting to include them in a space designed to uplift hearts.”

Groves hopes the prayer garden will become a place “where people feel truly at peace and close to God – a place that feels like home, a space we pray will foster a deeper connection to faith and a greater sense of community,” she said.

A donation from the ALSAM Foundation helped fund the garden.

“Their kindness and support have made it possible to move from vision to reality, and we truly could not have done it without them,” Groves said.

The school plans to have the dedication of the new prayer garden in September.