Story by Karen A. Avitabile
A Meriden parish and local Knights of Columbus organization recently honored a popular Connecticut priest, on his way to sainthood, through a garden that bears his name.
The Blessed Michael J. McGivney Prayer Garden honors Michael J. McGivney, who founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882. The new garden is ready to go in time for the feast day of Blessed McGivney, observed by the Archdiocese of Hartford on Aug. 13. The parish priest, who is known around the world, was beatified in a liturgy celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford on Oct. 31, 2020.
Located in a pastoral setting on the grounds of Holy Angels Church in South Meriden, the McGivney Garden is a quiet place for reflection, praying the rosary, devotions to the Stations of the Cross or just a pleasant stroll along a wooded path. The garden is set back from the road and is heavily covered by a tree canopy, the perfect refuge on a hot day.
“There was no other name suggested that was ever in the running but Father McGivney,” says Felix Pagan, one of the garden’s organizers, and Grand Knight of Silver City Council No. 2 Knights of Columbus.
Father Dominic Anaeto, pastor of Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, and Father Augustine Okoroafor, chaplain of the Silver City Council who resides in the Diocese of Bridgeport, recently blessed each Station of the Cross with holy water while followers recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary.
“I give you this garden so you can connect with the Lord,” Knights of Columbus Sir Knight Raymond Sasso told the crowd following the blessing.
The McGivney Garden traces its roots to the former St. Laurent Church property in Meriden. On its property were two monuments – one dedicated to the unborn, which has since moved to St. Joseph Church in Meriden, and the other which served as a memorial to Father Alphonse Van Oppen, appointed the founding pastor of St. Laurent Church in 1880.
The pastor also served as the first chaplain of Silver City Council, recognized as the longest continuously active Knights of Columbus council in the world. He had received permission from then-Father McGivney to start a Meriden branch of the Knights of Columbus.
Several years ago, the Knights proposed relocating the monument honoring Father Van Oppen from the grounds of the former St. Laurent Church property to a site behind Holy Angels Church.
Today, the rosary path consists of uniquely repurposed bowling balls for the black and red beads. The Stations of the Cross are situated in a circle. A large standing crucifix is located on the property in addition to a stone grotto, which can also serve as an altar in the center of the garden. The Prayer for the Canonization of Father McGivney and a painting of Blessed McGivney line the garden and greet visitors.
Parishioners, Knights of Columbus members and representatives of companies and landscaping services responsible for designing and constructing the garden took part in a recent ceremony to bless and dedicate the garden.
Open to the public during daylight hours, the Blessed Michael J. McGivney Prayer Garden is located on the grounds of Holy Angels Church, 585 Main St., in Meriden. Holy Angels is part of Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish.
