Who planted the seed? Who watered it? Who makes it grow?

Tending our small Siena Peace Garden has become a place of re-creation for those of us who work at Siena Hall in Akron, Ohio. We have each contributed in some way from obtaining the plants in the spring to enjoying the beauty and the produce over the summer.

Sometimes it seems like caring for a garden is much like planting seeds for religious vocations. The one who sows is never quite sure if or which seeds will take root and become plants. In addition, when I journey with someone who is discerning about becoming a Sister, the outcome of discernment is not clear until time allows the person to best know the movement of the Holy Spirit as to where the person may bear the most fruit - in single life, in married life, or in vowed religious life. Discernment takes times just as it takes time for the plants to mature and bear fruit.

As I was working in the garden one Saturday, I began to wonder, how many of our Dominican Sisters and Associates of Peace have gardens in addition to the ones at our ministries - Crown Point Ecology Center (Bath, OH), Crystal Spring Earth Learning Center (Plainville, MA), Heartland Farm (Pawnee Rock, KS), Rosaryville Spirit Life Center (Ponchatoula, LA), Shepherd's Corner (Blacklick, OH), and St. Catharine Farm (St. Catharine, KY). I am aware that several of our Sisters also garden on the grounds of our Motherhouses and in some of our local communities.

Please enjoy these photos of Siena Peace Garden and let us know if you enjoy gardening or would like more information about discerning with us to become a Sister, an Associate, or to volunteer at one of our ecology/spirituality centers.