The Museum of Family Prayer, dedicated to the work of Venerable Patrick Peyton to help families pray together, announces the 2nd Annual Mary Garden Contest. Winning entries will receive prizes, and be showcased on the Museum of Family Prayer website.
The contest began in 2020 to help families find peace while quarantined at home. The response was heartwarming, and now, as the Museum prepares to reopen on July 1, the ministry continues the contest this year as they believe a Mary Garden is a great activity to share the Catholic faith in a joyful and simple way, especially as families and individuals continue to watch the garden grow!
“Building and tending to a Mary Garden is like welcoming the Holy Family into your home. It is a way to express, in a physical sense, your understanding of Jesus’ love for His mother,” said Father Jim Phalan. “As you create your Mary Garden, you can rest assured that Our Lady is pleased; seeing the work of your humble hands, as her heart swells knowing her desire to bring us closer to Jesus is being manifested.”
The ministry notes that the purpose of the contest is to help families pray in their Mary Garden to connect to God in new ways, and to receive His blessings; giving individuals and families the strength and fortitude needed to handle new situations, and to love one another more gently and with compassion.
Participants can send in pictures of the Mary Garden they have created in their home or school. The Museum of Family Prayer encourages the creation of all sorts gardens – traditional outdoor gardens, spaces with plants and flowers on porches, prayer spaces inside of apartments, or any sacred space used by individuals and families to pray to Mary. A Mary Garden usually contains a statue or image of Mary.
“Mary Gardens are a devotion born in medieval times: enclosed gardens with an image of Blessed Virgin in the middle, surrounded by all sorts of flowers, herbs, and decorations to celebrate Our Lady. Family is one of our greatest gifts from God. Why not pray together in a garden? It just might bring new joy and blessings to your family!” said Father James Phalan, C.S.C., National Director of Family Rosary.
The Museum of Family Prayer is now accepting entries and the Mary Garden Contest closes for entries on July 26, 2021. Please submit all entries here: https://www.
The Museum of Family Prayer will award the top ten Mary Gardens based on criteria such as colors, coordination, usage of flowers, creativity, and overall design. Winners will receive a DVD of PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton, a gift card, and an assortment of gardening-themed and Mary-themed items for family, fun, and prayer.
“This is the perfect time for a project so full of love, and in the spirit of renewal and faith!” said Father James Phalan, C.S.C., National Director of Family Rosary.
The Mary Garden Contest is brought to you by The Museum of Family Prayer, which offers a unique, interactive experience of prayer using digital media for the entire family to experience together. Families and all visitors are treated to a new, different, fun, faith-filled experience. The Museum is a member ministry of Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM), a family of Catholic ministries that inspire, promote and foster the prayer life and spiritual well-being of families throughout the world.
Prayer resources, gardening ideas, and directions are all available as free downloads, on the Museum website: www.MuseumOfFamilyPrayer.org.
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