Grace Church to Hold Garden Dedication This Weekend

For the past year, the members of in Dover have been working to create an outdoor sacred space that will be a haven for all who enter it. It has long been the desire of the pastors, Reverends Peter and Amy DiSanto, to add a space adjacent to the church which would allow for outdoor worship and contemplation.

All are welcome to join in the celebration of the completion of the Blessing of the Garden at Grace on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 12 noon. The service will be followed by a luncheon for all. The celebration will continue on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 9:30 a.m., with the first celebration of the Eucharist at the Garden Altar.

The DiSantos recall that gardens have long been a symbol of paradise and that man has been cultivating gardens since the dawn of time. “The word paradise is actually derived from the ancient Persian word for garden. Even in our modern world, the pleasures of sitting or walking through a garden continue to console and inspire us”, Reverend Peter DiSanto said. “Gardens allow us to co-operate with the forces of nature and open us up to connect to the spiritual element of life.”

Work on the garden began in August of last year and is now nearing completion. Countless volunteers from within the church and from the community at large have contributed their donations and a wide variety of skills to the project, including design work, excavating, stone and metal craft, painting and landscaping. Reverend Peter DiSanto himself crafted the beautiful stonework visible throughout the garden.  

For more information about the Garden project call Grace Church at 508-785-3500, or visit the website www.dovergrace.org.