Welcome to the St. Luke’s Labyrinth

The St. Luke’s labyrinth garden is open to all, at all times.  It is a place of peace and beauty for the community of greater East County as well as the congregation of St. Luke’s.

Perhaps you’ve never seen or heard of a labyrinth?  What is it?  What is it for?  Is it just for church people?  Monks and mystics?  The answer is simple: the labyrinth is for everyone.  The young and old, churchgoers and non-churchgoers, lost or found, sick or well, those in mourning or celebration.  There are no pre-requisites or obligations... the labyrinth simply invites you to come and walk, whenever you like.

Walking the labyrinth is an ancient spiritual practice.  Lauren Artress puts it well in “Walking a Sacred Path”: “Labyrinths are usually in the form of a circle with a meandering but purposeful path, from the edge to the center and back again, large enough to be walked into.  Each has only one path and when we choose to enter it, the path becomes a metaphor for our journey through life.  The labyrinth is a spiritual tool meant to awaken us to the deep rhythms of our inner life.  In surrendering to the winding path, the soul finds healing and wholeness.  The labyrinth is a sacred space and can give us a first-hand experience of the divine.”

Walking the Labyrinth: the Three R’s

One simple way to walk the labyrinth is with the “Three R’s”:

Releasing all cares, worries and expectations as you walk in.

Receiving what is offered, as you reach the center.

Returning in gratitude as you walk out.

Dedication and History of the Labyrinth

The labyrinth was completed and blessed by the Right Rev Johncy Itty, Bishop of the Diocese of Oregon, in October 2006.  A stone marker commemorates the good works of the Society of Saint Paul, which served faithfully at St. Luke’s between 1958 and 1968.  Their order was established at St. Luke’s when they built a monastery, school, printing shop, nursing home and other buildings on this property.  The present site of the labyrinth is in former location of their meditation garden, which is why this site in particular was chosen for the labyrinth.

Construction and Design of the Labyrinth

The design and construction of our labyrinth was completed by Labyrinth Enterprises of St. Louis, Missouri.

 

The design of this labyrinth is the Chartres pattern, the original located at Chartres Cathedral in France.  This is an eleven-circuit pattern.  Labyrinths are used for meditative walking and are the oldest and most widely spread patterns in the world.  The Classical pattern, which usually has seven circuits and has been found on Cretan coins which date back to 500 BCE, is the most ancient pattern.

Our deepest gratitude goes to Joe Astleford, who was our Project Manager and saw to it everything was done in a timely manner.

Many hands helped with the completion of our labyrinth.  We would like to thank Beverly Ann Brown who designed the surrounding landscape; Jodie Patterson and J. Frank Schmidt and Son, Company who donated all the trees and plants; Beth Sale’s class from the Franciscan Earth School, who helped to dig and did some planting.  And lastly, many thanks to all who donated their time and talent in making this project a reality.