LINN — St. George Catholic School and Parish volunteers have completed a renovation of the prayer garden. In June 2024, a small group of older St. George parishioners met with St. George Principal Lisa Grellner to propose a project to renovate the prayer garden.

“The committee decided it was time to renew and resurrect the prayer garden,” said  former eighth-grade English teacher Kelly McReynolds, who presented a sketch of what could become a reality of a new prayer garden.

After a long discussion and another meeting, the decision was made to move forward. The renovation project commenced with the understanding that funds needed to be raised, qualified volunteer labor recruited, and significant time donated.

McReynolds and her sister, Debbie Backes, rose to the challenge of becoming overseers to make the dream come true.

The prayer garden has long been a favorite spot for St. George students.

McReynolds explained that when she was the Student Council sponsor 29 years ago, students on the council asked her about a prayer garden. “They wanted a place to pray,” she said. “They thought we had a good spot around that big tree, but we had no money. Back then, Jerry Hoelscher did landscaping and sold blocks, but he donated them.”

For years, the eighth-grade class, which was McReynolds’ homeroom, donated statues for the garden. “They loved it,” she said. “This spot became an area they held sacred in their hearts. They had no money, but it did not deter them from achieving their goal. For years, eighth-grade classes purchased statues and religious articles to place in the garden.”

The garden again became a focal point when the big oak tree in front of the school died and had to be removed. Joe and Alice Dudenhoeffer stepped in to beautify the stump once the tree was cut down.

“They made a beautiful cross,” said McReynolds. “It was a showstopper, but it was not long for the world. Sadly, to move forward with the new renovation, which will last long into the future, the decision was made to remove the artwork and re-home it where it could hopefully sustain a longer life.”

The Dudenhoeffers removed it and took it to their home.

With no funds and or plans for reconstruction, McReynolds said the beauty and sadness of the prayer garden being destroyed weighed heavily on the hearts of those who loved it.

Backes applied for the Green Tree Partnership Grant from Central Electric Power Cooperative in the name of St. George School and Linn Troop 17 Scouts. A grant of $500 was allocated to each organization, which the sisters used to purchase trees and shrubs.

On Aug. 25, 2024, physical changes began in the garden space. Corey Jaegers, who became the organizers’ right-hand man throughout the entire project, removed the huge stump, garden debris, and leveled the space. Bob Winkelman and Dawson Reinkemeyer dug 13 holes through roots and rocks with an auger provided by Russell Scheulen.

Life in the garden emerged on Sept. 30, 2024, with the planting of the trees and shrubs. Jason Kempker donated and delivered dirt to the site. Shovels in hand, McReynolds, Debbie and Jerry Backes, Debbie Jaegers, Linn Scouts, and several St. George students spent an entire day planting. Paul and Kelly McReynolds have kept the plants watered and growing.

St. Ann’s Sodality and the St. George Home and School Association graciously donated the bulk of the funds desperately needed to purchase the blocks, which would eventually become a sitting wall for the students to use while praying, meditating, or just enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. Once the necessary funding was obtained, the block was ordered and subsequently delivered late last winter.

Ben Sallin became the wall hero. “Using his God-given talents, Ben constructed the sitting wall in the late winter and early this spring,” said McReynolds. “This was the ultimate sacrifice of time on his behalf.”

Mother Nature delayed further progress until Aug. 4. Parker Patterson donated his time and talent to secure the metal-framed cross — the base for a mosaic — and filled it with cement. Capital Sands of Jefferson City generously donated 12 tons of rock, which Andy Warren delivered free of charge. Quickly, Corey Jaegers, his nephew, Austin Oswald (son of Tabitha, a St. George graduate), Kelly, Debbie, Jerry, Owen Jaegers, and Charlie Reinkemeyer laid the landscape paper and hand-shoveled the 12 tons of rock.

“At this point, the garden was beginning to rock,” said McReynolds.

Corey and Austin moved the concrete statues into place. McReynolds refurbished two statues in June 2024, and she and Backes donated two new additions to the prayer garden: a concrete teacher bench and a baby in God’s hands.

The final stage of completion was near. Corey and Austin built framing for a pedestal and a foundation for statues. Pauline Scheulen donated statues acquired from Italy in memory of her husband, Roman, for placement in the garden.

The very first statue installed in the original garden was an angel frog in memory of McReynolds and Backes’ father, whose nickname was “Frog.” The statue has been placed in the renovated garden.

Osage County Concrete donated concrete, and Michael Czeschin arrived with his donation of granite slabs, which he placed, along with the statues, in memory of Roman Scheulen. Ron Hoffman made and donated engraved plates naming the statues, Roman’s death, and a prayer to the Virgin Mary as Pauline requested.

On Sept. 6, McReynolds installed on the concrete cross a mosaic she created with donated online tiles over the past year.

It wasn’t as easy as one might think. “We always kept white rocks in the prayer garden back in the day, and every fall and spring we would add red mulch,” said McReynolds. “Parker Patterson was a former student, and he came in, placed the cross, and poured concrete. I decided I would make a mosaic, but I’d never made a freaking mosaic in my life.”

Measuring 10 feet by seven feet, the cross required a lot of tiles to make a mosaic possible. “For almost a year, a room was physically emptied in my home to build this thing,” said McReynolds, who contacted tile companies and pool outfits that sell tile. “I wanted to know if they would donate to our project. I was looking for porcelain, water-resistant, freeze-resistant tiles that could survive outdoors, but you get all this little-bitty, random stuff. I didn’t know what I was doing, but Google’s great for finding information.”

McReynolds used mosaic tape to keep the pieces together, then cut them like a jigsaw puzzle for transport. “We packed it all up in my trunk and took it down for a dry fit,” she said, noting that Backes assisted with the grouting and sealing.

Final fitting was completed last weekend.

Most of the individuals involved in the project are associated with St. George School and St. George Parish, with only a few exceptions.

One of the exceptions was the evening last year when a State Tech student from Rolla was walking down Main Street and saw the ladies shoveling. “He walked right up and asked if we wanted help,” said McReynolds. “We were about done in, and it was great to have the help. We never got his name, but we appreciate what he did to help.”

McReynolds added that the project was a labor of love for the children of St. George, and she is grateful for those who stepped in to help.

“Without these selfless souls, the dream of the renovated St. George Prayer Garden would not have come true,” she said. “Divine intervention may manifest through various means. He touches lives in ways unknown. He is merciful and gracious. Through Him, good things come.”

Fr. Colin Franklin blessed the St. George Prayer Garden on Wednesday, Sept. 10, with students and parishioners able to participate in attendance. Seventh-graders, with Mr. M’s help, led grades 4-8 in the praying of the Rosary.