Blessed Sacrament School recognized for meditation garden

Intermountain Catholic

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Blessed Sacrament kindergarten students have a praying session in the Interfaith Meditation Garden. The school will be recognized in October for the garden, which fosters ethical, social, and academic growth in the students. IC photo by Priscilla Cabral

SANDY — Kindergarten students at Blessed Sacrament Catholic School are taught that God is everywhere. "Where can you talk to God? In church? In school?… Everywhere," said one of the instructors.

While in public schools there is an ongoing debate as to when and where God may be evoked, Blessed Sacrament is staying true to the instructor’s statement that you may converse with God everywhere: at home, at church, and at school, especially in the Interfaith Meditation Garden.

The garden is a small area on campus grounds designated to be an intimate space to pray and meditate.

"Kids are bombarded with information from TV, video games… and don’t have time of their own to think," said Sonia West, advancement director and co-creator of the garden.

The name Interfaith Meditation Garden was born from the school’s honest attempt to maintain the student population as united, despite its religious diversity.

"It shows we respect all faiths and want to include all of them within our community," said Judy Julian, principal. "Non-Catholic students make up about 15 percent of the school’s population."

Julian said the garden has become a place where students, staff, and community members learn to be quiet and center.

"I once saw a man in the garden, which shows it is not just for the school," said West.

Although the garden is quite small, it is full of elements with great meaning. It has the statue of a girl reading, representing the academic aspect of the garden since students are welcome to read, sketch, or journal as well as to meditate.

The wall beside it displays the Stations of the Cross. In Lent, students reflect on Jesus’ sorrowful way to his crucifixion, and on his love for the human race.

The garden also has two fountains that evoke an environment of peace and serenity.

And the dominating figure in the middle of it is Saint Francis of Assisi because of his devotion to nature and God’s creatures. "Children sometimes don’t take time to look at the beauty around them," said Julian.

Therefore, the garden is designed so whoever visits it is able to do just that.

Sitting on one of its two benches, to the east of the garden, one can enjoy the limitless sight of the Rocky Mountains.

During the spring, the garden is embellished with flowers. In April of last year, the students did a planting service project that added beauty and aroma to the meditation place. A similar project will be planned for next spring.

West said the approximate cost of the garden was $3,200, a modest figure compared to the cost of bronze statues at other schools. She also said the school was proud that such a humble project could be so inspiring, especially for the students who meet at the garden twice a week to pray, read the bible, and ponder on a topic.

"It help us know each other, to see who (others) are, and to build relationships and a bond with the people who come together, no matter their age," said Erik Tita, member of the student council. "It’s your time to pray, to be one-on-one with God. It makes students feel comfortable and safe," he said.

West said she hopes the idea of a place of peace and quiet available to staff and students spreads to other schools. "Character building traits are just as important as math and science skills," she added.

This idea has caught the attention of the Character Education Partnership (CEP), a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to effective character education in K-12 schools.

The CEP will recognize Blessed Sacrament School, along with over 130 other schools from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, for its "unique and specific exemplary practices that encourage the ethical, social, and academic growth" of its students.

Blessed Sacrament will receive its "Promising Practices" award at the 15th Annual National Forum on Character Education that will be held October 17-19, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia.