PORTAGE/GARY – In the Bible, angels as spiritual beings are referred to as being sent by God to serve and minister to those who will inherit salvation, often acting as messengers, protectors and participants in God's divine plan. On Earth, the term angel is often used to describe individuals who embody qualities like kindness, compassion and selflessness.
Once the weather begins to get warmer, usually in March, parishes begin to gather volunteers through groups created to help spruce up the church grounds during the spring and summer – making the exterior of the Diocese of Gary’s places of worship welcoming and inviting to all those who visit. In at least two parishes, these volunteers call themselves Garden Angels.
Connie Jadrnak, a resident of Burns Harbor, became involved with gardening at Nativity of Our Savior in Portage approximately seven years ago. She saw a note in the bulletin requesting help and knew the person overseeing the group, so she decided to offer her help. Jadrnak has since become the grand organizer but is quick to point out that managing the 15 garden locations around the Nativity campus would not be possible without fellow parishioner and friend Kathy Lafayko and various other volunteers, from the religious education program to the maintenance crew.
Jadrnak estimates that she works with about 14 volunteers who graciously donate their time. She explained that the parish’s Garden Angels group used to organize specific days for everyone to work together but now operates using an “adopt-an-area” system. The parish has all the needed supplies stored onsite, so after Jadrnak shares with them where they can find items like gloves and fertilizer, the volunteers are in charge of maintaining their designated area.
“Most of the plants are perennials,” Jadrnak explained. “A lot of them came from Easter flowers – once they are off the altar, we plant the bulbs. We do put a few annuals in here and there to brighten things up, and Father (Kevin McCarthy) gives us a small budget, so it works out really well.”
Jadrnak noted all the volunteers communicate and work well together. For example, she said she’ll communicate when new mulch is being delivered, and others will share if they plan to be away on vacation so another individual can check on that area while they are away.
Jadrnak has enjoyed gardening from a young age. She recalls that her father had a huge garden and remembers how she enjoyed spending time there while growing up. Today, she has a 20-by-40-foot vegetable garden.
“I get a kick out of taking a seed and getting a huge plant out of it,” she said. “It’s just amazing what you can get. I love watching things grow and the sense of accomplishment – knowing you’ve done things right.”
In the nearby community of Miller in Gary, Karen Simon also became interested in gardening as a child, learning about the hobby from her great-grandmother, grandmother and mother. Being retired, she has the time to assist St. Mary of the Lake with its gardens, which she has been doing for the past 10 years.
“The front bed of the garden when I was going to church had some weeds and whatever,” Simon shared, recalling the earlier days of the parish garden. “It was started by a member of the church who had passed away and weeds had kind of taken over. It’s almost a compulsion with me – I see a weed and I gotta pull it.”
Simon is the current coordinator of the parish’s Garden Angels, which includes a small number of church members, but she still considers it everyone’s garden. She welcomes opinions related to types of flowers and color schemes. “I look for everyone’s input,” she said.
Simon said the group tries to have something blossoming all the time so they use a lot of perennials but will fill in with some annuals between seasons.
“We have a very generous person in our community that grows a lot of annuals and he’ll donate them to me to be put into the garden, which is very helpful,” she said.
In addition to the garden near the front of the church, the parish also has a Mary Garden. The idea for this particular garden, which features flowers that have names attributed to the Blessed Mother, was the idea of the late Bishop Dale Melczek, former pastor. He approached Simon about the project knowing she was a Master Gardener, having gone through the program offered by Purdue University.
“With the help of Alsip Nursery, I had shared a list of perennials that we wanted to use so we would have a four seasons garden – something would always be in bloom for the full year,” she said. “The plants are all marked with the common name, scientific name and then the Marian name.”
Simon said she tries to use hardy plants that have good sustainability for easy maintenance but still appear beautiful in bloom. She believes the gardens have brought visitors to the church a lot of joy.
“I always get positive feedback on how nice it looks,” she said.
Depending on the weather, the group of about five or six will make plans to get together at the church for a few hours when work is needed, but Simon said they are always looking for more individuals to help. She added that no training is needed for volunteers and welcomes any aspiring gardeners who want to learn.
“Every little bit helps, even if you have just 10 or 15 minutes,” she said.
Parishes are often in need of those willing to lend a hand with tasks, everything from cleaning the inside of the church to a little landscaping around the outside. Those interested in giving of their time are encouraged to contact their local parish. To find out more about the Garden Angels at Nativity of Our Savior, contact Jadrnak at (219) 508-6818. To help the Garden Angels at St. Mary of the Lake, contact Simon at (219) 616-1806.
Flowers that symbolize Mary
-Any blue flower (the color of Our Lady such as morning glories or bachelor buttons)
-Rose
-Marigold (“Mary’s Gold”)
-Rosemary
-Lilies, a symbol of the annunciation
Caption: A photo taken in the spring a few years ago shows one of the locations on the church grounds of Nativity of Our Savior in Portage that is maintained by the parish's Garden Angels group. (Provided photo)
