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Mary’s Garden

Mary’s Garden is located on the grounds of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is part of the north terrace of the basilica and is situated on a three-quarter acre site. The garden was designed by landscape architect Brian Kane of the Kane Group in Alexandria, Virginia, and is utilized as an outdoor setting for hospitality, rest and prayer.¹ Monsignor Rossi, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book, 14.

Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostalic Nuncio to the United States, dedicated the Garden on June 10, 2000.² Ibid.The garden is the gift of the National Council of Catholic Women, founded in 1920. Of their gift, the President of the National Council of Catholic Women said “This garden honors Mary, a faith-filled woman who ‘pondered things in her heart’…We hope that it will inspire all who come here to mirror Mary’s life.”³ Andrea Schellman, “Mary’s Garden,” National Council of Catholic Women, 2000, http://home.catholicweb.com/NCCW/index.cfm/NewsItem?id=88700.At the entrance to the garden is a plaque welcoming visitors, which states the following: “You are invited to enter the garden for reflection and rest, meditation on the lives of faithful women modeled by Mary, and contemplation of God’s creation.”

Gardens dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary date back to the medieval period. In medieval religious art the Virgin and Child appear enclosed in gardens of symbolic flowers that were titled “Mary Gardens.” The first reference to a specifically dedicated Mary Garden is from the Life of St. Fiacre, the Irish patron saint of gardening. He is known to have planted and tended a garden around the oratory to Our Lady at his hospice in France in the 7th Century.  A legend from the patristic days suggests that after Mary’s Assumption into heaven blooming roses and lilies were found in her tomb. It was with this legend that specific flowers began to be associated with Mary.⁴ John Stokes, Jr. “Mary Gardens Historical Perspective,” Eternal Word Television Network, 1991, http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/HISTPERS.HTM
.The Mary Garden at the Basilica reflects this Christian tradition.

There is a long pathway that leads from the north end of the basilica down to the garden terrace (Fig.1). The grounds of this terrace include trees, flowering shrubs and perennial flowers with white blossoms that represent Mary’s purity. Other plants identified with the Blessed Mother have also been selected for the garden. The garden itself is circular, with the central terrace and the reflecting pool evoking a feeling of continuity and symbolizing the eternal.⁵ Monsignor Rossi, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book, 14.

The pathway leads to the Magnificat Fountain (Fig. 2). The fountain has a red granite border, into which are inscribed two lines from Mary’s song of praise in the Gospel of Luke: “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord. My spirit finds joy in God my Savior.” (1:46-7).⁶ Ibid.(See fig. 3)

The outer walkway features prayer niches inscribed with biblical passages and benches for prayer.⁷ Ibid.The biblical passages are both taken from the Annunciation narrative; they read “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38) and “God who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name” (Luke 1:49).  The first of these is known as Mary’s Fiat, or her willing yes to God’s will (See fig. 4). The latter of the verses is taken from Mary’s song of praise, following the fountain verses.

John Stokes, founder of a Catholic movement that encourages devotional flower gardens to the Blessed Mother, says “Mary Garden focal statues and their surrounding Flowers of Our Lady become holy objects which are vehicles, especially to those so disposed, of actual graces from the merits of Christ and the Church, opening minds and elevating thoughts in religious reflection.”⁸ John Stokes, Jr. “Mary Gardens Historical Perspective,” Eternal Word Television Network, 1991, http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/HISTPERS.HTM.  For this reason, it is now common for Mary Gardens to have a focal statue of Mary. At the far end of the terrace is a reflecting pool with a statue of Mary, Protector of the Faith, by Jon-Joseph Russo of Washington D.C (Fig. 5). The life-sized statue was donated by the Diocese of Orlando and the Associates of the NCCW, in honor of Bishop Thomas J. Grady, who oversaw the construction of the Upper Church. The statue itself is made of limestone and measures 75 x 24 x 20 inches. Mary is depicted standing, holding the infant Jesus against her chest (Figs. 6–8). The robe she is wearing mostly covers her body and hair. Her face, some hair, hands and bare feet are visible. Jesus is wrapped in a blanket, and both faces are looking to the right. Though the title Protector of the Faith is not derived from any particular devotion to or apparition of Mary, there are many titles deeming Mary “protector” or “protectress”. Titles of particular similarity to this one are “Patron and Protector of all Christendom”, “Protector of the Son of God” and “Protectress of the Church.”⁹ Ann Zlotnik. “Patroness and Defender,” Hail Mary! Titles of Our Lady. Ohio: The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute, 2012, http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/titles/Patroness.html.

At the top of this page is a prayer that a pilgrim could say while visiting Mary’s Garden, it is called the “Magnificat”. This prayer is one of eight most ancient Christian hymns and may possibly be the first Marian hymn. Today, among Catholics, it is most frequently used in the Liturgy of the Hours and can be recited or sung.¹⁰ David Breed. The History and Use of Hymns and Hymn-Tunes (Chicago: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1903), 17.

For more information about the Basilica visit National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

For information about artist Jon-Joseph Russo visit Studio Russo.

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