October is traditionally the month of the Rosary. Parishioners at Mary Help of Christians Church in Fort Recovery are experiencing this devotion in a new way with the recently opened Mary Queen of Peace Garden located on the church’s property.

Designed to aid the community in praying the Rosary and Stations of the Cross, the garden’s path has numerous, large, inlaid granite circles organized in decades to form a large rosary in the sidewalk. There are also fourteen points along the path for people to meditate on Christ’s suffering through the Stations of the Cross. These devotional images helped fulfill the goal to make a space for families to pray and support parents in their responsibility to teach their children the faith.

From the start, its creation was a collaboration of many people and businesses in the Fort Recovery and Coldwater communities, which make up the Holy Cross Family of Parishes in south-western Mercer County. “Everyone who had a hand in it wanted it to be for the Glory of God,” said Hannah Bihn, a member of the parish council that oversaw the project. “The response from the community was more than generous.”

Many parishioners sacrificed financially to build the beautiful garden, and others supported the project with their skills or businesses—they all wanted to help.

“The people leading the charge were so dedicated to the idea that this is a space for the entire community, both Fort Recovery and Coldwater,” said Fr. Alexander Witt, pastor of the Holy Cross Family of Parishes. “From the concrete to the flower beds, the garden is a gift to all and a testament to the craftsmanship of the local people.”

The idea for an outdoor prayer space began under Fr. Ned Brown’s leadership, before the Beacons of Light process. The project started small, but as more people learned about it, it grew to what it is today.

The Stations of the Cross are modern stained glass windows, artistically traditional in their style. Mary Help of Christians teamed up with Window Creations near Lima, Ohio, to design and execute this prayer garden feature. “The stations are a solid piece of tempered glass,” said Tim Hart, also a member of the parish council. “They should withstand almost all elements of nature.” These windows are a beautiful legacy that will last.

The garden’s patronage under Mary Queen of Peace was among the last details decided, and also a community effort. Parishioners from all seven of Holy Cross Family’s churches

submitted suggestions for the garden’s name, then the parish council listed the top four options for the Fort Recovery and Coldwater communities to vote on. It was close, but Mary Queen of Peace won by a handful of votes.

People have been using the space since the stations were in place before Lent ended. Local students used them for prayerful reflection after school on Fridays, and other individuals and groups have made use of the garden. “One of the great joys of living on site is seeing the various ways in which this space has been used,” Fr. Witt said. “To see God become part of people’s lives, from the more serious to something as small as a trip for ice cream.”

One might say that the cherry on top of it all was Archbishop Robert Casey’s visit in July to bless the space. While a plan was made to have the garden blessed, it was made before he was installed as Archbishop of Cincinnati. So, it was a surprise and blessing that he could join the community to celebrate their new prayer space’s completion.

Now that the landscaping is in and the ground is blessed, the Holy Cross Community invites everyone to visit and pray in their Mary Queen of Peace Garden. “What it adds to our community is truly great,” said Hart. “I tell everyone, ‘You need to go and see it.’”

Especially during this month of the Rosary, an autumn prayer walk might just be what Our Lady is asking of you. ✣

This article appeared in the October 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.