Patrick Kiernan, a resident of Ramona created The Rosary Garden at state Route 67 near Way and Highland Valley Road. In 2012, he started building this garden which features 350 rose bushes. People can stop by, say a prayer, and bring home a rose when The Rosary Garden is in bloom.
The Rosary Garden
As reported in the Ramona Sentinel, Kiernan started and worked on the idea of The Rosary Garden, after about four years he gave up managing a nursery. According to him, it was too expensive to maintain, and such was subject to too many regulations.
He told Ramona Sentinel; he always dreams of building something like The Rosary Garden. Kiernan is a craftsman and lives near the garden but farther back from the road.
Moreover, Kiernan aspires to make Ramona an attractive – colorful place. He acknowledges that there are a lot of artists in the area. Additionally, Kiernan wants to create a colorful and happier world.
He made the garden as a living rosary where everyone can say a meditation prayer. Kiernan is a Catholic. According to him, one may say a prayer over and over while meditating on the mysteries of the Bible, like the Last Supper.
He believes that there is beauty and a personal feeling in prayer. Kiernan offers to share it with those interested. Moreover, he believes in the power of prayer.
The Rosary Garden also features a large cross from a cedar tree damaged in the 2003 Cedar fire in Ramona. Kiernan leaves a bowl with old–fashioned square nails that visitors can hammer in the cross, as a source of meditation.
The Rosary Garden also made religious books available at its Little Free Library. The books feature the saints and other things about religion. According to Ramona Sentinel, the place has various wooden items that Kienan made by himself.
Leslie Randall, Kiernan‘s co-worker provided the inspiration for the designs. This collaboration results in the colorful array of birdhouses, attached to an olive tree.
These birdhouses are placed at the entrance of The Rosary Garden. Doing something for the community was not new to Kiernan, after the Cedar Fire, he built about 100 screens that people could use to sift through the ashes and search for valuables and whatever they can made use of.
Kiernan planted the rose bushes in The Rosary Garden himself. He also filled the garden with many of his woodworks. Kiernan plans to build a handyman business to serve elderly and disabled individuals.
Kiernan would also love to build a chapel in The Rosary Garden. However, he knows he would need a lot of help to make this project a reality.
How Meditation, Prayer Benefits Health
According to Dr. Health Benefits webpage, there are many benefits of praying and meditation to a person’s health. Among these benefits are a relaxing mind, positive thinking, better control of emotions, improving hormones, calmness, and happy life.
Meanwhile, CPTSD Foundation shared that mindfulness, prayer, and meditation allows people to have better sleep, reduce stress level, increase their ability to focus, and increase memory.
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