Update Status of Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer Garden
Approximately 275 families have contributed to the Prayer Garden sponsorship program for a total of a little over $43,000. In addition to sponsoring 4 olive trees and 5 benches, 312 sponsorship bricks have been sold in support of the bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been purchased and has been delivered to a safe location in Windsor, where she will stay until the Prayer Garden is ready to become her permanent home.
The 5 benches have been delivered and are waiting to be installed. The sponsorship bricks have been ordered and will be delivered by the middle of June. The sponsorship plaques for the benches and the olive trees (including the 5 trees on the Alden Lane parkway that were planted last year) have been ordered and will be delivered by the end of June. The concrete pavers that will be installed in the patio area of the Prayer Garden have been ordered.
All of the necessary permits from the Town of Windsor and the Diocese Building Committee have been obtained and we have signed a contract with the landscape construction company that will be responsible for the necessary major construction tasks, which will include:
· Building the platform that will hold the bronze statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and installing the statue on the platform.
· Installing the sponsorship bricks in the area surrounding the platform and installing the concrete pavers in the patio area of the Prayer Garden.
· Installing the five benches.
We have completed (or are in the process of completing) the preliminary tasks that can be done prior to major construction. Including:
· The 4 olive trees in the garden area of the Prayer Garden have been planted along with manzanita bushes and carpet roses. Additional plantings are planned.
· The wrought iron fence has been installed. The rocks that will hold the plaques for all of the olive trees, including those on the Alden Lane parkway, have been installed.
· We have made preliminary modifications to the irrigation system.
· The exterior wall of the church (the wall that faces Alden Lane) needs to be cleaned and painted. The Knights of Columbus are undertaking this task.
· We have installed two monitored, high resolution cameras on the wall that faces Alden Lane and will be adding two more motion detection lights to the three lights already installed on that wall.
Major construction is scheduled to begin in July. We are hoping to have all construction completed on the Prayer Garden by late summer and to hold a special dedication ceremony sometime in the early fall.