Sacred Places
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Turf, so the committee could walk it barefoot.
WHERE
Bethesda, MD
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
Visit
Where it is
6030 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
What happens here
The labyrinth gives parishioners and community members a way to reconnect with each other and with the natural world. A finger labyrinth in braille is available for anyone unable to walk the full path. The grounds are open to the public year-round, and hold numerous gardens besides the labyrinth, most spectacular in spring and summer.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
They wanted to feel the earth.
01
The Need
In 1999 a small group of parishioners gathered to explore their interest in labyrinth walking. Once they shared those calming experiences with fellow parishioners, interest grew in building a permanent outdoor labyrinth connected to the Memorial Garden on the church grounds.
02
The Vision
The committee chose turf, and the reason was specific: it would harmonize with the Memorial Garden and the wetlands along Old Georgetown Road, and the committee members wanted to be able to walk barefoot and feel the earth under their feet.
03
The Transformation
The design is based on a 13th-century turf labyrinth on the grounds of Breamore House in England, similar to the design at Chartres Cathedral in France. The labyrinth was completed in 2001, set among the church's other gardens on grounds nestled amid shopping centres and byways in Northern Bethesda.
WHO TENDS IT
Susan Casson
Firesoul, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
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