The Most Holy Trinity
May 31, 2015
Ellie’s Garden
and the Lourdes Grotto
Ellie McCool
On this Feast of the Holy
Trinity I want to share with
you an exciting project
which is unfolding in our
beautiful parish. Inspired by
the spirit and soulful beauty
of Miss Ellie McCool we are
committed to the construction of “Ellie’s Garden”, a
2000 square foot community
garden on the property of our
partners in mission, the
Sisters of the Most Precious
Blood.
Ellie is the 17 year old daughter of Dave and Mickie
McCool; together with 13 year old son, Bryce, the
McCools are a very active family in the life of Assumption Parish. Ellie has Rett Syndrome, a neurological
disorder which occurs almost exclusively in females. It
does not appear until between 6 months and 2 years of
age, which is a time of rapid regression and loss of skills
following a period of normal development.
Mickie says her daughter’s inner beauty has changed
many lives by touching the minds and softening the
hearts of the people she encounters.
“Ellie’s desire for engagement and belonging is not
diminished by Rett Syndrome,” she said. “Despite Rett
Syndrome, Ellie is fully integrated in regular education
classes with her typical peers and has thrived academically at Fort Zumwalt West High School. She relishes
time with friends and family and enjoys movies, outings
and travel.”
Please plan on being a part of this new creation by
participating on July 11. It will be a Garden Raising
Party. There will be activities for our children, plenty of work for all of us to do, with prayer, music,
dancing and enough food to keep us present from
dawn until nightfall. Email [email protected]
or call 636.240.3721x229 to let us know you can join
us on Saturday, July 11.
Along the way to Ellie’s Garden I mentioned to the sisters, “Perhaps we could construct a grotto near Ellie’s
Garden?” I am still embarrassed to admit that I had never visited the beautiful Lourdes Grotto which was constructed and blessed in 1921, just a stone’s throw from
St. Joseph’s Chapel. The sisters carried the stones from
all over the property and the men of Assumption parish
built the grotto (I have to believe the women were also
involved). So when I asked, the sisters replied, very
kindly, “we already have a grotto.” They also told me
the story of when the Assumption sanctuary was broken
into by vandals who stole the Blessed Sacrament from
the tabernacle and tossed it into the “livvy” which became the exact spot the sisters decided to erect the grotto. Now the sisters need the grotto to be moved up the
hill closer to the Chapel, and more accessible for us and
them. We have committed to assist them in this important mission. Our intention is to remember well our
partnership with the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood,
dating all the way back to 1873, to recreate the Lourdes
Grotto just as our ancestors did before us and also to
welcome newness of life through our partnership in Ellie’s Garden. Exciting times are in store for us all, by
God’s grace and with Mary, our Mother. I look forward
to working with all of you on this project in the days,
weeks and months ahead, especially on July 11th. God
bless you.
Fr Mitch
Ellie’s Garden will be a gathering place, a learning
center, a source of nourishment for our souls and for the
poor; a place where relationships form as naturally as
the vegetables grow; a garden where all walk freely in
the image and likeness of our Triune God. Ellie’s
Garden will be a safe place for us to live the mystery of
the loving relationship in God as Trinity, without ever
having to ask, “What does this mean?” And Ellie will
be there as frequently as her schedule allows; there to
pray, to bless, to connect, to bring a peace which
surpasses all understanding.
Beginning to build to Lourdes Grotto - 1921