PrepareYeTheWay

Prepare Ye the Way *
* "Way" .... approach, lane, path, trail, passageway, route, road

Our parish continues to beautify our landscape to be more inviting, well groomed and a heaven for butterflies and song birds. We want it to provide you and our guests with a visual welcome to our faith community.

Parishioners are needed to help with the landscape areas around the facilities at SJN. We found that a scheduled workday really isn't convenient for most of you, particularly if it is raining. If you are willing to help on a one time basis or occasionally in the next month we would be so grateful.

There are 14 separate areas. By now you must see how serious we are about making some changes with the creation of the flower beds on either side of the main driveway.

Dave Maher could still use help with installing the new timbers 704-442-1201. A good system of team work has been developed here involving sawing, drilling, setting and hammering in the spikes. We also need someone to haul old timbers to the dump.

New top soil & mulch needs to be spread. Plants need to get into the ground and general maintenance issues of trimming and pruning await us.

Many, many thanks to those of you who have volunteered, who donated flowers and who donated cash. We would love more $$ designated to "Landscaping".

You've always made a difference at SJN, we just want to give you one more opportunity!

This year marks the 30^th Anniversary of our St. John Neumann parish, and with that in mind, we have taken on a project of trying to spruce up the grounds. The Liturgy Commission decided to order plants for the Easter celebration that we could also use outside.

We are focusing on the flower beds along the sides of the main drive way. The longest flower bed on the right I have dubbed the Founding Families flower bed. We are initiating it with the rhododendron and hydrangeas from the altar at Easter. We have several other beds available for adoption or helping hands. We have some Easter plants for them also. Deacon John is hoping various church organizations and commissions will come forward and volunteer.

If you would like to contribute to the face lift of our parish entrance, I would love you to separate some of your hardy perennials from your own yard and contribute them to the church, remembering things look better at least in groups of three. If you wish to purchase a donation I would suggest:

Most of the items I mentioned can be purchased at Kings Nursery, 524 Stallings Rd., Matthews, or any other full scale nursery. Just tell them we need drought resistant, perennial plants, although Fr. Tony says he loves to water! Just think of the summer sun on that area.

Of course, this project is like eating an elephant and we would love for you to volunteer to take a bite out of it by helping to get some plants into the ground. Two groups have already adopted a bed. We hope to get enough plants to really make that area groomed by Confirmation which is scheduled the third weekend in May. Hopefully, a year from now everything will be in its seasonal cycle.

Father Russ is encouraged by and supportive of this project and has given me permission to ask for any monetary donations. Please make checks payable to: SJN, and mail to 8451 Idlewild Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28227 or drop it off at the church office your convenience, just let Mary know it is for "landscaping". These would be nice honorariums or memorials.

I know you will feel a sense of pride in driving in and seeing your little Doppelgangers or Echinacea waving to you in the soft breeze of a Sunday morning.

If you are not part of an organization, please join us in this endeavor as a member of our Faith Community, this is for everyone. Think of what they accomplish on Extreme Makeovers and we are only talking about landscaping.