Garden of Weedin’
Coordinator: Kathy Binsfeld, 218-822-4040
Description: A small group takes care of the Mary Garden, outside gardens at the church and parish house. They weed, water, transplant, and beautify the surroundings. They meet in spring and fall to plan, enjoy hospitality, and have a patron saint - St. Phocas of Sinope.
Our Patron Saint: St. Phocas of Sinope
There are typically two patron saints of gardens and gardeners. The more commonly known one is St. Fiacre, a saint from Ireland from the seventh century, and you will often find statues of him available to use in the garden. We did not choose St. Fiacre, but rather the lesser known St. Phocas of Sinope. St. Phocas is a saint very well known in the east, as Sinope was part of the Greek territory. It is on the Mediterranean Sea and located in what is now Turkey. We are celebrating his feast day on July 23rd. Depending on the various sources, there are multiple saints with the name St. Phocas and it is hard to distinguish the scant information or each one. There are several feast days that will come up in searches, and we chose this one as a good time to celebrate in the garden in our Minnesota climate.
The story of St. Phocas is an interesting one He lived near the gate at the entrance of Sinope. During the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in about 303 A.D., the soldiers came to find Phocas. Phocas was well known as a gardener, and a virtuous man. He used the bounty of the harvest from his gardens to help the poor and provide them food. He was well known for his hospitality.
The soldiers were given instructions to find Phocas and execute him for being a Christian. They entered the town and stopped at his house since he lived so close to the gate. He invited them into his home, and gave them dinner and hospitality. During the course of the conversation, they made it known that they were instructed to find Phocas and kill him for the crime of being Christian. They wanted to know how to find him. He assured them, that in the morning, he would give them knowledge to help them with their quest.
After the soldiers went to bed for the night, Phocas went to the garden, dug his grave, and spent the rest of the night preparing spiritually for his death. When they woke in the morning, he took them out to the grave, and announced to them that he had found Phocas for them. They asked where he was and he replied, “I am he.” The soldiers were caught off guard, because he had such composure facing his certain death, and they had enjoyed his hospitality and respected his virtue. They hesitated to fulfil their task, but he told them that they were doing him a favor, knowing that he would receive his eternal reward. The soldiers beheaded him, and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself.
When you’re in the garden pulling weeds, keep in mind the efforts of St. Phocas, to provide hospitality, and abundance to others with a generous spirit. Contemplate the beauty of God’s creation in the sights, sounds, and smells in the garden. Pay attention to the flowers, leaves, bugs, and their diversity and unique characteristics and how they all work together to make a truly beautiful area.