The water in the Spiritual Healing Garden comes from the under ground. After several attempt at filtration by using the drop height, pure water falls into the small pool like waterfalls just beside the statue of the Blessed Mother Mary. The running water flows along the winding waterway by the pavilion for Zazen, flows into “the path of a good doctor,” bypasses the orchard and the “wandering fowers of the recycling zone,” and meets up with the water from St. Mary’s Health Club and then goes back to Blessed Mother Promise Spring. The running water merges with each of the others and becomes an endless circulation of water.
In the middle of March, we made a test of releasing the water. We held our breaths to see what the result would be after several months of hard work both day and night. The die was cast the minute; the button was pushed. Time seemed to pause for a moment. After a few minutes, the water poured out of the outlet of the waterfalls. All shouted in one voice, “We did it!” “We succeeded!” It is really an amazing running spring. The water flow is smooth as well as harmonious. It is another miracle performed by God making use of our human hands.
Our next difficult task was to transplant the flower seedlings from Chihpen to St. Mary’s Hospital and put them in one special place. Our beautiful garden is close to being finished. The beautiful garden draws the attention of the passers-by. To our delight and excitement, often we see people bringing their children to the garden to relax and have fun. How we expect it to be a new scenic spot in our area. Teacher Liu, Jia-qi in charge of planning the establishment of the garden had strong a stirring of emotion. He came to join in a project to learn how to keep diabetes under control. He happened to know the hospital had this great project. He had the knowledge and experience of gardening. He volunteered to come all the way from Taipei to Taitung to offer help. Mr. Liu has left his footprints and has put much effort into the garden. He even planned to impart the knowledge of gardening with others and will try to organize a group of “Green Fingers gardening volunteers” to take care of the garden.
As for keeping people in the right frame of mind regarding this project, the hospital will train a group of “company volunteers” who will try accompanying both the patients and the visitors. They will explain the difference between “a healing garden” and common gardens Those loving, passionate and professional volunteers will accompany all the guests to the garden and help them stay quiet, peaceful and relieved. We will focus strong life training on the “company volunteers,” such as the skill of conversation, hospice nursing and care, movies and study group. All these programs are open when they are needed.
When we planned to have a mental and practical garden, there arose opposite opinions. The neighbors complained the construction was too noisy and was sure to destroy the environment. Some staves doubted the hospital was then shy of money. Why should we spend so much money on an unnecessary garden? It occurred to me that when St. Mary Hospital wanted to become a money-costing hospice instead of a money-making commercial hospital, the voices of objection were heard. But we decided to go on because we were sure not only Taitung, but also Taiwan will need some one day. We dared to have a beautiful dream. We insisted on just doing what we thought was right. Our principle is that we will do what others won’t do. We all turned all this to God.
In appreciation of those who offered us precious help, we did more than we could. And there were many coincidences. Dame Cicely Sauders is recognized as the Mother of the Hospice in England and all over the world. In 1947, she acted as a social worker and took care of a patient of cancer, David, in a hospital. They had deep affection for each other. In those days the doctors could do nothing about the piercing pain of cancer patients. The merciful Sauders hoped to do something to relieve the patients of their pain and to take better care of the cancer patients. 1948, David died and left 500 pounds to Saunders. With the money, Sauders established a hospice care center for cancer patients more like a warm home than a commercial hospital. David and Sauders got acquainted with each other at a hospital established by Catholic Charity Sisters Association. And it is coincident that St. Mary’s Hospital was also established and managed by Catholic Charity Sisters Association. It is 45 years since St. Mary’s Hospital was established. We make careful and prudent use of the resources from all walks of life of the society. We keep reminding ourselves to work hard as a way of giving thanks to our benefactors. We hope to do our best to pass “love” on and to move all of you. We should make every effort to let love circulation go on without stop. Let’s make more efforts for a better and more beautiful earth.
The inauguration of “Spiritual Healing Garden” is to be held on May 26 and is also to be opened to people from that day on. Let’s say “Come on!” together. You are requested to see the water running in the garden in person.
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