In the spirit of John Stokes

I’ve been thinking about John Stokes a lot lately. His books and papers were donated to the Marian Library at the University of Dayton and an archivist is systematically cataloging them. I hope to be able to see them sometime soon.

John Stokes had developed an amazing network of contacts. I remember how elated he was when the Internet began, making it possible for him to easily communicate with his many correspondents. Some of them are in touch with staff at the Marian Library, contacting them with news as well as questions, but many are not.

Following in the tradition of John Stokes, I invite all of you to keep in touch, telling us your news, asking questions, sharing your joys and struggles.

Countless Mary Gardens have been established over the years and my hope is that we can create a database of all these Gardens.

In some places, for various reasons, it’s been difficult to maintain the Mary Gardens that were established in earlier years. We can learn from each other and be nourished and supported by our successes, as well as learn from our setbacks.

Let’s get started! Post a comment at the end of this blog. The comments will be there for all to see. Tell us about your Mary Garden. Your posts can include questions and requests for information. They can tell of hurdles resolved and report on progress made. And, in the spirit of John Stokes, they can be sources of inspiration for us.

As John Stokes wrote on his site:  “A key link in the spread of flower devotion to Our Lady today is, as in medieval times, the initiative of individuals who are personally attracted to it on learning of it from the broader culture, and who are inspired to spread it among others in their own communities.”

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