Father Gingras connects garden to Laudato Si’ call

Father Jerry Gingras has been chipping away at his “secret garden” at the Church of the ­Immaculate Conception in Glen­ville ever since he came to the parish 13 years ago. Filled with an array of hand-me-downs, ranging from the glass swans that were once owned by Father Gingras’ mother, to a piece of driftwood given to him after he joked he would steal it off a parishioner’s lawn, each garden accessory has a story.

The garden, nestled behind Father Gingras’ rectory, serves as a meditative space in the mornings before Mass for both him and his dog, Grace, a rescue he adopted 12 years ago that is hearing- and sight-impaired.

Filled with mostly hostas and ferns, the garden is broken up by rocks brought in by parishioners, an old chair Father Gingras found on the side of the road, a Blessed Mother statue that was dropped off at the church one day, and a 100-year-old vase gifted to Father Gingras from Pedrick’s Greenhouses, a local florist shop he frequents.

Many items throughout the garden are handmade: A birdhouse crafted by a parishioner to look like a church hangs on a tree; and a cross sculpted by a potter, James Sankowski, who died unexpectedly, was gifted by his wife, Mary Beth.

Until recently, Father Gingras’ garden was a bit of a secret. It wasn’t until a recent weekly virtual talk, dubbed “Tuesday Chat with Father Jerry,” that he would reveal the space to the public, connecting his garden with Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.” Originally called “Storytime with Father Jerry,” the name of the series, going on 17 episodes, was changed to accommodate the adults tuning in. Streaming live every Tuesday at 11 a.m., viewers can watch on Immaculate Conception Glenville’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ICGlenville/