Shrine Restoration
Our beloved shrine to Our Lady along I-95 near Elkton, Maryland was beautifully restored in the Spring of 2022! New plantings, enhanced lighting, a restored sign, grading, and better irrigation were key elements of the restoration plan.
Restoration Process:
The shrine is complete! Finishing touches included a new lighting system and white stone trim was placed in front and behind the completed sign. Now Our Lady can be viewed by all who pass by, no matter what time of day or night they are traveling! (Thank you to Bro. Joe Schodowski, OSFS, for the beautiful night picture of the shrine!)
ABOVE: The shrine undergoing its “rebeautification” in Spring 2022 as the landscaping design was implemented. Check out the restoration plans below for detailed sketches of the shrine’s “rebeautification”
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ABOVE: Rededication Day! Saturday: July 16, 2022
The Oblates hosted a Rededication & Blessing of the statue of Our Lady of the Highways at Childs. The weather did not cooperate but William Koenig, Bishop of Wilmington, joined in a simple ceremony in the Annecy Hall chapel. The statue of Our Lady of Light stood in for the "Stone Lady” as Oblates and supporters prayed for the intercession, guidance, and direction of the Virgin Mary. Following the ceremony, the Bishop joined the Oblates at Childs for a celebratory reception, hopefully, the first of many visits.
Above: Spring 2022 - Restoration in full swing! Cleaning the monument and sign, clearing out the foliage, and preparing the foundations for the new beds.
First day!
Foliage cleared out, making room for the new landscape!
RESTORATION PLANS
The sign will be completely cleaned, the letters repainted, and the missing letters replaced. Colorful perennials will be added to the landscape to draw attention to the shrine.
Landscape designer Bill Bathon and Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, discuss improvements to the shine’s sign.
The greenery behind the shrine will be moved to address dead trees and to call more attention to the statue of Our Lady from the highway. The statue will also be cleaned to remove algae.
Landscape Design Plans
Planting Design Plans (click link bellow to learn more about the plants chosen for the shrine)
The late Very Rev. John J. Conmy, OSFS, blesses the statue with Rev. John J. Fuqua, OSFS, beside him. They are joined by novices and brothers of the novitiate in 1972. This effort helped launch the Mary’s Travelers Program.
