In fall 2012, St. Luke’s constructed the Eastport Memorial Labyrinth on our expansive grounds along Bay Ridge Avenue. The labyrinth is an ancient tool for walking meditation and prayer and is common to many faith traditions and cultures. A labyrinth is also a sacred space that offers healing, inspiration, and peace.  The Eastport Memorial Labyrinth is close to 50 feet in diameter and has seven circuits around the center. The design is a modified version of the famous labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.

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The labyrinth is open and available for walking 365 days a year, from dawn to dusk.

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The next Walk will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024 in celebration of St. Francis - Blessing of the Animals.

 

The founding donation for the Eastport Memorial Labyrinth was given in memory of Ned Hall, a long-time member of St. Luke’s, by his family. Ned was a lifetime resident of Anne Arundel County and lived five plus decades in Annapolis. He was active in many local organizations, including Severn River Association, Severn River Land Trust, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the Anne Arundel County Forestry Board, and many more. He died in 2010.

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Having a labyrinth at St. Luke’s was a vision of Ned’s from the time he first learned about labyrinths in 2001. As an environmentalist, he valued deeply the open space that St. Luke’s had managed to preserve over the years. He felt it was extremely important to keep that space for future generations to enjoy. He also believed that this vast oasis in a busy urban area would be an ideal spot for the placement of a labyrinth. He always said, “We must leave the world a better place than we found it,” says his wife of fifty years, Alice. 

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In keeping with Ned’s care and concern for the environment, the Eastport Memorial Labyrinth was constructed to be in harmony with its surroundings and create very little impact on the environment. Its grassy paths are bordered by stone pavers, giving the impression that the labyrinth grew organically out of the ground. The addition of native trees, a stone bench, and informational signs create an oasis of peace in a busy urban environment.

 

Donations toward the ongoing ministry of the Eastport Memorial Labyrinth are gladly accepted at any time.  Mailed checks may be made out to St. Luke’s with the memo “Labyrinth Fund.”