History of Grace Commons at Grace Episcopal Church
With the help from the church's endowment and with an anonymous gift Grace Church became the owner of property located on the corner of Liberty and 7th Street in November, 2004. The property was once part of the block where the famous Latham Hotel stood which was destroyed by fire in 1940.
For nearly a year, discussions took place on how best to utilize the building and / or the property. Once it was determine the building did not fit into the master plan in its current condition and was not feasible to renovate, discussion on the vestry turned to creating a park or green space with the property. The congregation was looking for a project to help reduce the hard space that surrounds much of Grace Church, fill a green space void in the downtown area and benefit the entire community.
Throughout the planning process the intent was to provide space that can be appreciated and used by members of Grace Church as well as the community. There were considerations for both church and non church activities. The focus became an opportunity for the outdoor setting to allow individuals to experience a peaceful quite moment to reflect on personal awareness or their relationship with God.
With the idea of personal reflection, the concept of a labyrinth was introduced. Members of the committee familiar with labyrinths discussed how walking the labyrinth path is one of many tools to enhance prayer, contemplation, meditation, and/or personal growth. Labyrinths are found in many cultures around the world dating as far back as 3,500 years. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth is unicursal, having a single path leading to the center with no loops, cul-de-sacs or forks. Many community organizations, churches and retreat centers are making labyrinth walks available for public use for prayer, meditation, contemplation or personal growth. The labyrinth walk is popular with a growing number of people because of its simplicity and the ability to approach its paths on individual terms.
While labyrinths are widely used in other parts of the country there are but a few labyrinths in the state of Kentucky. Incorporating a labyrinth into Grace Church's campus was viewed as a unique offering for not only the congregation but for Hopkinsville and regional communities. Marty Kermeen, with Labyrinths in stone from Yorkville, IL, was commissioned to construct the artistic paver stone labyrinth. Nearly four years after purchasing the property it was completed in October of 2008. A community ribbon cutting was held Tuesday, May 26, 2009 and Bishop Ted Gulick blessed and dedicated the space on Sunday, July 19, 2009.