Sounds in the Rose Garden

photo by Frank Starkey

BY BARBARA STARKEY

You may be very confused by this…asking, since when do sounds come from a rose garden.
This particular garden is the Padre’s Rose Garden at the Mission San Antonio de Padua near Jolon, CA.

The sounds come at different times and therefore are different all the time. Usually there is the sound of solitude, reference, only the rustle of the trees, singing of just a few birds and maybe the very far off sound of the voice singing inside the church by a Padre. That is one of my favorite sounds.

On occasion a bus of school children will be roaming the Mission grounds and you hear the totally free laughter of the children. Maybe they have spied one of the Mission cats and are thinking of catching it for a stroke of its coat.

Low quiet conversation between two or several adults is often heard. They have their tri-pods up in the garden trying to dodge the shadows that the fountain makes in order to get the most perfect photo that they possibly can of the huge Padre’s fountain built in the middle nineties by one of the Padres.

Low quiet conversation is heard when several people are standing under the plum tree in the south east corner of the garden. This is the location of Gigi’s grave. She was placed there in 1967, always to be in her beloved rose garden with its fragrant space about her.

Usually it is so quiet that one can almost hear the silent prayers being said by others around.

Once a year, around the first of November, sounds are heard for just one evening in the garden that are unusual sounds to the territory. This is the wonderful event of the Evening in the Garden. If candlelight could make a sound, it would drown out the other wonderful sounds that evening as hundreds of candles light the majestic garden

The garden is dressed that evening by many, many loving volunteers.. It is an evening of friendship, laughter, music and gathering.

Birds in song, just for this one evening, give over their singing to violins, harps, mandolin, guitars, accordions, voices, and the organ music by world renowned Ray Reussner on the organ in the chapel.
The music could also have been by the world famous Ciaramella Ensemble.

The sound of roaming and delight can be heard on this evening in November.

Your imagination could take you back over 240 years ago if you come to the Padre’s Garden and experience your own quiet time or offer to volunteer in the many avenues available there. Help is always needed and welcomed. Call 831-385-4478 and ask “what can I do?” for over-all volunteer projects. From the rose pruning team call 805-712-0203 You’ll be blessed.