Despite recent challenges, St. Andrew’s community garden still available to public

(Seguin) — A local congregation again wants to shine a light on its community garden, and remind folks that it’s for everyone. The community garden at St. Andrew’s Episcol Church is located right across the street from the church in downtown Seguin.  

Father Stephen Shortess says church members wanted to provide this gift for everyone to enjoy. 

“We had a big kind of open field over there across Crockett Street, and they said, ‘what a wonderful thing it would be to put a garden here.’ There’s no real garden space in downtown Seguin and it is a wonderful place for not only the church to gather and pray and wander and sit amongst, you know, God’s creation, but also, a wonderful invitation to the community,” said Shortess. 

The garden has been well received, and that’s one of the reasons why they again want to encourage the community to take advantage of this space.  

“It’s been a wonderful gesture by the people here at St. Andrews to really provide a beautiful space to the community and to cherish, really. I think, not just the holy grounds of St. Andrews, but the holiness of the wider community,” said Shortess. 

While the space has been enjoyed by many, there have been some challenges. Recently, some of the lights have been stolen, and there have been instances of dumping at the location.

“We’ve tried to decorate it much like the trees on town square are decorated. We don’t have the large hanging lights that drape over, but we have Christmas lights that go around the trunks of the trees that we are in the process of replacing. 

But we also have some spotlights up in the trees that allow the paths to be lighted — even at night. And then we draped lights along our fence. You see a lot of times at restaurants, larger kind of bulky hanging lights and we draped those along our fence. Someone came and  while we were in a meeting the other night at church, someone came and took him off the fence. I guess, you know, just stole them. I pray they needed them more than we did. But again, the garden is for the community, and you’re not taking just from the church. You’re also taking from the neighborhood around here,” said Shortess.  

It was a disappointing situation, but Father Shortess says they understand what they are called to do as a congregation. He says they will continue to make this a special place for the community. 

“So, whoever did take things or who may have dumped TV’s or what not — I would say first and foremost, please know that this Community has already forgiven those things. We are going to replace the lights and we’re going to continue to do our part in making sure that this is a safe place for all people to come and to gather, and we’re going to continue to work to hopefully be that model of stewardship in life as a church in this community,” said Shortess. 

The lights that were lost, or the dumping that has taken place, is not going to stop St. Andrew’s from continuing to make this a space for all to enjoy. 

“We purposely put a sign out in front of our garden that this is St. Andrews Community Garden. It isn’t St. Andrews Church Garden. It is a place that is intended to be constantly open and hopefully, in that openness, it is a reflection of who we want to be. Going forward…as a group of people open with our hearts and our doors, outwardly facing the community, welcoming all people, and we just ask that people help us in cherishing this wonderful space,” said Shortess. 

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is located at 201 E. Nolte St., and its community garden is located across Crockett Street, just east of the church building.