WESTFIELD-After years of planning and painstaking detailed work on a comprehensive catalogue of all the plant life on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center, the dedication and blessing of the Providence Arboretum was official on Sunday afternoon.
Sr. Elizabeth Oleksak, S.P., foundress of Genesis 40 years ago, shared the story of the Providence Arboretum during a special ceremony in the Carriage House on Mill Street. More than 50 guests attended the public celebration that marked the recognition of an official arboretum through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.
Phyllis Ladd of Belchertown admires the flowering crabapple tree within the Providence Arboretum on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center.
Oleksak explained that in 2012, Genesis staff began transcribing paper records of its commemorative plants into digital format and created a catalogue which was continually updated as new plants were acquired and field checks were conducted. The arboretum sits on 19 acres that was originally settled in the 1500’s by the Native American tribe Waranoak of the Algonquin Nation.
“The Algonquin conception of property was that land was not thought of as individual property of any one person but rather a sovereign right of a whole person to their political and ecological territory,” said Oleksak. “We try to live all that out here now by sharing our land with others as well as the community of wildlife that call Genesis home.”
Oleksak added that many of the trees on the property are descendants of the communities that flourished in the 1500’s.
“By the end of the 1800’s, the Crane estate was located on the property and trees were planted most likely for beauty, reflection of the Divine, and to act as a sound barrier from activity from the Crane paper mill at the end of the street,” said Oleksak.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield purchased the acreage and a 26-room Manor House in 1929, and the home served as novitiate for the Sisters of Providence until 1932. The manor then became the residence for the ministry to unwed mothers until 1975. In 1976, the Genesis Spiritual Life Center was founded by the Sisters in expansion and continuation of their ministries of healing.
“Our programs began with marriage counseling and transcendental meditation,” said Oleksak. “This land has become a home for hope and healing for many over the years and the trees were a great part of that hope, healing and the experience of God.”
During the Blessing, Fr. Brian McGrath, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Agawam, read a passage from the Book of Genesis, and then from a bowl of rain water that had been collected from Saturday night’s storm, took a small tree branch that had fallen, dipped it into the water and blessed all those inside the Carriage House.
“Since our blessing could not be conducted outside due to the weather, please take this blessing and share it with the trees and plants when you walk the grounds,” he said.
The Providence Arboretum was officially dedicated and blessed on Sunday on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center. Each tree and plant now has a designated plaque. The family of Mary Ann Fox, who passed in 2008, had purchased a mountain laurel in her memory that same year since she had been a volunteer tending to the plants on the Genesis grounds for many years.
Oleksak also thanked Kathleen Kitka, the landscape and collections manager for Highstead, who had volunteered countless hours working with Oleksak on weekends to ensure that the arboretum came to fruition.
“Kathleen is a gifted woman who explores the stillness of the woods and feels a oneness with nature,” said Oleksak.
Kitka also took a few moments to share her insights about the arboretum, noting her experience working with the Genesis staff “was very rewarding.”
“I’m concerned about the future of the planet and I realize that education is not enough,” she said. “When someone has a deep love of connection with the natural world, you can be inspired and realize we are all creatures of God.”
Sr. Kathleen Popko, S.P., president of the Sisters of Providence, acknowledged both women for their passion to see the Providence Arboretum come to life.
“It takes a lot of energy to reach this point and I have seen their extraordinary effort in all seasons to achieve this wonderful outcome,” said Popko.
Liz Walz, executive director of Genesis, also thanked guests for attending the festivities and encouraged everyone to take a self-guided walking tour.
“I encourage everyone to consider forest air bathing,” said Walz, adding, “use all of your senses when you walk the grounds.”
Oleksak closed the program by noting the mission of the arboretum is to “raise awareness of the interconnectedness of all creation, infused with the Divine energy that makes us all One.”
Fr. Brian McGrath, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, provided the Blessing for the Providence Arboretum on the grounds of the Genesis Spiritual Life & Conference Center on Sunday.
For Katherine Clarke who resides across the street from Genesis, the message hit home.
“I visit Genesis twice a day,” said Clarke. “It is a privilege to walk these grounds which provides serenity and a peaceful atmosphere for reflection and contemplation.”
Members of the public who wish to visit Providence Arboretum may make an appointment by calling the Genesis office weekdays at (413) 562-3627. Visitors walking through the arboretum are asked to be mindful of Genesis guests on retreat, many of whom are in silence.
