Cockeysville Church

Mauricio Guzman, a new parishioner of St. Joseph Church in Cockeysville and owner of General Guzman Contracting, stands with Monsignor Richard Hilgartner, the pastor, and Father Lenin Suárez, the associate pastor, in the newly refurbished Sacred Heart of Jesus garden next to the parish rectory. Guzman and his company volunteered over several Saturdays to renovate the space, which included masonry work and lighting, among other improvements. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Parishioners unite to revive Sacred Heart garden in Cockeysville

By Marietha Góngora V., Catholic Review

What was once a neglected corner of St. Joseph parish in Cockeysville now radiates new life. Over the summer, the parish unveiled a restored outdoor garden of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a project made possible through the generosity and talents of parishioners who transformed the space into a renewed sanctuary of prayer and devotion.

The initiative began after Father Lenin Suárez, associate pastor, called on the Hispanic Committee, which quickly organized to raise funds and coordinate efforts.

“I saw it as a space that was completely dead and deteriorating because a few years ago there was an accident when a parishioner unfortunately lost control of his car and ended up mounting the sidewalk and almost knocking over the pedestal where the Sacred Heart is located,” said Father Suárez, who has been stationed at St. Joseph for just over a year.

The Colombian priest noted that the hardships faced by many immigrant parishioners added urgency to the project.

“It emerged as a way to find hope in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and that also comes from my culture, from a country where we grow up with this devotion, a country that is consecrated to the Heart of Jesus,” he said.

With the support of St. Joseph’s pastor, Monsignor Richard Hilgartner, Father Suárez and the Hispanic Committee invited the community FINISH READING HERE

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