Labyrinth update: 1st October 2007

Following the decision ten days ago to go ahead with shifting the labyrinth from Frederic Wallis House to a new site in the hospital grounds, donations have continued to come in. The Hutt Mana Charitable Trust made a generous grant to us at a function on Tuesday evening.

The buildings that were Frederic Wallis House have been demolished and the site cleared. The labyrinth is the last ‘structure’ left on the site, and contractors are keen to begin the process of uplifting and shifting it. However, there are some issues around care of heritage trees on both sites that have to be resolved, before they are damaged by the machinery.

At a ceremony on Monday morning we gave thanks to God for the labyrinth and all that it has meant over the last nine years, and prayed for safety in its removal. The new site was blessed, and we placed in the centre stones and other symbols we had brought over from the labyrinth as presently situated. These will be incorporated when the labyrinth is reassembled.

Already there is a great deal of interest within the hospital and community about the labyrinth. Some are glad that it is to be preserved, and others are asking, ‘What is a labyrinth?’
Grand Round this week was the opportunity to explain some of this to the hospital staff.

The Rev John McCaul
Ecumenical Chaplain
Hutt Hospital
Hutt Valley District Health Board
P O Box 31 907
LOWER HUTT
04 566 6999 (ext 8517)

Contact:  labyrinth@huttvalleydhb.org.nz

2 photos of the above ceremony