Catholic School Rosary Walk Offers Students a Peaceful Path for Prayer

Just before Christmas last year, Liturgical Designer Rolf Rohn was returning from visiting several projects in North Dakota when he received an urgent text message. St. Gabriel School in Austin, TX, needed his expertise for a proposed rosary garden immediately. Having recently transformed an empty space into their Incarnate Word Chapel—a sanctuary teaching Christian values with a stunning 20-foot Crucifixion window—Rolf and his team faced a new challenge. With a generous donor and a fresh vision for the exterior, the school aimed to complete the garden in time for May Crowning.

Rolf adjusted his plans and flew to Austin to meet with the school. Inspired by their discussions, he conceived a unique design to convert a barren slope into a lush and tranquil area infused with the love of Our Lady and her son. He developed a large rosary walk, collaborating closely with Artist Renate Rohn, who created lifelike sketches for the statues. Renate and Artist Victoria Christina meticulously sculpted clay models with artisans in Carrara, Italy, ensuring precise proportions for the final marble statues.

Once the landscaping was completed, Rolf personally supervised the installation of the statues. At the garden’s entrance stands a large marble crucifix, portraying Christ's kindness towards four children—an invitation to embrace unwavering faith and find solace in Heaven's embrace. Central to the garden are hand-carved white Carrara marble statues of Our Lady of Fatima and three adoring children (one cradling a lamb). The magnificent 7-foot Our Lady, standing on a 2-foot cloud as in the Visions of Fatima, is surrounded by native Austin rock formations, flourishing greenery, and fragrant red roses cascading over rocky ledges and pathways. From the grotto, the pathway winds naturally, each rosary marked by a stone and offering a place to sit and meditate.

What was once barren land is now an oasis for the children of St. Gabriel's school—a place to encounter Jesus, his Mother, and messengers of good tidings. In July, a life-size white Carrara marble sculpture of the Annunciation will join the garden. Midway along the path, an additional seating area will invite contemplation of young Mary embraced by Archangel Gabriel’s wings, delivering God’s message of love.