Musical accompaniment set for labyrinth walks at Villa Maria

VILLA MARIA, Pa. — The labyrinth at Villa Maria Community Center, Evergreen Road, will mark its 10th year with a series of guided walks to music. The schedule is:

•Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m., “Journey in the Present Moment” with Jill Matson on violin. This is the first outdoor labyrinth walk of the season.

•June 18, 6:30 to 8 p.m., “Path of Non-violence” with Melissa Thomas, flute.

•July 16, 6:30 to 8, “Path of Healing,” with Kirk Kupensky, Celtic harp.

•Aug. 20, 6:30 to 8, “Path of Peace,” with Kupensky, Celtic harp.

•Sept. 17, 6:30 to 8, “Path of Compassion,” with Matson on violin.

•Oct. 19, 2 to 4, “Path of Gratefulness,” Lynn Cardwell on cello.

Sister Therese Pavilonis, a nun in the Humility of Mary community at Villa Maria, was instrumental in establishing the labyrinth. She and Sister Stella Schmid first walked the labyrinth at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland until a labyrinth was constructed at Villa Maria in 1998. Now, a decade later, hundreds have used this ancient, spiritual tool.

Sister Therese serves as the guide for labyrinth walkers, offering a brief history, etiquette and theme for each walk. During the spring, summer and fall months Sister Therese has labyrinth walks with themes such as gratefulness, healing and compassion. The outdoor labyrinth, cut into the grass, is an 11-circuit design patterned after a famous one at the Chartres Cathedral in France that dates to 1221. It is 47.8 feet in diameter. After it was completed, it was blessed.

Labyrinths have existed for some 4,000 years and are found in every major religious tradition in the world. They are geometric forms that define a sacred space. A labyrinth, unlike a maze, has one path in and returns on the same path to exit; in essence, winding and unwinding around four quadrants of a circle. Labyrinths were used as a walking meditation for the spiritual seeker.

No registration is required but is appreciated. Donation is $5. Participants should meet at the outdoor labyrinth. For more information, contact Cindy Wilpula at (724) 964-8920, ext. 3241, or send e-mail to cwilpula@humilityofmary.org.ministry of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.