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Healing the land
Photo
The Rev. Edward Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church, Oakhill Avenue in Youngstown, hauls weeds pulled from a one-acre sunflower patch next to the church.
Community reclaims vacant commercial land to lift spirits, improve neighborhood
PHOTOS AND STORY
Diane Drapcho tugged on an especially stubborn weed amid a patch of sunflowers and said, “I think the devil has a hold of the other end of this one.”
On a recent morning, she and a group of parishioners from St. Patrick Church in Youngstown were pulling weeds in a 1-acre sunflower field adjacent to their church on the city’s South Side.
Looking through a split-rail fence that surrounds the sunflower patch, the scene looks more rural than inner city as brightly colored sunflowers wave in the breeze on what once was vacant commercial property that the church had acquired.
The project was funded in part by Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. to create a highly visible and aesthetic garden in the inner city, according to the Rev. Mr. Edward Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church. The Men’s Garden Club of Youngstown also helped with the project.
Father Noga broke into a sweat as he pushed a wheelbarrow full of weeds, reflecting that besides aesthetic value, the sunflower patch offers parishioners an opportunity for fellowship and fosters a sense of community.
He added that the recent drought has been hard on the sunflowers, but the weeds seem to be thriving.
Sunflowers were chosen to plant on the site because of their ability to filter impurities from the soil. The land was formerly used for commercial purposes and might have some contamination, which the sunflowers will help to remove. After the sunflowers have been harvested the soil will be tested, and if it checks out, Father Noga said the church plans to plant corn next year.