Saint Stephen’s building memorial labyrinth

As the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting on June 16, 2022, draws nearer, leadership at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Cahaba Heights is working to provide the community with a space to honor the victims and spend time in prayer and meditation.

A memorial labyrinth, which will be accessible from the church’s back parking lot, will be built, said the Rev. John Burruss, rector at Saint Stephen’s. The labyrinth will pay tribute to Bart Rainey, Sharon Yeager and Jane Pounds, the three victims of last summer’s shooting during a potluck dinner.

Labyrinths, which are not mazes but are instead a singular path, have been part of the Christian church for thousands of years, serving as a “place of reflection,” Burruss said. Those who enter the labyrinth can spend time praying and meditating as they walk toward the center and on their way back out. It is a practice meant to help someone “center themselves,” Burruss said.

Members of the Vestavia Hills City Council recently heard from the project’s leaders at the city’s strategic planning session in February.

“You surrounded us with love and support after that tragedy and we felt it, and we want to say thank you,” Leslie Carlisle, one of the project leaders, told city leaders.

Burrus said that a community “defines people’s lives.”

“I’ve never felt being part of something so strong and powerful,” Burruss said.

In response to the violence, Burruss said the church wanted to continue reaching out and loving its neighbors, and part of that response is creating an ADA-accessible labyrinth that will be open to the community.

“The most generous response to violence is to commit to being in relationship with each other,” Burruss said. 

Seeing the outpouring of love and support has meant a lot to Burruss since the shooting, he said.

“It’s been the most difficult and the most beautiful several months of my life,” Burruss said. “To be part of this is deeply humbling.”

Burruss said the church’s goal is to be intentional about relationships and that this community project is one way they are doing so.

The church has also added more emergency defibrillators around campus, along with more security cameras and an off-duty police officer. The church has also undergone security and safety assessments, along with a new, up-to-date floor plan.

The proposed cost of the project is about $300,000. More than $50,000 has been raised so far through gifts given from the Green Bow fundraiser, a grant from Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation and other individual contributions, Burruss said. The city is not slated to provide any funding for the project at this time, at the church’s request. However, City Manager Jeff Downes said they will use their communication channels to get the word out about the project.

“We have a unique opportunity to disavow hate and revenge and lean in bravely to our faith,” said another project leader, Katherine Owens.

To access the labyrinth, go up the stairs in the back parking lot to the patio. There are plans to pave the path behind Carpenter Hall so the labyrinth is accessible when the building is locked, but initially, those who cannot use the stairs can use the elevator in the Parish Hall while work is completed, Burruss said.

The project is expected to be complete before June 16, Burruss said.

To give toward the construction effort, mail a check to the church, visit ssechurch.org or donate at givebutter.com/labyrinth.