Maria Plain Meditation Garden (St. Luke's Courtyard)

About October 1995, two angel statues (genuflecting and with hands folded in prayer) were added to the garden, and were placed on each side of the Madonna with Child statue.

Following is a beautiful fall scene of the Maria Plain Meditation Garden in October 1995 before a plaque was installed.

In June 1996, an engraved plaque with names "In Thanksgiving and Appreciation" and "In Memory of" was installed and blessed by Father Michael Resop.

In the June 4, 1996, letter to the Dean Blau family, Rev. Mike Resop wrote, "Dear Dean, Greetings from St. Luke's Parish. The engraved plaque with your parents names along with the other people who gave donations for the Maria Plain statue has been installed and blessed. Thank you for your concern & dedication. Come up & visit! Sincerely, Fr. Mike"

Following is the Maria Plain Meditation Garden in June 1996 showing the new engraved plaque.

Maria Plain Courtyard

The 1997 edition of Celebrating Faith, St. Luke's Church directory, 140 year anniversary, referred to the meditation garden as the "Maria Plain Courtyard" (see below).

Home News, Spring Green, Sauk County, Wisconsin, May 19, 1999, page 16. May Crowning of the statue of the Virgin Mary at St. Luke's School in Plain on May 13.

2002 Renovation

In 2002, the Maria Plain Meditation Garden was renovated and re-dedicated as St. Luke's Courtyard, and also known as Maria Plain Courtyard.

From the June 30, 2002, St. Luke's church bulletin in Plain, Wisconsin (Pastor, Fr. Mike Resop):

St. Luke Courtyard Project is Underway!!!

This project will consist of building an underground drainage system, waterproofing the school and church basement walls in the courtyard, new sidewalk, lights, benches, bricked area around the State of Mary, a reflection pond and landscaping. Monies to be used are from the church reserve account, estate and memorials and individual donations. We are looking at purchasing 3 benches @ $800 each and lights @ 500 each, the reflection pond will cost $2,000 and the trees and plants will cost $3,500. . . .

The maple trees were removed and new trees were planted.

The 1996 plaque was removed from the Madonna with Child statue and replaced with two new engraved plaques. The Madonna with Child and two angels statues were moved so that they were facing north (toward the church) with the school building behind them.

St. Luke Church Bulletin

October 6, 2002, page 3

St. Luke Courtyard Project: An additional bench has been purchased. A patio table and chairs will be added to the project. If you would like to make a donation for the table & chairs, please call the parish office this week or drop it in the mail. Dedication and blessing ceremony will be the weekend of St. Luke Fest Day: Oct. 19-20.

Blessings, Fr. Mike.

St. Luke's courtyard renovation is celebrated. Sister Helene Marie Doll (center) joins Sister Gertrude Geigle (left) and Theresa Coleman at the dedication of the St. Luke's Church courtyard.

Members of the St. Luke's Catholic Church parish gather for refreshments Sunday morning October 20, in the renovated courtyard following mass. Father Michael Resop dedicated and blessed the courtyard, which includes a small waterfall and pool.

A view of the renovated courtyard area, including the pool dedicated to Sister Helene Marie Doll, before the dedication.

St. Luke Church Bulletin, November 17, 2002, page 3:

Maria Plain Courtyard is Complete! Thanks so much for your donation of time, talent and treasure to this project. Engraved plates will be placed in the courtyard remembering and honoring the people who gave their time, talent and treasure.

New plaque in 2002:

In Thanksgiving for Madonna & Child Statue in Maria Plain Courtyard

In Memory of: Anton & Merie Blau; Jacob & Emilia Heiser; Roman & Caroline Heiser. Alois & Marian Bindl, Annie Brickl, Willard Brechtl, Theodore & Clara Bullockus; Gerhard & Rose Dischler, Don & Jan Ederer; Henry & Judith Ferstl; Ann G. Frank; Harold & Anita Frank; Ihor & Genya Galarnyk; Gertrude Hausner; Gisela Kraemer; Victor & Jacquell Kraemer; Marion Liegel; Mary E. Liegel; Rose E. Lins; Gerald & Kathleen Meise; Catherine Popp; Bertha Rieder; Emma Ring; Felix & Millie Ring; Ralph & Anne Ruhland; Sylvester & Rose Ruhland; Loretta Scholl; Richard & Iris Umhoefer; Joseph & Lucille Wankerl; Wilfred & Elvy Weiss; Thomas Werla; Harley & Irene Yanke; Eighth Grade Class of 1942 & 1943; St. Luke CCW.

New "Maria Plain Courtyard Renovation 2002" plaque lists Donors / Contributors; Memorials; Stewardship Time & Talent"

The Maria Plain Courtyard as it looked in July 2003:

Madonna with Child statue. Photo taken on the day of the 150th Celebration of St. Luke's parish (1857-2007) on October 21, 2007:

The Maria Plain Courtyard as it looked in June 2008 with Sister Helene Marie Doll Reflection Pond at St. Luke Catholic Church:

Two angel statues shown genuflecting and with hands folded in prayer

The two angels were originally displayed on the altar area in St. Luke's Catholic church in Plain, Wisconsin. Photos from the temporary church (and school) used by the parish in 1919-1920 show the two angels had their own pedestal and were placed on each side of the main altar. When the new St. Luke's church (built from 1938 to 1940) was completed, the two angels were placed in the same position on the altar.

It is believed the angels were removed from the altar in 1969 and placed in storage around the same time when "certain misdirected individuals within the Church" ordered all statues to be removed from churches. The Catholic Pope at this time was Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montin).

A couple more examples of destroying original altars took place in Dane County, Wisconsin: the altar of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church in Sun Prairie was desecrated and all statues were removed; the beautiful altar and statues were also removed from St. Joseph Catholic Church in East Bristol.

In 1969, the church interior of St. Luke's was extensively redecorated and remodeled to comply with Vatican II changes. Consecration of the new altar of sacrifice was held on Saturday, Oct. 18, 1969, on the feast of St. Luke.

About 1995, Rev. Michael Resop, pastor at St. Luke's, had the angels taken out of storage and placed in Maria Plain Meditation Garden (aka St. Luke's courtyard). By October 1995, the angels were placed on each side of the Madonna and Christ child statue.

Unfortunately, the two angel statues and the statue of Madonna with Child (placed outside in 1988) deteriorated over the years from exposure to outdoor elements and became worn and cracked.

Sometime in 2016 to 2017, Rev. John Silva (pastor of St. Luke's since July 2016) had someone go to Plain to refurbish the two angels. The angels were removed from the outdoor courtyard returned to their original position on two new pedestals on either side of the main altar of St. Luke's. The original pedestals were no longer available. Following is a photo by bmb taken on August 13, 2017, showing the two angels back home where they belong.

The Madonna statue was refurbished at the same time (2016 to 2017) and was placed back into the outdoor courtyard.

Mystery statues

On August 13, 2017, two religious statues (Mary and possibly Joseph) were seen propped in a basement window of the school with their backs to the window. It is not known whether these statues were once displayed in St. Luke's church which was destroyed by a cyclone on May 21, 1918.