The Shrine of St. Thérèse is looking for more volunteers

    Photo courtesy of The Shrine of St. Thérèse

    Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - This summer come out and enjoy the gardens of the Shrine of St. Thérèse.

    Joe Sehnert is the director of the Shrine of St. Thérèse.

    He came onto Capital Chat to talk about needing volunteers.

    First, Sehnert explained the Shrine's background.

    "The shrine chapel will be eighty-five years old this coming October. So the shrine has been a part of Juneau fabric for a long time. And you know, it's just amazing," he said. "It's just been built up over the years little by little. The gardens were started about 25 years ago. They've become an integral part of our mission, talking to people about God."

    He added that people of all religions are welcome at the Shrine.

    "You just feel the presence of God there. I mean it doesn't matter what faith or what religion. It's just a place where you just know that there's something going on there that's bigger than all of us," he said. "It's a lot of property. It takes a lot of volunteers to help us keep that up."

    There are over 22 gardens, with over 11,000 square feet of gardens that people can help out with.

    "We're looking for volunteers for the garden program. We have four different pieces to our garden program. The first one is Saturday work parties where folks can come once a month, the first Saturday of each month. We work from nine to noon. The shrine supplies everything they need; plants, fertilizer, mulch, whatever, and you just come out," he said. "If you can't make it for the whole time, an hour's great. Whatever time they get on a Saturday. Now that's once a month on a Saturday. We also have our Thursdays with St. Therese, which is every Thursday."

    Their Thursday volunteer program begins May 11.

    He also explained their Adopt a Garden program.

    "We need some new people to adopt a garden. With those 22 gardens, we have gardens from 30 square feet to 1,200 square feet," Sehnert said. "So if you're an individual you can come out and adopt a garden. If you're a family, we got the right-sized garden for you. If you're a member of an organization, we got the garden for you. You don't have to buy anything. All you have to do is be there."

    To conclude, Sehnert gave the fourth way to help out at the Shrine.

    "If you can't get out there, the fourth way is to just help us financially. To pay for the replace plants, to pay for the bulbs, to help buy the mulch," he commented. "Keeping these grounds as magnificent, as beautiful as they are. So we're grateful for any help we can get."

    If interested in volunteering or donating, reach out via their website or call 907-789-9815.

    More from News of the North

    • Jeanne Bitz's story — healing through Hawai'i

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Jeanne Bitz is a painter and sculptor in Maui, Hawai'i.

    • Alaska Athletes Will Push Their Limits in IRONMAN Alaska

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - On Sunday one of the hardest athletic events around the world will begin on the shores of Auke Lake in Juneau with a cannon blast that will signify the first official full IRONMAN race in Alaska.

    • Juneau Skating Club Spring Show a Musical Ice Delight

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - If you don’t have a ticket to today’s Juneau Skating Club Spring Show at Treadwell Ice Arena then pay at the door or beg to get in as this is a show you will not want to miss!

    • Crimson Bears & Falcons Go Purple to Raise Suicide Awareness & Prevention

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé and Thunder Mountain High School basketball teams, coaches, cheerleaders and officials will wear purple during their games tonight and Saturday night at the JDHS gym to raise awareness for mental health, suicide prevention and positive messaging for young adults and community members.

    • Pep Band Spices Up Local Sports

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - It takes something special to supplement a high caliber activity without taking away from that activity and that challenge has been met every basketball season by the pep bands of Thunder Mountain High School and Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé.

    • Photos: Perseverance Trail Landslide

      The recent avalanche and landslide activity in the Basin Road and Perseverance Trailhead area is shown in these photos from KINY.

    • Crimson Bears Butt Heads with Moose on Ice

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau-Douglas High School Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears hockey team fell by the score of 4-2 to the Palmer Moose on Monday night at Treadwell Arena in a spirited and physical Railbelt Conference battle around the rink.

    • Juneau's High School Hoopsters and Skaters Can Unmask

      The Juneau School District is allowing their high school basketball and hockey players to play unmasked if certain testing requirements are met. Juneau School District Superintendent Bridget Weiss noted that the change only applies to players who are actively participating in one of the two sports and that coaches and athletes seated on the bench still have to wear face coverings.

    • First Things First Alaska

      The First Things First Alaska Foundation wrote in May 2020 that "the Alaska Roadless Rule hinders Southeast Alaska's economic recovery.

    • Angoon Woman Walks Her Way to a Healthier Life

      Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Angoon’s Betty Samato likes to walk. A lot. She has traveled on foot more than 7,000 miles in just over a year and much more since the coronavirus pandemic first began spreading through her home community.

    • Frawley Finish Anchors Crimson Bears Relay Title

      Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - In the final leg of his final race as a high school senior, in the last event of the 2021 State Swimming & Diving Championship at Bartlett High School, Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé senior Tytan Frawley touched the pool wall to clinch the state championship for the Crimson Bears boys' 400 yard relay. A few lanes down, Kodiak’s Jackson Krug also stretched to the finish with the identical time.

    • Seward’s Jacoby, Thunder Mountain’s Foy Top Swimmers at State Meet

      Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Seward senior Lydia Jacoby and Thunder Mountain High School sophomore Patrick Foy were named the outstanding female and male swimmers at Saturday’s 2021 State Swimming & Diving Championship at Bartlett High School.

    Crude Oil Price

    Current Conditions