Emmanuel Episcopal Parish is now offering labyrinth walks through their outdoor summer labyrinth on the lawn, open day or night to all islanders and visitors.

“The labyrinth is an ancient tool of prayer and meditation, and a blueprint of the soul,” said organizer Nancy Ayer.

The church has set aside the next week of Saturday, May 29 to Saturday, June 8 for meditative labyrinth walks focused on the healing of the oceans. The labyrinth is a joint outreach effort of the parish and the community.

“Labyrinths have been in use for thousands of years …this labyrinth is known as a medieval, seven circuit, Chartres-style labyrinth. The oldest church labyrinth in existence, built in 1201, is in the Chartres Cathedral outside Paris, France,” Ayer said. “Deep concerns and fears abound about the ultimate catastrophic effects this Gulf of Mexico oil gush has had and will continue to have on all of creation, sea creatures and humans alike. So, with this in mind, Emmanuel Church will dedicate all labyrinth walks for this entire upcoming week to the heart of our Earth, The Ocean, whose heart is breaking apart, piece by piece, and affecting us all.”