Toppa Joppa gets new prayer space

A new prayer experience has been added to the Glenmary Volunteer Program in Grainger County, Tenn. In January, the staff installed a bilingual outdoor Stations of the Cross display.

“The Stations of the Cross seem to fit in with the retreat-like nature of the place,” said Joe Grosek, volunteer director. “I thought the stations would reflect well with the younger volunteers who served.”

The stations at the volunteer program site came from a gift by Michael and Jacinta Mergler, in memory of their parents, Ralph Anthony & Charlotte Theresa Mergler, and Norbert Jude & Sylvia Mae Ferry. The staff purchased the set of stations in English, and a group of young people from Glenmary’s St. Michael the Archangel mission in Unicoi County, Tenn., decorated them and translated them into Spanish. Adult volunteers helped finish the project.

The new stations are located on a wooded hillside near the main volunteer house. They have traditional imagery, but also vibrant decor and inspirational text. For example, on the ninth station “Jesus falls for the third time,” a note reads, “God never gives up on his people.”

The volunteer site, known colloquially as Toppa Joppa due to its location atop Joppa Mountain, hosted more than 250 volunteers in 2022. The groups of high school, college and adult volunteers do service projects in the community during the day, and in the evenings often participate in spiritual exercises.

For more information on the Glenmary Group Volunteer Program, visit Glenmary.org/volunteer.