St. Mary's

In the late summer and late fall of 2004, children living next door to the church were found playing on and in piles of trash. We thought that unacceptable but there were no alternatives at the time. We dreamed of a safe and beautiful playground in our neighborhood but we are a small church and weren't sure how to make that dream a reality.

We filled out a United Thank Offering Grant Request and asked for money from the Diocese of Lexington Episcopal Church Women, Episcopal Appalachian Ministries and local contributors. We received money from all of these sources plus a grant from Bruton Parish in Williamsburg, Virginia.

We asked and were granted an easement from the City of Middlesboro for the purpose of the playground. Topsoil was removed, land graded, nineteen dump truck loads of dirt added. The playground equipment arrived from Knoxville and was assembled in under four hours. A handmade cross to match the one atop St. Mary's steeple was added, as was a fence and a Rotary bench. The playground was dedicated on the feast of St. Mary the Virgin (August) 2005. Now children from the neighborhood, families who visit the nearby health department as well as children in the church have a safe place to play.