Three North Portland men this summer converted the angst of unemployment into zeal for volunteer labor at their Catholic parish.

The result is a small haven of prayer in a blue-collar neighborhood, complete with trees, benches, a paved walkway and marble statues of Jesus and Mary.

Members of the North Portland Catholic Community gathered last Sunday to dedicate the Queen of Peace Prayer Garden near Holy Cross Church.

The pastor, Father Dave Gutmann, asked Bob Kerns, Mark McKinney and James Redden to sprinkle holy water on the site and the congregation. The blessing was the culmination months of dreaming, planning and heavy work.

Over the past several years, the failing Oregon economy pulled Kerns, a website editor, and McKinney, a landscape logistics expert, into the ranks of the jobless.

Both men, fathers of children in Catholic schools, had long been successful and held down jobs that suddenly evaporated.

Redden, also father of a Catholic school student, was injured on the job and had to sell off the concrete business he owned.

The three, part of a parish men's prayer group, decided to use their unwelcome liberty for the good.

As a member of the parish council, Kerns helped hatch a plan to use some of the statuary from the closed Queen of Peace Church to create a garden. The idea was to build a place of prayer for Holy Cross, commemorate Queen of Peace, and foster prayer for the neighborhood and the world.

Architect Steve Koch, who attended Holy Cross School, drew up a plan.

Kerns knew about McKinney's and Redden's expertise. The men plunged into the job, tearing up sod, laying concrete, engineering irrigation, planting shrubs, mounting statues and setting out benches. Much of the labor took place in the heat of summer.

The crew estimates that the project took about 1,500 man-hours. Parishioners contributed money to the garden, and some businesses donated materials.

'It was a real blessing for me,' says McKinney, who has been in a succession of temporary jobs for months. 'When some of the work finished, the good Lord put this garden in front of me to keep my hands busy.'

McKinney is a longtime youth soccer coach and Catholic school volunteer.

Redden, who also serves as a parish lector, says the project 'came at a time when things looked pretty bleak, and what I could do about it was keep busy and get it over with.'

Redden recalls that he prayed during the hot summer of work and has kept in mind the example of Mary, who surrendered her will to God in uncertain times.

'The most important thing to us is that the garden get used,' he explains, looking toward the white marble statue of the Blessed Mother. 'There is nothing more peaceful than being here at 5 a.m. and seeing the sunrise reflect on the statues.'

Redden has recovered from his injuries and has found new employment as a laborer.

'I wouldn't have been able to work on the garden had I been employed full time,' says Kerns, who now works as a freelance writer. 'For me it was physical prayer.'

On Sunday, parishioners strolled around the garden, some reaching out to touch the marble statues.

'They did a good job,' says Frances Keagbine, a member of Holy Cross Parish since 1953. 'It's just beautiful.' Keagbine walked to the figure of Jesus, holding the hand of her 3-year-old granddaughter Michaela.

'This is awesome. It means a lot to us,' says parishioner Vickie Wack, who was a member of Assumption and Queen of Peace parishes before they closed and were merged with Holy Cross. 'I think this will be a good place to reflect.'

Lorraine Raya has already used the spot to pray.

'I love the statues, and the plants are just beautiful,' she says.

In a Sunday homily about Jesus as servant, Father Gutmann used the garden builders as an example. The priest is part of the men's prayer group and for several years has been meeting with parishioners who are unemployed.

'They recognized the need, they had the skills and the abilities, and they did it,' the priest said, adding that the men worked with happiness.

'If we serve with resentment, it certainly isn't the same,' he told the congregation. 'We need to do it with a joyful heart. We need to examine our heart and our attitude. Sometimes we can get a nasty attitude in service. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to transform that.'

Now, children from Holy Cross School wander into the garden, which is adjacent to the playground. There, they take quiet moments. The school will be able to hold special services at the outdoor site.

'I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see someone use the garden,' Kerns says. And if they only see it on their way in or out of church, that's OK too, because maybe it gives them a second or two to reflect on what Mary means to us and what Jesus has done for us.'

Garden commemorates parish

The new prayer garden near Holy Cross Church provides a place to contemplate in a North Portland neighborhood.

It also keeps a memory alive.

The small garden is named after Queen of Peace Church, about a mile east. The site of a Catholic parish since the 1920s, Queen of Peace ceased operations last April, when the two church communities culminated a merger. The Queen of Peace property was leased to growing De La Salle North Catholic High School.

Most former Queen of Peace parishioners now worship at Holy Cross. While they are thrilled to have a Catholic secondary school in the neighborhood, they want their community remembered.

The new garden includes two statues and several pews from Queen of Peace.

Meanwhile, workers used a crane, rollers and a jeep to remove the nine-ton marble altar from the former Queen of Peace Church. That will provide more room for school drama and other activities.

The altar was trucked to Anacortes, Wash. where sculptors interviewed by parish leaders will use it.