Huron prayer labyrinth provides peaceful escape

HURON — Amid a challenging year, some people see the need for prayer in a peaceful setting. Whether to meditate, pray or reflect, a quiet outdoor venue awaits them. The Huron prayer labyrinth and nearby trails, behind Zion Lutheran Church at 930 S. Main St., allow anyone to think in solitude as they walk. Both the labyrinth and three miles of walking trails sit on 10 acres of land. In 2005, a Zion Lutheran pastor inquired about installing a labyrinth near the church. After six churches looked into it, volunteers began the project in 2006 and finished the year after. Huron's labyrinth is modeled after one created in the 13th century in Chartres, France and is on a worldwide labyrinth registry. "Everything was done by hand and with tools and carts," Zion Lutheran Church member Tom Preston said about the labyrinth's construction. About 30 tons of rocks outline the walking paths through the circular labyrinth for people to follow. Walking around the labyrinth to its center is about a half-mile, and it's the same distance to exit the labyrinth, Preston said. Before reaching the labyrinth, visitors can leave their names in a sign-in book and prayer requests in a mailbox. For more walking, the trails meander through wooded land and have 13 stations with suggested topics to pray or meditate on, like for the nation and community. When the trails were created in recent years, 30 people were on hand to clear the area. The prayer labyrinth and trails are open dawn to dusk for anyone who wants to walk or run on them, Preston said. The nonprofit requests that no motorized vehicles use the trails. Those unable to walk the prayer labyrinth can use their fingers to trace a smaller version of the labyrinth. A short distance away is a memorial garden to remember local residents who died. Members of the Huron church nonprofit continue to care for the prayer labyrinth and walking trails. Stone and mulch are donated each year and community members bring their equipment to assist with the labyrinth's maintenance. "When the community knows there's a need, they step up," Preston said. Fourteen years later, the labyrinth still draws people near and far from Huron. In fact, one person from Amherst makes time to stop by every week, Preston said. With the spacious landscape, weddings have also happened on the property. "If you like to be outside, this is a nice way to do it," Huron Methodist member Barb Ringle said. "As we get the word out, we hope more people use it." Learn more Information on the Huron prayer path and labyrinth can be found at huronprayerpathandlabyrinth.com and on its social network page. Reach reporter Caitlin Nearhood at nearhood@sanduskyregister.com and follow her on Twitter @CaitlinNearhood