By Theresa Knapp 

Theresa Thomas, 17, is a senior at Milford High School. She is also a member of Milford Girl Scout Troop 11275 and has been a Girl Scout for more than 10 years. 

For her Girl Scout Gold Award Project she chose to construct a Prayer Garden for St. Mary of the Assumption Church where she is a parishioner. 

“I had decided on this project to help create a healthier way to cope with mental stress from everyday life,” says Thomas. “The main reason I had chosen to pursue my Gold Award was mainly due to the influence of my two brothers and sister who had all received their Eagle and Gold Awards.”

For her project, she coordinated the building of a stone pathway leading to the Peace Garden and a granite bench situated at the feet of the statue of Mother Mary. 

“I have been, and still am, very involved in my parish community. I am an altar server and am also part of the Youth Ministry. This church and the relationships I have made in it have been a very important part of my life. Because of this, I wanted to give back to my parish community,” says Thomas. 

She also created a pamphlet for the project which includes specific prayers - Prayer to Mother Mary, Prayer for Mental Strength, and Prayer for Healing - and instructions on how to pray: Set aside time to pray, clear your mind, know the purpose of your prayer, find a prayer that relates to you, and recite the prayer. 

Thomas said, “I wanted to create a place for people to relax and de-stress through prayer and meditation. I chose this because throughout my life, prayer has helped me when I have struggled and I believe in prayer.”