This post is from eyeonannapolis.com St. Anne’s Episcopal Church has officially dedicated the Garden of Peace and Remembrance at St. Anne’s Cemetery, a site historically known as Annapolis’s “Cemetery for All.” The dedication ceremony drew over 160 attendees and was led by the Right Rev. Carrie Schofield-Broadbent, Bishop of Maryland.

The new garden serves as a memorial to all those buried at the cemetery, including both enslaved and free individuals, known and unknown. As part of the ceremony, Bishop Schofield-Broadbent performed a libation ritual, stating, “By pouring libations, we honor and uplift the memory of all those buried here, known and unknown, enslaved and free. We remember them all as Children of God, equal in His sight. May their souls rest in blessed peace.”

Commissioner Elinor Thompson of the Maryland Commission on African American History & Culture, who served on the garden’s Steering Committee, offered historical context during the event. “This garden is dedicated to the people who had to go through all the suffering, trials, and tribulations during those uncertain times,” said Thompson. “This peace and healing garden will hopefully heal each of us as we begin the process of building hope for our future generations.”

The Rev. Dr. Manoj Mathew Zacharia, Rector of St. Anne’s, added, “It is quite fitting that our cemetery strives to be the ultimate resting place on earth that breaks down barriers that humans have selfishly erected.”

The garden was developed in partnership with the Annapolis-based Nature Sacred Foundation and installed by Bay Ridge Lawn & Landscape. It is part of St. Anne’s ongoing Truth and Reconciliation Ministry and is intended to be a space for reflection, healing, and community remembrance.