By Christopher M. Riggs
The Wedding at Cana Sculpture Garden was unveiled and blessed Friday evening, Sept. 30, at the Spiritual Life Center in Wichita.
Bishop Michael O. Jackels blessed the four scenes that line the entrance of the diocesan retreat center and guide visitors inside.
The eight statues and six water jars are the fulfillment of a prayer and vision that Bishop Emeritus Eugene J. Gerber held for many years.
Father Ken Van Haverbeke, director of the center, said the new sculpture garden reminds us that the Spiritual Life Center “is about people who pass through this amazing scene coming to a place of peace, of refuge, and of holiness.”
He said the series of statues show how “the mother of Jesus leads us to her son: he who directs all of our efforts, fills all that which is empty, and allows us to believe in him and his power in our lives.”

Before the blessing, Bishop Gerber talked about how joyous an occasion a wedding was during the time of Jesus, how the whole village was invited to a wedding, and how the celebration would often last longer than a week.
“They probably didn’t expect as many people or they probably didn’t think people would drink so much, I don’t know which, anyway they ran out of wine,” he said referring to the story in the Gospel of John.
Bishop Gerber asked those attending to imagine the wedding couple arriving to the festivities and Mary noticing they have no wine. “Some people say she went to Jesus because she wanted to spare them embarrassment,” he said. “I think it was much deeper than that.”
Think about those times in your life when you noticed something or noticed someone, he said, “and some movement takes place within you, something happens to you inside and then you act upon it.”
Mary noticed what was going on, Bishop Gerber said. “I think she had a movement within her of the Holy Spirit – who was now her spouse since the Annunciation. I think she had a movement to go to Jesus and say, ‘Son the hour has come. It’s time to begin the journey to Jerusalem.’” Mary then tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Msgr. Robert Hemberger, vicar general for the diocese, said after the dedication and blessing that Hopen’s assistant, Chris Urbanic invited Karen Kruse, who is blind, to manually examine the sculptures.
Kruse, a member of St. Patrick Parish, Wichita, said of one of the statues of Jesus: “He is very kind.” When she felt the features of the statue of the wine steward, she said: “He is happy, isn’t he.”
“I thought they did an excellent job on the statues,” she said. “It made you feel like you are part of the scene.”
Kruse said she hopes others with disabilities take the opportunity to visit the sculptures.
About 100 attended the event which included donors and many who had a part in the project, including the most Rev. Ronald Gilmore, retired Bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City, who was also involved.
A short documentary about the sculpture garden is being produced by the Catholic Advance for the Spiritual Life Center.
About the sculptor
An interview with Bill Hopen, the sculptor, and his assistant, Chris Urbanic, will be included in the documentary. More about Hopen and the SLC’s sculpture garden is online at billhopen.com. The artists have a slideshow and other photos at their website: tinyurl.com/42rhsbe and tinyurl.com/3kdd84a.