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LEXINGTON — Kathryn McLendon’s team is helping parishioners feel the presence of God through artistic arrangements of flowers, draped fabric and seasonal displays that regularly deck Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Lexington.

Kathryn McLendon (right, pictured with Melanie Suggs) and her team decorate Our Lady of the Rosary Church for every occasion, with a blend of flowers, fabric and colors that pay tribute to each celebration. (Photos Provided)

“Everything they do is wonderful and beautiful,” says the parish’s office manager, Maria Segura. “When you walk in, you feel so relaxed and so close to God. When I take it all in, my heart drops.”

Between a liturgical calendar filled with feast days, Advent and Lent, there is always a reason to decorate, and for the design crew, sacred adornments don’t just look beautiful – they also bring people into deeper communion with God.

“When we’re in the church alone decorating, we often carry on conversations with God – asking Him if He likes the flower arrangements or does He mind if we move the crucifix to another wall. If we’re having a bad day, we ask Him to lend us a hand,” says McLendon.

This year, the Lord’s presence has meant even more to McLendon. McLendon’s sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her husband suffered from two aneurysms.

Then McLendon’s doctor diagnosed her with Stage 4 breast cancer.

“Not exactly what I wanted to hear after everything else,” she says. “But through God’s grace and the prayers of more friends and relatives than I can even think of, we are all pulling through – eternally grateful for each day we have on this earth.”

“My work at the church continues through my treatments and motivates me to keep on going,” she says.

Drawing people closer to God

For Catholics, the act of sacred decorating – first displayed in frescoes painted on the walls of catacombs and meeting places of persecuted Christians in Rome in the second century – helps the faithful in prayer while creating an atmosphere that glorifies God and unifies the community.

“When we first started decorating, the parishioners were surprised at what a difference it made,” says McLendon. “They would stay after Mass and take pictures and comment on how inspired and closer to God they felt in such a beautiful and reverent environment.”

For the past five years, McLendon has led a team of eight women and their husbands in decorating the church – whether it’s Our Lady on a lighted cloud of chiffon in May or red satin with stones and baskets full of straw for Pentecost. Their work often brings parishioners to their knees in prayer.

“The holidays are the best – watching families stand in front of some of the decorated scenes for picture-taking,” says McLendon. “I think it makes all of us feel closer to God.”
Sometimes the decorating takes hours or days. The husbands do the heavy lifting and climbing, while the women plan the design, gather supplies and arrange everything.

The plentiful flowers are typically donated by generous brides from a wedding venue in town where McLendon works part-time.

“The event flowers are just getting thrown away anyway, so it’s a good lesson that we learned that provided our church with a lot more flowers than we would ever be able to purchase on our own,” she says.

McLendon’s favorite arrangements are in the education building in May. The team adorns two rooms, one devoted to Mary and the other to Jesus, creating separate sacred spaces for prayer.

“You know when you hit the target because people come out of their prayer stations literally crying because they feel the Lord. It’s just a beautiful thing,” she says.

The team’s most recent installation was adding some flair to the overflow room, a space frequented by more parishioners as the church continues to expand. The crew spent their morning on tall ladders draping sheer white fabric from the ceiling and assembling floral arrangements full of lightly used white roses to display on the altar and in front of a statue of the Infant of Prague.

Fulfilling her passion

McLendon always loved decorating. In college she took interior design classes, and although her career as dean of students at Central Piedmont Community College didn’t lend itself to such feats, she showcased her design skills in her home and those of her sisters.

Her work at Our Lady of the Rosary Church started when one of those sisters unexpectedly nudged her during a volunteer recruitment meeting.

“Jen knew that I would love doing it and that I’d be good at it, so I don’t blame her,” McLendon laughs. “I went there to become an usher and left as the church decorator.”

McLendon says she is thankful for the opportunity that has gratified her and her team personally and spiritually. Through it, they bond with Jesus, Mary and the saints while seeking spiritual guidance in their designs, she says. They even notice the porcelain Mary seems extra pleasant when adorned with flowers, and they feel God’s presence while they arrange tulips and lilies around the altar or place a crown of thorns around the cross.

Mary’s smile helps as McLendon continues to undergo treatment. She has finished four rounds of chemo and is getting infusions. Next, she will have another PET scan.

“I’m blessed because the first four rounds of chemo took care of the tumors in my bone and lymph nodes,” she explains. “All that remains now are two small tumors, and the doctor is hoping the infusions will address those.”

On the days she feels OK, she continues her ministry, lifting herself up and offering her gifts to Our Lady of the Rosary. On other days, when she feels too weak and somewhat defeated, she takes respite in the sacred landscapes she designed while she silently prays, listens and feels comforted by the Lord.

—  Lisa M. Geraci