Murray Grove Labyrinth Gets Facelift

Whether for spiritual renewal, meditation or just for fun, Murray Grove Retreat and Renewal Center in Lanoka Harbor offers a labyrinth, recently renovated through an Eagle Scout project.

Labyrinths date back thousands of years, according to Louise Ille, Murray Grove Executive Director. The Murray Grove labyrinth, dedicated to the facility's former director, Ellen Chulak, is a 39-foot wide, 11-circuit path that people can walk for a variety of reasons.

"It's simply very beautiful, a special addition to the attractiveness of our property," said Michael Masters, Murray Grove's assistant director. "Being a spiritual-oriented retreat center, it can be fun but it's used for prayer and meditation."

The labyrinth was first constructed five years ago, a dream of Chulak's. However, the design made it hard to maintain. Boy Scout Kyle Wolkwitz chose the renovation of the labyrinth as his Eagle Scout project, to help correct the problem. Masters said last fall, Wolkwitz organized the first stage, which was to put down black plastic to keep down weeds and re-lay the design with larger stones than had been there previously.

A month ago, volunteers completed the project by mulching, he said. 

A pamphlet on the Murray Grove labyrinth explains that, unlike a maze, it is a single path leading to a center, which is a six-petal rosette.  People have walked labyrinths as a symbolic form of pilgrimage in place of traveling to holy lands. In modern times, they are used for personal growth.

"Three years ago, some women learned a song and chanted and walked the labyrinth in a group," said Ille. "They invited me and I had goose bumps."

The Murray Grove labyrinth is Medieval, with a Chartres pattern, referring to the labyrinth laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France, said Masters.

"We have people call from out-of-state to walk our labyrinth," said Ille. "It could be used for clearing the mind and having a Zen moment."

One internet site said people walk labyrinths to achieve a contemplative state -- by walking the circuitous path, they can lose track of direction and the outside world, quieting the mind. 

Worldwide Labyrinth Locator helps people find labyrinths. A search found 65 labyrinths in New Jersey. The only other labyrinth listed in Ocean County is at the Medical Center of Ocean County in Brick Township. 

Murray Grove, located on Route 9, is a 20-acre partially wooded retreat and conference center run by the Murray Grove Association, a private non-profit, operated on Unitarian principles.